From the Bookshelf of Buddy Reads…

Trigger warning: social anxiety.

I love this book so much and I am fangirling (get it?) as I write this review so please excuse the odd mixture of words and I apologise if none of this makes sense.

Plot: 4/5
Character: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality: 4/5

It took me quite a while to pick up this book as I had heard mixed reviews about it and it had been a while since I had read anything by Rainbow Rowell. However, I can now say that I am so pleased that I picked up this book as

Trigger warning: social anxiety.

I love this book so much and I am fangirling (get it?) as I write this review so please excuse the odd mixture of words and I apologise if none of this makes sense.

Plot: 4/5
Character: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality: 4/5

It took me quite a while to pick up this book as I had heard mixed reviews about it and it had been a while since I had read anything by Rainbow Rowell. However, I can now say that I am so pleased that I picked up this book as I absolutely loved it! This book gave me a warm feeling inside and is perfect if you want a pleasant and light read! It felt a lot like a ‘warm drink, candle and blanket’ book which is great for the cold, winter season.

Cather Avery (or Cath, as many call her) is a twin and a huge Simon Snow fan. She and her twin, Wren, became in love with the Simon Snow series when they were only young children. The Simon Snow series plays a great part in their lives- it helped them through times (i.e. when their mother left). The would read the series, love it and write incredible fanfiction together about the series.

However, things become complicated when they go to college. Wren tells Cath that she does not wish to be roommates with her and this leaves Cath on her own, away from her twin who is like her other half.

Soon, Cath finds herself in an unknown place with a bad-tempered and cold roommate, Reagan, who has a beautifully charming boyfriend, Levi, who is the complete opposite of her.

Cath is an adorable and rather relatable character. She has social anxiety which is described in the perfect way- I almost felt as though I was going through Cath’s experiences with her. She is an introvert and I felt as though I could relate with her because it was so well-written and realistic. She didn’t even go to the cafeteria for weeks because she was so worried and that hit me as it was such a beautiful aspect of the book. It may seem trivial, but it was simply incredible.

“I don’t trust anybody. Not anybody. And the more that I care about someone, the more sure I am they’re going to get tired of me and take off.”

“In new situations, all the trickiest rules are the ones nobody bothers to explain to you. (And the ones you can't Google.)”

“Just... isn't giving up allowed sometimes? Isn't it okay to say, ‘This really hurts, so I’m going to stop trying’?”
“It sets a dangerous precedent.”
“For avoiding pain?”
“For avoiding life.”

“Real life was something happening in her peripheral vision.”

“No," Cath said, "Seriously. Look at you. You’ve got your shit together, you’re not scared of anything. I’m scared of everything. And I’m crazy. Like maybe you think I’m a little crazy, but I only ever let people see the tip of my crazy iceberg. Underneath this veneer of slightly crazy and socially inept, I’m a complete disaster.”

Cath’s love for Simon Snow is like my love for Harry Potter. I could relate with Cath because I also have a series that I love with all my heart, write fanfictions about and fangirl about. That aspect made me love the story more! I believe we need more stories with elements to do with fangirling and fanfiction.

Also, can we establish how relatable the following quote is? I swear, the amount of times I have said this to people who have only seen the movies!

“You’ve read the books?”
“I’ve seen the movies.”
Cath rolled her eyes so hard, it hurt. (Actually.) (Maybe because she was still on the edge of tears. On the edge, period.) “So you haven’t read the books.”
“I’m not really a book person.”
“That might be the most idiotic thing you’ve ever said to me”.

Let’s get onto Wren, Cath’s twin sister.
Wren made me angry at times, actually a lot of the time. However, I soon saw things from her point of view. She was trying to be her own person and not instantly associated with her twin. She wanted to try ‘growing up’ and being someone else- her own self. I will mention that I did like Wren towards the end of the novel and it was interesting to see the ‘opposite twins’ story done in such an interesting method.

Now, let’s talk about Levi.
HE WAS ADORABLE, CUTE AND INCREDIBLE. I can’t believe how interesting his character was- he was this cute guy who was able to get Cath out of this hole she had created for herself. He was sweet and I loved him from the start.

“I miss you."
"That's stupid," she said. "I saw you this morning."
"It's not the time," Levi said, and she could hear that he was smiling." It's the distance.”

Now, Nick is a different story.
I liked him a lot at the start and I was just waiting for him to get closer to Cath (but I ship Levi and Cath all the way) but then he became…odd…
By the end of the novel, I hate him and I will now read Fangirl whilst knowing how much I will end up hating him.

Now, Reagan.
She was amazing… simply amazing. She was all these different qualities in one body. She was mean, surly and always seemed annoyed. Yet, she was also sweet, funny and caring which was an incredible twist to her character. Her dry sense of humour won me over.

“Reagan was sitting up at Cath's desk when Cath woke up.
"Are you awake?"
"Have you been watching me sleep?"
"Yes, Bella. Are you awake?"
"No.”

I also loved the fact that Cath and Wren’s father (Art) was also brought into the main plot. Cath spent majority of her time worrying for him which was just too sweet!

Fangirl is the type of book that sticks with you, especially if you enjoy a sweet, light read. It isn’t too heavy which is probably one of the reasons I didn’t cry too much when reading it!

It’s one of those books that makes you want to light in a soft bed with a fluffy blanket and a huge mug of hot chocolate! I would recommend it for summer and winter reads!

It’s a warm book for the winter and a sweet and light book for the summer!

I really loved Rainbow Rowell’s writing style- it was captivating and simply lovely. The plot was sweet and cute! I wish there was just a little bit more to the ending as I couldn’t bear it ending! I love how slowly but surely Cath and Wren’s fragile relationship was repairing.

Can we also quickly speak about the Simon Snow aspects (book quotes and fanfiction)? It was an incredible idea! It truly brought the story together, in my opinion. This story was original and was written in a commendable way!

In conclusion, GO READ THIS BOOK. You’ll either love it or hate it but please try it once! I can guarantee that I will be re-reading this… a lot..

It has made it to my top books list and will remain one of my all-time favourites!

Who else loved this book?