Fangirl in The Perks Of Being A Book Addict

Mar 20, 2019 Vanessa Gayle ⚔️ Fangirl Faction rated it it was amazing

Shelves: new-adult, reviewed, cover-love, romance, contemporary, uno-challenge, favorites, own-physical-read

Disclaimer: This review MAY contain spoilers.

This book is bloody brilliant! Truly magnificent! I was so hooked on reading this that I took a sick day at work just so that I could finish reading it in one sitting.

I really connected with the main character more than most I read about. There were so many parallels between the main character, Cath, and myself that it felt like this book was about me or written specifically for me. I am from Omaha, Nebraska just like the main character and the autho Disclaimer: This review MAY contain spoilers.

This book is bloody brilliant! Truly magnificent! I was so hooked on reading this that I took a sick day at work just so that I could finish reading it in one sitting.

I really connected with the main character more than most I read about. There were so many parallels between the main character, Cath, and myself that it felt like this book was about me or written specifically for me. I am from Omaha, Nebraska just like the main character and the author so I got every single Omaha, Lincoln, or Nebraska reference. Every single place mentioned is one that I have been to. Cath even lived in South Omaha, a predominantly Mexican part of Omaha, which is where I have lived most of my life as well. The taco trucks, the blizzard/weather, the stores and gas stations, and restaurants mentioned, and even the bookstore that they all went to at the end of the book when the last Simon Snow book was released are all places that are real for me and that have meaning for me so I felt extra connected to the story and to Cath's character. Even the parts of Cath that had nothing to do with geography were significant for me. Cath's anxiety, her love for a book fandom, the fanfiction, her father's bipolar disorder, the way that Cath deals with her mother issues, just all of her is so like me that it's scary. I truly loved her character and her story.

The cast of supporting characters was so delightful. I loved each and every character in this story. Each character had a purpose and brought so much to the story. I love how flawed these characters were. Rowell had no qualms about making these characters as real as possible with imperfections, weaknesses, and bad habits. These are, of course, balanced out with very positive character attributes, but the inclusion of the not so good ones makes me appreciate the characters, the story, and the author even more. Most authors like to have what I refer to as shiny characters. Essentially, characters that are blindingly beautiful and can do no wrong. Perfect. And no one is perfect. This is one thing in literature that I think authors can struggle with because authors love their characters like their own children and can't bring themselves to portray them in a negative way. Rowell's characters felt extremely real.

A lot of contemporary YA stories have the same plots rehashed in different ways, but the plot of this story is utterly unique. And the story is truly captivating. It caters to nerds like myself. The story has a very beautiful and realistic portrayal of nerd culture. At least the facet of nerd culture concerning fanfiction. As a book nerd and a reader and writer of fanfiction myself, I felt the story very accurately illustrated this part of nerd culture. And it was so very exciting to read about it since it isn't something that I've seen done before. It is always empowering and invigorating to feel represented. And this book definitely represents me. Apart from the subject matter of the story, I also very much loved the sequence of events and the main character's journey. The story is told so beautifully and honestly.

Overall, I was really blown away by this book. It captivated me from the first page. Everything about it is magical. I have never reread a contemporary story before, but this is one that I know I will revisit in the future. I can now certify that I am a Rainbow Rowell fan for life. She has written a story that has truly left a mark upon my soul and has spoken to me unlike any book has before. This book is special and I urge everyone to experience its glory.

More reviews on my blog: Novel Nerd Faction ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Dec 21, 2013 Snowtulip rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, rom

This is my first Rainbow Rowell experience and definitely not my last.

What I really appreciated about this story was how Cather always stayed true to herself while still growing. The pacing was always steady and Cather held to her values regardless of the peer pressure that came from every direction. And Levi, can't help smiling :D Levi has made me think long and hard about why I keep so many smiles to myself.

The fanfic element really was captured so well and I completely loved reading the scene ...more

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Feb 20, 2016 Momruns5 rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2016

This girl was really messed up and she needed professional help. I hope she gets some medication and help. I felt so bad for how she couldn't even enjoy her life. I just felt so lucky reading this that I don't have really bad mental illness. It's a real thing and she needed help. So did her dad and her sister in different ways. But they did keep it clean though which was nice. There was a little language though. ...more

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Dec 30, 2013 Erin rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, all-time-favorites

I loved this book. It is a light, fun read. I enjoyed the characters, and that they were not stereotypical but for the most part were secure in their own skin.

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Oct 24, 2013 Jenny rated it it was amazing

Shelves: teen-fiction

Love, love, love this book! Really great characters. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the ending. Great story! ...more

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Oct 12, 2013 Ann rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio, read-2015, audio-2015

I really loved this book. The audio narration gets top marks for the character voices, and what characters they are. The dialog and the story draws you in with insight into writing, college life, being a twin, fan fiction, love, writing, words, loyalty, and coming of age. I alternated between devouring the book and never wanting it to end.

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