Review: Fangirl

Title:  Fangirl
Series:  None
Author:  Rainbow Rowell
Published:  September 10, 2013 by St. Martin's Press
Source:  Given to me by a friend.  Thank you!

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Review:  I don't think I can do this book justice in a review.   I have never felt so connected and able to relate to a story in my entire life.  I opened this book and was able to see myself in Cath (our main character) and I knew exactly how she was feeling because I had felt the same things before.  This story was one that was able to burrow right into my heart and find a nice, comfortable space to stay for a very long time.

Simon Snow is the Harry Potter of this world and Cath is a huge fan.  Sound familiar?  Because it did to me.  Her love and obsession with the story and the characters sent me back to when Harry Potter was still a growing series and I was completely wrapped up in it.  The way that the characters were like old friends and the world was a magical place to escape to portrayed the way I felt about Harry Potter perfectly and brought me back to those wonderful days.  Cath was also very shy and introverted.  She wasn't comfortable in social situations and got anxious around people she didn't know.  I loved seeing the way slowly became more comfortable and confident in herself.  She put herself out there and learned how to stand on her own and I was cheering for her the entire time!

I also loved Levi.  This boy had me smiling from ear to ear whenever he was on the page.  I could feel his happy energy bouncing off the page and it so made me want to have someone like him in my life.  He was always so friendly and easy going and he loved meeting new people.  Levi and Cath's slow growing relationship was sweet and refreshing.  I loved how they eased into it and how they never felt forced or uncomfortable.  I was swooning all over the place whenever they were together.  He was exactly what she needed though it may not have been terribly obvious in the beginning.  
 The relationship between Cath and her sister Wren as well as their father was tender and lovely as well, even though they did go through some very difficult times.  I liked that no matter what they were always there to back each other up and support each other. 

This book has easily become one of my absolute favorites.  I've fallen in love with Cath and the other characters and am sad to see them go but know I will happily revisit them and this book very soon!  Rainbow Rowell weaved a beautiful and relatebale story with characters that touched my heart and that I saw myself reflected in.  I cannot wait to jump into another of her books!

Five Cards