[Review] Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

Author: Rainbow Rowell
Original title: Fangirl
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release date: Januray 1st, 2013
Finished date: February 25th, 2015
Pages: 445
Read in: English

Synopsis

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?

Source: GoodReads

Final Rating: ★★★

Honestly, this is way overhyped. I was expecting much more of it.
It was sweet and funny in a quirky way but it was not a 5★ book.

"I still wish you'd get a dog," she said.
"I'd never remember to feed it."
"Maybe we could train it to feed you."

I also loved the fact that it portrayed mental illness in such a realistic way.I'm a huge fan of fanfiction, I read it often and I've even written a bit. It was refreshing to see such a big part of many teenagers lives portrayed in a book - it's the first book I've ever read about fanfiction.

The following extended review contains spoilers

If you have not yet read the book and/or do not wish to be spoiled, please do not read any further.

☮ Cather is pathetic. Really pathetic.

«She finished getting ready with plenty of time to eat breakfast but didn’t feel up to braving the dining hall; she still didn’t know where it was, or how it worked… (…) If she paced herself, she might not have to face the dining hall until October.»

Seriously? She doesn’t know where the dining hall is so she chooses to starve? I mean, I get that she’s not a people person, I’m not one either, but I’m not going to stick my head in the sand and pretend stuff isn’t happening like an ostrich. 

«But most nights she pressed 911 on her phone, then ran back to the dorm with her finger over the Call button.»

Who does that?

☮ Reagan is awesome. She always said exactly what I - and I imagine, everyone - was thinking.

«"You're making me feel sorry for you again," Reagan said.
Cath turned her fork on Reagan. "Don't feel sorry for me. I don't want you to feel sorry for me."
"I can't help it," Reagan said. "You're really pathetic."
"I am not."
"You are. You don't have any friends, your sister dumped you, you're a freaky eater... And you've got some weird thing about Simon Snow.»

~~~~~

«Reagan was sitting at Cath’s desk when Cath woke up.
“Are you awake?”
“Have you been watching me sleep?”
“Yes, Bella. Are you awake?”.»

☮ Wren was kind of a bitch.

“But it didn’t break me. Nothing can break me unless I let it.”
“Do you think dad let it? Do you think he chose to fall apart when she left?”
“Yes!” Wren was shouting now. “And I think he keeps choosing. I think you both do. You’d rather be broken than move on.”

I mean, I sort of understand that this is her way of dealing with things, but it’s not really a very gracious one.

☮ Levi was cute. Too cute to be a real person, but cute still.

☮ There is some stuff I don’t understand.

”I don’t know,” Levi said. “It’s hard for me to get my head around. It’s like hearing that Harry Potter is gay.”

Isn’t this whole Simon Snow thing supposed to be the Harry Potter of our world? I don’t really get the point of the Harry Potter reference in a book like this. Can someone please explain this to me? 

Love,

Francisca