Co-Book Review and Playlist: Fangirl

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?

AMANDA'S REVIEW:

My favorite kinds of books are the ones that you, the reader, can relate to. The books where the reader can say, hey I know what you're going through or I understand why you did this. Thats exactly what I felt while reading Fangirl. 

Cath is a fangirl. She writes fan-fiction, chats with people like her online, dresses up like the characters, and re-reads all her favorite books. In her world, Simon Snow is Harry Potter, and she is the ultimate fan. The fact that Cath is such a fangirl makes relating to her as a character 10x easier than relating to a supernatural witch or mythical creature. She's a real girl with real problems and reading about her is really refreshing. The plot of the novel isn't laced with twists and turns and nonstop action, but it is still very creative and entertaining. 

The characters in the novel are definitely my favorite component of Fangirl. Cath, the main character, is the kind of girl who everyone likes. She's funny and caring, and fiercely loyal to her friends and family. Levi, Cath's friend/love interest in the novel is my favorite character. He's sarcastic, witty, and just an amazing guy. There is not one moment in the book where I disliked Levi and his wonderful personality. Wren, Cath's twin sister, does not have a major role in the plot, but her appearances added some drama for Cath, as did the twin's father. Reagan, who is Cath's new college roommate, is a pretty interesting character to read about and she brought a lot of humor to the novel.

Rainbow Rowell is probably one of my favorite authors just because of her writing style. Rowell also wrote Eleanor and Park, which is an amazing book that I really recommend. Anyways, the way Rainbow Rowell writes her stories is just amazing. Not only does she tell a story in a way that's always entertaining, but she also captures what it's like to be a teenager growing up in the 21st century. What Cath and the other characters are going through, I was able to relate to even though I'm not in College yet. Rainbow Rowell has found a way to speak to teens through her writing and in my opinion she is doing an amazing job.

Fangirl is definitely one of those books that you can't put down until the very last page is flipped. I stayed up half the night to finish it, but it was so worth it! So grab a copy, go somewhere where you won't be interrupted, and READ!

ELIZABETH'S REVIEW: 

So I finally finished Fangirl (Allegiant and Champion and TV shows happened and so it took me forever to finish). I liked it but not nearly as much as Rainbow's other novel, Eleanor and Park.

I decided to pick this novel up because I really liked Eleanor and Park, and practically everyone I know who read it had rad reviews about it.

I think the thing I enjoyed the most about this book was that it was realistic and incredibly relatable. The characters; Cath, Wren, Reagan, Nick, Levi. The relatable part was Cath's social anxiety. I loved how Rowell tackled the issues of social anxiety, mental illness (her dad), absent parents (her mom), and alcoholic abuse, but still managed to keep the tone of the book light and fun. 

Another part I really enjoyed was the whole Simon Snow series, which I originally took to be kind of the Harry Potter of where they were from until HP was mentioned in the book later on. 

Here's a playlist I made for Fangirl: