Fangirl in Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon

Nov 17, 2013 Jamie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, general-fiction

Well this is much more a coming-of-age novel than about fangirling. While there are some elements to the main character with being a bit obsessive over Simon Snow (basically Harry Potter), it is more her learning how to adapt to life. While I was expecting more fandom aspects going into this story I got some other aspects that made up for it.

So Cath and Wren are identical twins, setting off for college. For the past several years, they have been stuck together like glue. They lived a quiet life Well this is much more a coming-of-age novel than about fangirling. While there are some elements to the main character with being a bit obsessive over Simon Snow (basically Harry Potter), it is more her learning how to adapt to life. While I was expecting more fandom aspects going into this story I got some other aspects that made up for it.

So Cath and Wren are identical twins, setting off for college. For the past several years, they have been stuck together like glue. They lived a quiet life, with little socialism with classmates, neighbors,etc. What they did though was spend all their free time writing Simon Snow fanfiction together. Yet apparently Wren is ready for a change of pace. She wants a new experience, a life that is not co-dependant on her sister.

Cath, on the other hand isn't ready to even leave home. So she struggles to keep life the same but now she is alone. Dad is back home and her sister has chosen to not even room with her. So with a new roommate and a fanfiction story to carry on Cath trudges on.

Now let me explain about Simon Snow. Simon Snow is basically Harry Potter. At first I thought it was legal rights of mentioning the series but then Harry Potter itself is mentioned so then i just wondered WHY? Either keep it Harry Potter or make it seem as though Harry Potter fandom doesn't exist. The dual relationship just added some frustration. Anyways Cath likes working on her Simon/Baz fanfiction story (basically Harry/Draco). Anyone who has read or written fanfic will get a lot of what she talks about with expections, comments, etc with the online community.

Then we get Cath. Cath is the most socially inept character I think I have ever read about. Now I am not a social person. In fact I have social anxiety where dealing with people actually causes me to stress out. I know a couple others worse than me. So in some ways I could relate to Cath. I can understand the not wanting to go leave the dorm room, and avoiding the party scenes, etc. What I don't get is the near refusal to even try to make a friend. Reagan (her roommate) has to practically force her to socialize in the same living room! And trying to talk about anything besides Simon Snow--forget it!

Most fans I know can cross communicate other interests. Be it a Harry Potter fan, Trekkie, Otaku, Whovians, etc. They can convserse on matters outside of their specialty. Cath only has the one interest, and if you aren't interested, it is almost like you are not worthy. For example for Cath to give Levi (they guy who likes her) the time of day he simple let her read her fanfiction to him.

Through it all, I could still relate to a certain degree. Even though it's more an extreme. Having lived a very sheltered childhood, when I was first on my own, I had no concept how to deal with people and simple tasks like going to the store could nearly drive me insane just thinking about it. So watching Cath adapt to things like the Dining Hall, making friends, going out, etc was a reflection of my own maturing. A lot that makes it easy to see is how Cath reflects on things in how she sees herself. So been there with her!

Reagan and Levi try so hard to break Cath out of her shell. They obviously see some kind of potential. And I must say, I loved these two. What an amazing friendship they offer! I have decided everyone needs a Reagan in their life to call them on their crap. Even the other character relation dynamics between any character is just wonderfully done. It really brings the book to life for me.'

I wish the book brought out other aspects of being a fangirl to something. I felt it is a bit one dimensional to the writing fanfiction (we really don't even here about her reading fanfiction). I wish it better incorporated the feel of being a fangirl.

One thing that became overkill were the Simon Snow intro chapters. Every chapter we get a a peak into the fake Simon Snow books (or Cath's fanfiction). A first it worked so we get the Harry Potter relation, but after a few rounds in just detracted from the story and became annoying. Or so I thought. On my re-read I took more appreciation for this. Maybe it's because I want to read Carry On. And the things I have heard since about it. I still have mixed thoughts about it being in this book and not all favorable but seeing Gemma's clips to some other fanfic especially I am not curious.

Ultimately, I loved seeing Cath branch out and feel more comfortable in other settings. The learning to balance her inner fangirl with real life. From the challenges her roommates, teachers and classmates give her, to the family drama. That is another thing that got to me in a good way. The family situations. I could very much relate to those. For parts I felt I could have been Cath. That and the relationships in the book are why I enjoyed it as much as I did. ...more

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Aug 07, 2014 Beth rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2014, library, young-adult, never-again

On my book blog

Cath may be the most selfish fangirl. This whole book is all about her, her, her, her, her, her, her when it comes to fandom.

I am not a huge "fandom" person. I've never been to a midnight release for anything, I've never tried writing fanfiction, and the only fandom that I've been in that lasted longer than a few months was sports fandoms. So I may not be the best person to judge a book about fandoms and fangirls. But I do know that the most important part of sports fandom to me ...more

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Dec 25, 2014 Frances rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: really-big-books-2014

Before Fangirl, I had read Rowell's other most famous work, Eleanor & Park which I enjoyed but found a little unresolved and the characters didn't seem to really know what to do with themselves. From what I've heard of Rainbow Rowell, people seem to fall into camps based on which book they think was better and there doesn't seem to be much crossover.

Fangirl is absorbing, fun, realistic with well developed characters and I loved the story within a story

Pros

• Great Characters
• Dealt with real iss Before Fangirl, I had read Rowell's other most famous work, Eleanor & Park which I enjoyed but found a little unresolved and the characters didn't seem to really know what to do with themselves. From what I've heard of Rainbow Rowell, people seem to fall into camps based on which book they think was better and there doesn't seem to be much crossover.

Fangirl is absorbing, fun, realistic with well developed characters and I loved the story within a story

Pros

• Great Characters
• Dealt with real issues
• Two very different stories meshed together really well
• Not squeamish

Cons

• Not a bad ending just didn't really end
• Resolved nothing
• Brought up serious issues then forgot about them
• Biased

On the whole I really enjoyed Fangirl, I read it quickly, I got to know and love the characters and I have already pre ordered Carry On even though I don't like the title because in the UK Carry On means Carry on Camping, Carry on Henry and Carry on Matron, although I can't really blame Rowell if she didn't know that.

Fangirl has heart, it deals with introversion in a way other books would be scared to for fear of making the main character seem boring or unlikeable, it covers mental health, the normalisation of binge drinking and the breakdown of the nuclear family. I loved meeting Cath, Wren, Levi and Reagan. There were twists, turns and dilemmas and all that lead me to giving it four stars. The fifth star is missing because the kissing scene in the attic was the mash-keyboard-with-hand version of kissing. It was like she was a Catfish. Not the 'I'm lying to you on the internet' kind of Catfish, the 'Ima clean the whole tank with my face' kind.

Obviously that's not my only reason. My main issues were how one, black and white everything was. Cath as a character saw everyone as good or bad, right or wrong. She complained that people didn't see things her way but she has no empathy and refuses to see the other side of everything. I loved Cath as a character and I identified with her but, even at 18 I felt she should be able to see that people make mistakes and be able to see what lead them there. Two, nothing is resolved. Books don't have to wrap everything up in a neat little bow but the ending felt rushed. The issues with her father, her mother and her sister are like fireworks - lot of light and noise and then nothing. ...more

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Feb 05, 2015 Cristina (My Tiny Obsessions) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

> Nº 11 on My 2015 Reading Challenge – A book with a one-word title <
(view on my blog: https://tinyobsessions.wordpress.com/... )

With a title like this, I just had to read this book. A few weeks ago, after prowling the bookstores of Lisbon and Barcelona for an English copy, I finally found one… in Oxford, obviously (it was 1 of the 9 books I brought from my recent trip to the UK). The cover is gorgeous, so having just finished Love at First Type, I decided that Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell would be ...more

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Dec 17, 2013 Mima rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, young-adult-contemporary, 2014, mental-health, 2017, university-college

I received a copy of my own for Christmas and I thought it would be nice to reread, so I did.

Rainbow Rowell on reading difficulties: This is one of the reasons I never judge or tease people about bad spelling - or things like confusing "your” and "you’re.” It’s thought and ideas that are important. I hate to think that people might be afraid to say something beautiful just because they’re worried about apostrophes.

I really love the above quote, taken from the bonus materials at the back of the ...more

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Sep 16, 2013 Michelle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, chick-lit

Okay, so now I see why everyone is obsessing over Rainbow Rowell and her latest novel, Fangirl.

I'm a part of many different fandoms, from the Nerdfighters, to the Tributes, and I never really heard the whole big story of another fangirl and their fandom. I guess now that I've witnessed a fictional way of fangirlism, I'm definitely proud of my own.

I believe that the characters are why I loved this story so much. They were so real, and fictional at the same time, it wasn't hard to fall in lov ...more

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Sep 12, 2013 Lauren rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, contemporary, own, fandoms

I loved this so much. SO much. Anyone who's read fic or been in a fandom needs to read this, you will be highly entertained.

And it's not even just that, I adored Levi and Cath. Really adored Cath and I can identify with her so much it's scary and embarrassing.

This stupid book kept me up until 3am when I had to work at 8am and it made me cry and I just really loved it.

The only warning (if you can call it that) is that there's quite a few f-bombs. So if that bothers you, you probably won't like ...more

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