Author: Rainbow Rowell
Series: ---
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Realistic Fiction, New Adult
Publication/Year: St. Martin's Griffin • 2013
Page Numbers: 448
Synopsis from Goodreads:
"In Rainbow Rowell's 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.My Rating: ★★★★
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? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?"
Quote(s) I Like:
"That moment when you realize that a guy's looking at you differently -- that you're taking up more space in his field of vision. That moment when you know he can't see past you anymore." - Wren
"Making people happy makes me feel good. If anything, it gives me more energy for the people I care about." - Levi
My Thoughts:
This was a pretty good read. I'm not much into fangirling or fandom so I wasn't able to relate much to the Simon Snow tad bits. I couldn't even relate to Cath's freshman year because mine was absolutely the opposite; extremely fun.
I did like how she grew into her own after her first semester. She finally began to see what Wren, her twin sister, was talking about. Cath's roommate was a bit creepy to me, Levi is so hot and sweet and Nick is a pure college jerk. Wren needs to grow up and just quit the damn drinking. Laura completely upset me for how she acted as a woman and mother.
- Spoiler Alert -
Freshman year -- oh how I remember mine. It was the greatest time of my life, but for Cath...she made it seem like a prison cell. She acted like such a whiny baby that I could not stand her for the first ten chapters. Everything she did and said urked my nerves. Not talking to her roommate, not eating at the dinning hall and just being a big old baby. Like she definitely had to grow up for me to like her and thankfully she did! Her fandom and fanfiction obsession was a bit scary...I'm not into fangirling at all, so I was a bit creeped out. I think she took it to the extreme when she did her assignment for writing class and got an F. Her professor gave her a second chance to make it up and she totally was being a wimp about it.
Nick ... what can I say about this selfish guy. He definitely seemed like a hottie at first, but after using the story he AND Cath wrote for his final project for their writing class and trying to play her off I was pissed with him. Thankfully he got what he deserved when his professor told him that the only way he can be featured in some magazine was to get permission from Cath as co-author. I laughed when he basically pleaded his case and Cath said no. Such joy it bought me.
Wren is the wild twin that definitely needs to take a damn chill pill. Going on partying and drinking is not the college life and it kills me when freshmans believe it is. Wren learned the hard way by getting alcohol poisoning, but it seemed to not have bothered her because she still wanted to drink. Wren is definitely the "mature" twin when it comes to making friends and socializing, but she is also the idiotic twin when it comes to drinking, partying and school work.
Wren and Cath were definitely opposites no matter how identical they looked.
Levi is definitely the ideal upper classman that's crushing on an adorable freshman. That's definitely a thing in college where juniors and seniors get coupled with freshman. I like that he didn't push himself onto Cath, but was always around when she needed him. I like that it wasn't instant love either because that never really happens in college. I love that Levi went to the hospital when she texted him about her sister being in the hospital, I love that he drove her home in the snow and stayed with her and I definitely love the fact that he told her he wouldn't allow her to carry anything if his hands were empty. Such a romantic guy. He never even pressured or bought up sex with her. Definitely a keeper!
Levi and Cath's relationship grew over the course of the year and it definitely blossomed. That relationship also helped Cath to mature a bit more.
Laura -- a sucky ass, terrible mother. Left her family when her daughters where eight years old. Told them she didn't want to be a mother and then when Wren opens the door to let her back in she disappears while Wren is in the hospital from alcohol poisoning. That is horrible on all accounts. I think she should have just stayed out of their lives for good and not have popped up. She was just so damn irrelevant for the scenes she did pop up at.
Overall Conclusion:
This book did hit home at some parts. I love the balance of comedy, romance, self love and family togetherness in this book. Definitely well written.
For my second Rainbow Rowell novel I definitely enjoyed it.
Have you read this book?