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Runaways, Vol. 1: Find Your Way Home

(Runaways (2017) (Collected Editions) #1)

Rainbow Rowell (Goodreads Author),

Kris Anka (Illustrator)

3.93 · Rating details · 4,282 ratings · 582 reviews

GET READY TO RUN!

The "IT" book of the early 2000s with the original cast is back--Nico! Karolina! Molly! Chase! Old Lace! And, could it be...GERT?!

The heart of the Runaways died years ago, but you won't believe how she returns! Superstar author Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park, Carry On) makes her Marvel debut with fan-favorite artist Kris Anka (ALL-NEW X-MEN, CAPTAIN ...more

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Paperback, 136 pages

Published May 1st 2018 by Marvel

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· 4,282 ratings · 582 reviews

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Nov 05, 2018 Anne rated it liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels, comics, read-in-2018

I read the first few volumes of the original Runaways, and then for random reasons I can't really remember, never finished it out. Cool concept, though.
Anyway. My point is that I really didn't know the characters well, and had no idea how that run ended. So, when I saw that there was a new run starting I kind of wondered if I'd be able to keep up.

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The short answer is yes.
While I'm sure I would have gotten more out of Find Your Way Home if I had been a longtime reader of these guys, I felt as ...more

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Jul 26, 2017 may ❀ marked it as to-read

Rainbow Rowell was literally the author that got me into YA contemporary. Fetus me identified as Rainbow Rowell Trash and i will not let //her// down

g i m m e !

...more

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May 17, 2018 Philip rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, ya, contemporary, comics-graphic-novels, 2018-releases, female-author

4ish stars.

The original run by BKV and Adrian Alphona is one of my favorites, and was so meaningful when it first came out. It's always kind of scary seeing characters I love at the mercy of a different writer. I guess if there was anyone who could find a way to give life to these guys in the way they deserve, it would be Rainbow Rowell. She does a good job tapping into their personalities and hearts while also bringing them into 2018.

It takes more than enjoyable characters and a knack for ...more

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Jun 12, 2018 David Schaafsma rated it liked it

Shelves: gn-ya, gn-superhero-scifi-fantasy, gn-women, gn-kick-ass-girl-main-characters

Runaways, created by Brian Vaughn and continued by many others, was a hugely popular hit in the early 2000s, and for good reasons; it featured young disaffected people trying to use their powers for good, and they spoke with Vaughn's trademark snark. The series ended with a fairly convincing bang which I won't specify, in case you wanted to go back and sample, if you are intrigued about the series.

So, as with any superhero series, in order to revive it, we need to "revive" a key character. That ...more

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Jul 26, 2017 Warda marked it as to-read

You had me at Rainbow Rowell. It's about time we got something! ...more

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Aug 29, 2018 Chad rated it liked it

Shelves: marvel-unlimited, 2018

Rainbow Rowell takes a "Let's get the band back together" approach to the first arc. Over the last few years the Runaways have been split up with Nico and Chase heading first to Avengers Arena and then Nico joined A-Force for the brief time it was a thing. Meanwhile, Victor was hanging out with his brother in Avengers A.I. and [book The Vision|27163019]. Now it's two years later and we visit where all the Runaways are now in their life. Rowell, a YA writer, is very good at writing teenage ...more

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Sep 16, 2019 Emma rated it liked it

I'm going to be honest and admit that I did not realize this was a sequel, I thought it was going to be a retelling. Even though I did not read the original Runaways comics I think I pretty much got the gist of it. This volume was pretty explanatory and it did a very good job of introducing the main characters and the backstory. It definitely set the ground for what's to come, I can't wait to read more!

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Sep 15, 2017 Razan rated it it was ok

Shelves: cover-art-love, graphic-novels

good start !
Not so sure about the art style though , but i love the concept! And it's Rainbow Rowell so i'm sure the story will be fun !

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Aug 20, 2019 Clemlucian (🏳️‍🌈the villain's quest) rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, 3-stars

3.5/5

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Cute and fun. One of the good marvel comics WITH Rainbow Rowell. Can’t complain there.

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Jul 04, 2018 James DeSantis rated it really liked it

Runaways is finally back!

So I'll be honest. After the first arc of Runaways, nothing ever reached the same heights. I kind of accepted that. However, when Rainbow Rowell came on the scene she said she really loved the original and wanted her series to fit in no problem. Did she succeed? Well you can see my ratings.

So the runaways have gone their own ways. Two years later since the tragic events the team is begining to come back together. This mostly because Chase makes a insane choice to go ...more

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Jul 25, 2017 sofia (sam willows) marked it as to-read

omg I just noticed this comes out on my birthday !!! what did I do to deserve this

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Jul 17, 2018 Robert rated it liked it

Recommends it for: Those Looking to Runaway, Runaway from the Everyday (and Find it Nonetheless)

Shelves: marvel

I felt this was good, but in the same sense that Thanksgiving leftovers are good- they hearken back to the quality of the original, and taste familiar with all the same ingredients, while never quite matching it.

I guess Rainbow Rowell and the Marvel editorial staff were in a bind here- one of the things I found endearing about the original run was how the line-up could and did vary over time, and that (in spite of a copious dose of Timey Whimey business and even some wannabe deities) the dead ...more

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Apr 27, 2018 Nancy rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels

This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2018/04/2...

Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka bring the Runaways back together in this promising re-boot!

When I first read the original Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona I said, “Geared towards teens, this graphic novel perfectly captures children’s angst towards their parents and their thoughts of how they will be better than them and their wicked ways.” I thought the premise of the story was fun and fresh and would This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2018/04/2...

Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka bring the Runaways back together in this promising re-boot!

When I first read the original Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona I said, “Geared towards teens, this graphic novel perfectly captures children’s angst towards their parents and their thoughts of how they will be better than them and their wicked ways.” I thought the premise of the story was fun and fresh and would really appeal to the younger reader. While I didn’t read further than the first volume, I know who of the original six was the mole, and what happened to the parents of these youth.

This book reunites the group in dramatic fashion as Chase brings a dying Gert from the past into the future for Nico to heal with her magic powers. Suddenly Gert is thrust back into modern day, while the rest of the Runaways has aged two years, leaving her significantly younger than Chase who had been her boyfriend at the time of her death. These three seek to reunite the group, as they had gone their own ways after Gert’s death. They first meet up with alien Karolina who is happy in college and in a relationship, and doesn’t feel the need to rejoin. Then they head to find Molly, who has been living with her Grandma, as she is only in middle school. Molly’s scientist Grandmother is (of course) not what she seems, and the five remaining Runaways must band together again.

This story had a lot of plot threads from the past to pull together into a cohesive new narrative, and sometimes I struggled with keeping up. I appreciated the clues given in character’s thoughts or dialogue and even a few author asides to catch the reader up to what happened in the past. There was a mention and a picture of Nico when she belonged to the A-Force during her time away from the Runaways and another mention to Victor’s fate (who was a member of the team in later volumes). So although I had read the first book of the series, plus other books that had these characters in it, I still felt muddled at times. A new reader to this series is going to have to play a lot of catch up to understand what is going on.

Rowell’s dialogue is spot on, as I knew it would be. I am a huge fan of her novels (especially Eleanor & Park) so I have to commend her for adapting well to the comics format. But she might want to tone down the quips a bit as snarky conversation can get old, for I was frustrated with Gert throughout the entire story. I don’t see her appeal, much less as a genuine love interest to Chase.

The art by Kris Anka was a great match to the story. I liked how he incorporated Old Lace and the cats into the panels, with little jokes going on in the background. At times some of the art was anime-inspired and he drew great crowd scenes. I enjoyed that some of the chapter breaks included variant art, a few from original artist Alphona.

This is a series that I will definitely keep on purchasing for the teens at my library. I feel that the series will continue strongly under Rowell and Anka’s direction, as they dropped enough clues in this first volume to promise great adventures in the future. ...more

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Jul 15, 2018 Rod Brown rated it liked it

I enjoyed Brian K. Vaughan's original Runaways series, but have been disappointed by appearances of the characters since he left the property.

Rainbow Rowell tries to convince me that there's a reason to get the band back together for this new iteration, and damned if she doesn't pull it off. I enjoyed this first volume and am looking forward to the next.

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May 19, 2018 Em rated it really liked it

Shelves: comic-graphic-novel

I'll be honest, I love Rainbow Rowell's work, but I went into this trade with low expectations. Here's why:

Brian K. Vaughn's Runaways is one of my all-time favorite comic series. I only discovered them last August, and when I did, I devoured the forty-plus issues as fast as I could get my hands on them. I adored it because it focused on the characters. Yes, there was a lot going on between super powers, superheroes, and super villains, but at its core, it was a story about these teenagers who ...more

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Apr 19, 2018 Becky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. *4.5

This was a lot of fun to read. I never read the original series by Brian K. Vaughan but this is definitely enticing me to do so!
I love how the Runaways reunite as a family over this trade. It takes them a while to get there especially as some of them say they are happy after moving on but come to the realisation that they’re actually not.

Old Lace is so much fun...may be a genetically engineered dinosaur with a nose ring but Lace is great
Gert is the only Runaway who feels like she doesn’t *4.5 ⭐️

This was a lot of fun to read. I never read the original series by Brian K. Vaughan but this is definitely enticing me to do so!
I love how the Runaways reunite as a family over this trade. It takes them a while to get there especially as some of them say they are happy after moving on but come to the realisation that they’re actually not.

Old Lace is so much fun...may be a genetically engineered dinosaur with a nose ring but Lace is great 💗
Gert is the only Runaway who feels like she doesn’t contribute anything but all the others love her dearly and believe she is the most special. This explains why when Gert died that the Runaways fell apart and only now when she’s saved from the past and brought to the present via time travel can the Runaways reunite.
Nico is probably the loneliness runaway and has never been happy since the break of them. However I wonder why her and Chase left - the first break of the group after Gert died. She is a powerful mage who wields a staff which can do all sorts of magic...all she needs is blood and to never repeat the same spell - otherwise it rains and nothing happens...she can use variations of spell words but there are only so many ways you can say something!
Chase is like he smart engineer who delved into changing the mechanics of Gerts parents tome machine to go back in time to save her from dying. He also manages to wake Victor up after he finally opens the box he received from stony Stark upon Victors ‘death’.
Molly is kind of like the hulk - as it says in Rainbow Rowells words but without the angry and green 😂 she’s such a cute girl who basically looks like she wouldn’t hurt a fly but deep down she’s very strong in power.
Finally Karolina seems to possess some sort of magic which allows her to neutralise things...when in her ‘magic form’ she appears more like a rainbow of colours/light similar to a spectral form of herself...it looks pretty cool.

The beginnings of a story in this trade were really enjoyable I liked learning about each Runaway on an individual level and also how they used to be and are now as a family. This made me laugh as well as feel sad for the characters - especially Gert as she feels so out of place coming forward to a time where she has been dead for 2 years from the past...everyone has changed except her. The art was so wonderful....I really enjoyed the art style very unique 💗 I loved some of the features variant covers especially the one by Skottie Young (I Hate Fairyland - also a great series!).

I look forward to the following issues because this made for a great renewal of the series! ...more

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May 26, 2018 Mara rated it it was ok

Ah wow, this did a terrible job of reintroducing the characters and story to new readers. The paneling was all over the place and the dialogue pretty boring most of the time. Not sure I'll continue, but let's see. The artwork is what saved it.

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Feb 28, 2018 Renata rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, ya, graphic-novel

(read as single issues)

I love Rainbow Rowell, I love the Runaways, I love telepathic cats, soo

I do feel like this volume had a lot of heavy lifting to do in order to get everybody reassembled, so like...I enjoyed this a lot on its own merits but I'm more excited about what can come next!

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Jun 01, 2019 Natasha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbtqiap-all, comics-and-graphic-novels, lgbtqiap-lesbian, indigenous-or-protag-of-colour, lgbtqiap-bisexual, lgbtqiap-qpoc, comics-marvel

I would die for all of these kids

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Apr 14, 2018 Chris Lemmerman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-comics-and-manga-read

[Read as single issues]
Runaways is a property that Marvel haven't had much luck with since the original Brian Vaughan & Adrian Alphona runs on the characters. Most of the characters have dispersed out into other series, while others have fallen into obscurity. It seemed like, even with a TV show on the horizon, that Marvel were happy to let them languish. And then along came Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka, two creators with a momentous task ahead of them that they both rise to fantastically.

In ...more

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Apr 15, 2019 Sheila Beaumont rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, science-fiction, paranormal-supernatural, comics-graphic-novels

Loved it! It had been a long time since I read the earlier series (and I'm not sure I read them all), so I wondered if I'd be able to follow the story. No problem! The author includes plenty of background, so even those who have never read the series before can understand what's going on. It's all very well done, with excellent storytelling, dialogue, and artwork.

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Aug 27, 2019 Rory Wilding rated it it was amazing

First conceived in the early 2000s by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, Runaways focused on a group of teenagers who ran away from their homes upon discovering the super-billion of their parents, who are known as "the Pride". Throughout the original run that ran for 48 issues, the two aforementioned creators told a terrific adventure that gave a unique youthful perspective to the Marvel universe. As it is published by Marvel, the title continued with subsequent writers and artists putting First conceived in the early 2000s by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, Runaways focused on a group of teenagers who ran away from their homes upon discovering the super-billion of their parents, who are known as "the Pride". Throughout the original run that ran for 48 issues, the two aforementioned creators told a terrific adventure that gave a unique youthful perspective to the Marvel universe. As it is published by Marvel, the title continued with subsequent writers and artists putting their own spin on these characters, including Joss Whedon, which never lived up to the Vaughan/Alphona original.

With the Runaways making their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Hulu in 2017, Marvel relaunched the comic with writer Rainbow Rowell and artist Kris Anka at the helm, who frankly are the true successors to following the original creators. Years have passed since the old gang were together, due to the death of fellow member Gertrude Yorkes. However, Chase Stein used the Yorkes time machine to go back in time and save Gert before she was killed. Due to this unexpected turn of events, Gert attempts to reunite the Runaways, despite they've aged a bit and somewhat moved on.

As an author of young adult novels, Rainbow Rowell makes her comics debut with this relaunch of Runaways and her voice fits well with the characters. Given her previous experience in writing the youth, Rowell isn't conscious about replicating BKV's writing and this is due to where she has placed these characters are, which some years have passed and the Runaways are no longer running way as they're just alone and grown up a bit. Of course, the exception is Gert who remains as rebellious towards grown ups, without grasping the reality of her friends' current status where so much has happened after her death.

Seeing the band back together will delight fans of the original comic as Rowell uses the comics continuity (including other titles outside of this title) to establish the current mindset of the titular heroes, whilst maintain the key traits that have defined their personas, even though the relationships are not what they used to be, most notably the romances. That said, Molly Hayes AKA Princess Powerful remains her uplifting childlike nature, whilst showing off her Hulk-like strength. Is she the best Marvel character of all time? There is a discussion to be had. Despite acknowledging the continuity, Rowell never lets that bogged down the story is telling and gives enough information to set up the Runaways and their world, with only the briefest references to the larger Marvel-verse.

Having drawn for Marvel for several years, artist/inker Kris Anka puts his own spin on the Runaways that feels fresh on a visual level, whilst maintaining the iconography of each character. More dialogue-driven than action, though there are plenty of set-pieces, Anka relies on differentiating the panel layouts, whilst the settings are done with simple line drawings, along with highly expressive character designs. It's worth keeping on an eye on the dinosaur Old Lace, who is basically the Scoody Doo of Runaways.

Following the lukewarm reprisals of the beloved teenage group, this relaunch by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka really captures what made the original comic great, whilst putting their own spin that makes me excited to where they go next with the kids that do what they do best, run away. ...more

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Aug 15, 2018 Rowie rated it really liked it

Shelves: comics-manga

Rainbow Rowell has often been called the 'queen of dialogue'. With Runaways: Find Your Way Home she proves yet again she deserves this title. Not only is it snappy, it also makes you instantly feel for the characters. Leave it to Rainbow Rowell to make a comic about a pet dinosaur, a cyborg, time traveling and evil family members feel relatable.

All Rainbow Rowell needs is a few sentences to make you feel something. She is so good at capturing moments everyone has felt before and this comic is no Rainbow Rowell has often been called the 'queen of dialogue'. With Runaways: Find Your Way Home she proves yet again she deserves this title. Not only is it snappy, it also makes you instantly feel for the characters. Leave it to Rainbow Rowell to make a comic about a pet dinosaur, a cyborg, time traveling and evil family members feel relatable.

All Rainbow Rowell needs is a few sentences to make you feel something. She is so good at capturing moments everyone has felt before and this comic is no exception. While this features a run-in with a villian, awesome powers and name dropping of very famous Avengers, that is all just background noise. What this is really about is a group of friends that didn't belong anymore. It's about growing apart when you never thought you would. This describes when you face your past self and realize you haven't let yourself change as much as you would. Or when you're trying to convince yourself you've moved on, but you still have to keep telling yourself that every day.

There were some heartfelt moments in this comic that gave me a lump in my throat. Especially the ones where some characters try to get over being hurt in the past. I wasn't sure if I should pick this up, because comics are often hard to follow. While this features a million plotpoints it is actually quite easy to get into. The summaries don't feel too much like reading the synopsis of a story over and over again. I think this is due to Rainbow's talent. But I may be a little biased as she is one of my favorite writers. I'm glad I picked this up!

The art style is really pleasing to the eye, which benefits the story even more. I love the color scheme which reminds me of Paper Girls. The characters look really stylish and I basically want to borrow all their outfits. From Nico to Molly and everything in between. Including a dinosaur onesie based on Old Lace.

Judging from this review you might think this is my new favorite comic. It's not. While it's good, it's definately not perfect. The climax seems a little rushed. A 'shocking' plotpoint just seems shoved in there. One moment the villian is revealed and the next someone else walks in the room. The pacing felt off to me, so it was hard to focus on what was happening. Where other scenes really packed an emotional punch, the one in Molly's room left me feeling numb.

It's easy to see Rainbow Rowell is a huge Marvel fan. Through her words you can feel how excited she is for this project. I'm glad she got to write a comic and not just a novel for Marvel. It's nice to see she can take it. I love reading her dialogue in another format. This really has that Rainbow Rowell flavor. ...more

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Jan 20, 2019 Obelina Wang rated it liked it

Shelves: my-collection

Not a strong 3 stars but it’s around there. I started reading Rainbow Rowell books in 2014 and to date, I’ve read every single book she has put out. Current status: patiently waiting for more (Hint: Wayward Son & Pumpkinheads) so thought I would give Runaways a try. Also, I should give up on the whole ‘reading for a bit before bed’ habit because a bit = a whole lot and the next thing I know, it’s 1:40am.)

Let me share a little of what I learned about each of the characters (aka what I enjoy ...more

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Jun 24, 2018 C.T. Phipps rated it it was ok

Shelves: comics

There's a danger to nostalgia and it's very often on display in comic books. The need to revert Spiderman to his swinging single days (which didn't make the character younger as he went on to be a billionaire CEO among other plots) plus the fact we keep creating new legacy characters only to shove them back into sidekick roles for their original patrons.

Unfortunately, that kind of attitude is all over FIND YOUR WAY HOME which basically seems to have the attitude the Runaways sucked after the ...more

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Jun 17, 2019 Eli rated it liked it

Shelves: marvel-comics, 2019

Not my cup of tea, but A for effort, I guess.

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Jun 26, 2019 stabsasawarning 🗡️ rated it really liked it

The Runaways are all my problem children, thank you so much, just like Darrow's crew and a lot more. I'm your weird nonbinary relative now. ...more

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May 20, 2018 Christiana rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels-n-manga, boy-meets-book, action-adventure, androgenous, high-school

Is there anything Rainbow can’t write? Pretty impressed how seamlessly she’s sliding into the world of graphic novel writing.

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May 24, 2018 Ma'Belle rated it liked it

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels, queer-characters, superheroes, marvel

I've loved these characters since I first read the original series roughly a decade ago. I didn't care as much for the direction Joss Whedon took the team after Brian K. Vaughan passed off his creation. Then, over the years, I'd occasionally see one or another of the characters somewhat involved in another superhero story, which gave me a nice nostalgic feeling. I vaguely recall some big Marvel Event where a version of Molly in the future played a role. Nico was on a team that's mentioned in ...more

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Jun 20, 2018 Grace rated it it was amazing

HECK YASSSSSS
THIS WAS EVERYTHING I WANTED IT TO BE AND MORE! The Runaways are back baby, and Rainbow kept the heart and soul of their characters in here.
It was kind of perfect!
If you are a fan of the TV show like I am and you’re also suffering from some serious withdrawals, you need this in your life!
I need the next volume ASAP!

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About Rainbow Rowell

Rainbow Rowell

128,348 followers

Rainbow Rowell writes books. Sometimes she writes about adults (ATTACHMENTS and LANDLINE). Sometimes she writes about teenagers (ELEANOR & PARK, FANGIRL and THE SIMON SNOW BOOKS.). But she always writes about people who talk a lot. And people who feel like they're screwing up. And people who fall in love.

When she's not writing, Rainbow is reading comic books, planning Disney World trips and ...more