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A review by ninetalevixen
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
5.0
content warnings: anxiety, mentioned panic attacks, mental health crises, ableism & ableist language, underage drinking, alcohol poisoning, hospitalization, sexual harassment, perceived infidelity
Each reread just really drives home how ahead of its time this book was: unapologetic centering of fandom and fanfic, anxiety rep, (a small amount of) casual diversity, college setting ... the list goes on. Over seven years after I first read it, I am impressed by how well it holds up; admittedly some of the draw is nostalgia, and there are some attitudes and language that wouldn't fly in a 2021 release. (I'm also not a general fan of Rowell's, for a lot of reasons including E&P and the fact that I didn't especially enjoy any of her other books, but I do keep coming back to this one, time and again.)
I've wanted to document how my relationship with this book changes alongside my relationship with college and with fandom; since I graduate this coming May and have recently been getting back into fandom, the timing seemed perfect for a reread. And I'm so glad I did it.
There are still pop-culture references and one-liners that I don't quite get, but the interpersonal relationships at the heart of this story are still solid. My appreciation for Levi has only increased over the years; the quiet slow burn is much more compelling than the obligatory-but-underdeveloped romantic subplot in so many YA/NA novels. I still relate strongly to Cath's neuroses and insecurities. Overall, this was a nice soft read to ease into a new year.
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CONVERSION: 12.5 / 15 = 4.5 stars
Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 5 / 5
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2019: Buddy read with Jill and Barbara! ❤
new rating: 4.5 stars (-0.5 from original)
I'm rereading this as a newly-single college student who jumps ships/fandoms every few years and no longer has much time to write fanfic or original fiction. It still holds up pretty well, especially the romantic storylines that I used to think were too subtle; I've become a huge fan of quieter, more realistic romance progressions, so it's kind of like I've grown into parts of this while outgrowing other parts. I think this was actually one of my first New Adult books, though that genre wasn't popular — or maybe even existent? — at the time.
Though I'm noticing some little things that bug me. UNL: I don't know how closely Cath's college is based on a real school, but we don't have dining halls in each dorm — it's one building for the whole campus — and while professors have a lot of leeway with grades, Professor Piper's offer is almost unbelievably generous. On straight girls writing M/M fic: there's been some controversy about this, and it's pretty well-documented on Tumblr if you dare to go looking (but even if you don't, hopefully the line "I don't think I can read this with actual gay people in the house" will give you pause); if this book was being published now I'd hope that it would be addressed beyond a few throwaway comments about "deviancy," but since at the time of publication it was revolutionary just to talk about fandom, I'm inclined to let it slide. The diversity is maybe half a step above nonexistent — Cath's Mexican ex-boyfriend Abel, Wren's Mexican boyfriend Jandro, the Averys being "the only white family in their neighborhood; the juxtaposition of Levi growing up on a ranch as one of eleven students in his graduation class and Cath in Omaha with lots of friends and things to do and taco trucks; one, maybe two, "real-life" (as opposed to SnowBaz) gay relationships mentioned in passing — but again, it seems about par for when it was published. (Which was 6 years ago, both a long time and not at all. Wow.)
So all things considered, Fangirl is definitely keeping its place near the top of my Favorites shelf, and its role as a go-to comfort read.
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original review (2013)
Of course I loved this book - it centers around fandom, and fanfiction in particular. I adore Levi, and Cath was so easy to relate to. I can't wait for college, and I really hope I'll be lucky enough to get a professor like Prof Piper.
Each reread just really drives home how ahead of its time this book was: unapologetic centering of fandom and fanfic, anxiety rep, (a small amount of) casual diversity, college setting ... the list goes on. Over seven years after I first read it, I am impressed by how well it holds up; admittedly some of the draw is nostalgia, and there are some attitudes and language that wouldn't fly in a 2021 release. (I'm also not a general fan of Rowell's, for a lot of reasons including E&P and the fact that I didn't especially enjoy any of her other books, but I do keep coming back to this one, time and again.)
I've wanted to document how my relationship with this book changes alongside my relationship with college and with fandom; since I graduate this coming May and have recently been getting back into fandom, the timing seemed perfect for a reread. And I'm so glad I did it.
There are still pop-culture references and one-liners that I don't quite get, but the interpersonal relationships at the heart of this story are still solid. My appreciation for Levi has only increased over the years; the quiet slow burn is much more compelling than the obligatory-but-underdeveloped romantic subplot in so many YA/NA novels. I still relate strongly to Cath's neuroses and insecurities. Overall, this was a nice soft read to ease into a new year.
-----------
CONVERSION: 12.5 / 15 = 4.5 stars
Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 5 / 5
----------------------------------------
2019: Buddy read with Jill and Barbara! ❤
new rating: 4.5 stars (-0.5 from original)
I'm rereading this as a newly-single college student who jumps ships/fandoms every few years and no longer has much time to write fanfic or original fiction. It still holds up pretty well, especially the romantic storylines that I used to think were too subtle; I've become a huge fan of quieter, more realistic romance progressions, so it's kind of like I've grown into parts of this while outgrowing other parts. I think this was actually one of my first New Adult books, though that genre wasn't popular — or maybe even existent? — at the time.
Though I'm noticing some little things that bug me. UNL: I don't know how closely Cath's college is based on a real school, but we don't have dining halls in each dorm — it's one building for the whole campus — and while professors have a lot of leeway with grades, Professor Piper's offer is almost unbelievably generous. On straight girls writing M/M fic: there's been some controversy about this, and it's pretty well-documented on Tumblr if you dare to go looking (but even if you don't, hopefully the line
So all things considered, Fangirl is definitely keeping its place near the top of my Favorites shelf, and its role as a go-to comfort read.
----------------------------------------
original review (2013)
Of course I loved this book - it centers around fandom, and fanfiction in particular. I adore Levi, and Cath was so easy to relate to. I can't wait for college, and I really hope I'll be lucky enough to get a professor like Prof Piper.