Fangirl - a good book with an annoying protagonist

[[deleted user]]

Ok, so this isn't a review so much as it is a mini-rant. Nor is this well written – I just felt like discussing and possibly creating some sort of dialogue about the character of Cath, the book's protagonist. (If anyone hasn't read Fangirl yet, this does contain a couple of spoilers!)

Before anyone gets the wrong idea, in a way I enjoyed the book. I liked, for example, the way Rainbow Rowell wrote about uni/college and before this I don't think I had read anything about college that was cliché free. So props to her for that.
I also liked some of the characters. I thought Levi was particularly sweet and the Dad was lovely – my heart went out to him when he was hospitalised and having his manic phases. Regan was quite full on but at least she was patient with Cath and it was pretty cool of her to be so not only accepting but almost encouraging of her close friend going out with her ex-boyfriend. She was very “together”.

...But I was often very frustrated with Cath. Aside from being a Simon Snow fan, she doesn't seem to actually have any sort of personality. I'm on goodreads so I obviously respect and appreciate her love of reading and writing but is that enough to constitute a “personality”? I'm not having a dig at her social anxiety; she obviously can't help that. But apart from the many moments in the novel where she is downright rude (e.g. constantly rolling her eyes at people...ugh) and when she's not that aloof, I felt she bordered on being boring. This made it hard for me to actually like or feel any affection for her throughout the story. I found it hard to believe that a charismatic and fun guy like Nick would fall for her.

I couldn't deduce whether or not Regan actually wanted to be her friend and enjoyed her company or if she just hung around with her out of sympathy. I mean, that's how their relationship started out; Regan actually told Cath in the beginning that she felt really sorry for her and wanted to help her, and she wasn't being tongue-in-cheek. So what changed? Do they laugh together or have anything in common? No. I couldn't work out what their friendship was supposed to be based on. It seemed to be based on Regan feeling pity for Cath, and that's not a great foundation for a friendship.

I also found the narration plain odd at times. What is with the “Cath rolled her eyes” every few pages or so? It's not even a cute character quirk, if I was with someone who rolled their eyes at me all the time, it would drive me crazy. Cath is also constantly “wincing” or “cringing” at things that aren't remotely cringeworthy anyway. Like, the thought of Levi shaving – when Regan suggests the idea of Levi shaving in preparation for his date with Cath, she says something along the lines of “ew! Too much information!” How is a guy shaving a disgusting thought? Assuming she was referring to him shaving his face (?) There's being naiive and then there's being totally virginal 24/7. I find it hard to believe that this would gross Cath out, no matter how sheltered or inexperienced she is. That's obviously just one example but there were many more similar instances.

So overall, while it was an enjoyable and reasonably well-written book, my irritation with Cath got in the way of any emotional investment or attachment I might have felt had I found her more tolerable. I mean sure, she worries a lot about her dad and is compassionate towards him and likes to follow her sister around, but even when she starts going out with Levi she doesn't really contribute much to the conversation or say anything that makes me think “aw, that's nice.” She's sarcastic and stiff for a large portion of the time they're together and by two thirds of the way through I couldn't wait to see the back of her. When Regan says something like “Levi likes to date girls who are a pain in the ass” I thought that was some understatement.

I can't help but wonder if there's anyone out there who agrees with me? Again, I must emphasise that I appreciate she cannot help her anxiety, but putting that aside she doesn't seem in any way fun to be with and I fail to see how she would be good company for Levi or Regan. She seems virtually unwilling and/or unable to discuss anything that isn't Simon Snow related. How would anyone be able to put up with that?
On a side note, the narration could have done with a bit of a tidy-up. How many descriptions of Levi's eyes do we need? And while I liked the idea of inserting Simon Snow passages and the fanfic, I eventually found myself wondering what purpose they served because they seemed to be shoved in there just for the sake of it which made the novelty ware off fairly quickly. They had the potential to serve the story well but it just felt random and not beneficial to the plot in any way.

This may sound like a very minor point to raise, but why, after all the discussion surrounding the Simon Snow series, is Harry Potter referred to? Simon Snow is CLEARLY this story's version of Harry Potter, so what is Harry Potter to the characters in the story? Simon Snow is SO similar that I wonder if they could actually co-exist? I found it very odd.

I do want to say that on some level I enjoyed it – the way that Rowell writes about college is refreshingly realistic, and writing a novel based around a fan of a series of novels (who is also kind of an “underdog”) is a cool idea. Many of us relate to being passionate about something, be it a book/book series, band or film...whatever, so in that sense it is highly appealing and accessible. But I DID find Cath very annoying, and if I didn't I think I would have enjoyed it a hell of a lot more.

No hate please – this is just my opinion! I don't have anything against Rainbow Rowell or anyone who is a huge fan of this book or the character of Cath. I would just be interested to hear some other thoughts.

:)

[[deleted user]]

I meant to say "charismatic and fun guy like Levi" not "Nick", whoops :P

[Cheyenne]

YES! I agree with you, 100%! I did not get Cath at all. I liked every other character except her, which is sad, since she is the main character. She had no depth aside from being a huge Simon Snow fan. I found her incredibly boring and jaded and I couldn’t figure out why she was so jaded. I just could not root for her, because I found that I did not care that much for her. I didn’t want her to die of course, but it was kinda like oh, ok well that’s nice. I get being so passionate about something, but with Cath, it’s like that passion for Simon Snow was her end all, be all to the point where she couldn’t even interact with others or lead an enjoyable life.

I also did not get why Harry Potter was referenced. Initially, when Simon Snow was brought up, I was like hmmm, this sounds a bit like HP, then a little later, she mentions HP?!?!?!? Whaaaattt??? I thought “Simon Snow” was supposed to be THE Harry Potter in this Fangirl world, how could they both be equally relevant at the same time and be similar stories??

All in all, I love Rainbow’s writing and how she writes for the underdog in a very real and relatable way. Fangirl was not one of my favorites, due to Cath being such a dry character.

[[deleted user]]

^ I agree with everything you've said!!! I always find myself getting frustrated when I dislike the main character. I suppose that is just personal preference and it doesn't always, in theory, take away from the quality of the book, but it does make it way less fun. And that's why I read, for fun! Especially with YA fiction - I read it to be entertained and it's difficult to relax and be entertained when you're on the verge of throwing the book against the wall because the protagonist is so irritating. It just seemed very unnecessary. And it's not like Rowell is incapable of creating likeable characters because, like you said, literally ALL of the other characters are likeable. She could have put a little more energy in giving the protagonist a bit of that likability too! ;) Mind you, I think Rowell probably thinks (as do many people who've read it) that Cath IS likeable. Maybe she was like this when she was in school or college and is just projecting. But Cath is not a well-rounded or developed character. And like you said I couldn't root for her. I didn't root for her and Levi. If anything I wanted Levi to get with Regan again - at least she is good company! Cath literally does not know how to start or even properly engage in a conversation. Levi is always in the driving seat. That would be exhausting and I fail to see how that would be a worthwhile or stimulating relationship for him. It's not an even playing field at all. I found myself almost shouting WHAT IS IT THAT YOU LIKE ABOUT CATH? WHAT DOES SHE DO FOR YOU? Which to be fair is probably a little because I personally would go out with him in a heartbeat ;) but mainly because I genuinely couldn't imagine them working as a couple.

And yeah, even though it was only once mentioning Harry Potter kind of shattered the illusion of Simon Snow. I liked the similarities and the "in-jokes"/nods to Harry Potter, and mentioning it outright (out of the blue!) just ruined it. And you're totally right, I also can't see how they could both exist and be equally popular at the same time.

[krisusnoona]

i think cath's personlity is a bit off, somehow introvert
bec. she grew sticking with her only twin
and shes having a hard time to cope up with whatevers happening around her,in that we can relate to "awkward situations"

she might have a personality but at least shes not the stupid and annoying type of girl for me. ;)

[Cheyenne]

krisus wrote: "i think cath's personlity is a bit off, somehow introvert
bec. she grew sticking with her only twin
and shes having a hard time to cope up with whatevers happening around her,in that we can relate ..."

You have a point there. Cath could have been a lot worse. I agree that she was not stupid or annoying, which is good. She was just lacking personality.

[kateistoast]

Finally, someone who hates the book:) and adding the Simon snow reference is annoying too

[[deleted user]]

Keshena wrote: "I really related to Cath a lot. Her character was supposed to be awkward, even a little unintentionally rude to people at times. The whole point of the book's plot was that she was socially awkward..."

It's not so much that I didn't understand her - I just found her very annoying :P And it didn't even seem like she was hiding her personality because she was shy; it just seemed like she didn't HAVE one. And I like protagonists to have personality. I agree though that she could have been worse, as other commenters have pointed out.
I acknowledge that she isn't a bad person or a total bitch. I just find her annoying, which made reading it (and it's pretty long) a chore at times.

[Library Lady 📚]

I didn't mind Cath, really. But I did like some of the other characters better--Reagan and Wren were much more interesting to me.

The Simon Snow clips broke up some of the "OMG I LOVE LEVI'S CHIN/EYES/CHIN/CHEST/CHIN SO MUCH I COULD DIE!!" sections a bit for me, so even though at first they bored me and I wanted to skip some of them, they really helped to make it seem like Cath had something in her life besides her boyfriend.

[Keisi]

I JUST HATE THE FACT THAT SHE HAS TO MAKE SUCH A BIG DEAL ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO WRITE THAT DAMN ESSAY! BUT THIS BOOK... IS NICEEE!!!!

[Currer]

I think Cath was a very affective character for the story. The whole book was about Cath finding a life after her mother and a life after Simon Snow, both things that kept her from moving forward. She was guarded and mean and lost with a lot that was happening but it was on purpose. She had to grow into the person that could admit they loved and needed others as well as deal with that familiar 'what do I read after a beloved series end' feeling. She was at a crossroads but had been standing still for a long time. The things that make Cath annoying is the very platform for the novel.

[Maria]

I liked the book, but I too found Cath frustrating at times. Yea, she is socially awkward but she didn't make an effort not to be either. I kind of also blame Wren, because after they both grew up together and were basically inseparable, Wren completely ditched her. And also the whole Essay writing thing. She really did make a big deal out of it.
And at the end with the whole "I don't have time for my essay, I have to finish Carry On before the last Simon Snow book is released"... Oh. My. God. That was really irritating. I mean, it ain't going anywhere! Yea, so the series will finish. So what? It don't matter. It doesn't mean that she can't finish it. But then I was glad when she realized it.
All in all, she was a bit irritating, but then again I did like her because in a way I can relate. I am awkward and I don't like new people and new places and it was nice to read a book that wasn't a really cliche love story. :)

[Megan]

It makes me a little sad how many people didn't like Cath, because I related to her SO much...makes me wonder if I'm that likable a person? Anyway, one of the things that Cath has going for her is her strong sense of loyalty. If someone who she cares about needs her, she is there. Period. No questions asked. She demonstrates this for Wren, her father, and for Levi (when she reads him The Outsiders). Aside from that darn essay (yeah, I hated that she made such a big deal out of it), she's responsible. A lot of what people are calling "rude" came across to me like snarky humor, which I gathered Levi was into.

Yes, she definitely has her bad points, too. But I liked that she was flawed, and that her flaws were not glossed over, but that she was loved in spite of them. After all, Levi's not perfect either (and we see Levi through the eyes of a biased narrator).

[Mikaela]

I'm still about half-way through this book but what is really annoying me is NOT her social awkwardness, but the fact that she doesn't seem to care about the new people around her,and it seems like she actually goes out of her way to make sure that her college experience is limited; not visiting the dining hall, not knowing about the East Campus, never hanging out with people she sees in class. Fangirls are definitely still people with an interest in life, and in my experience even socially awkward people can be nice and friendly. She complains about the 'stranger' sleeping in the room next to her, but doesn't want to do anything to get to know Reagan a bit better. Sorry Rainbow, this character may be relatable but so far she is also unlikeable.

[[deleted user]]

Oh yeah, I totally agree. I have been VERY socially awkward in the past (and still can be sometimes), so there were actually quite a few instances when I found myself relating to her. But Cath just doesn't seem to make ANY effort to get to know people whatsoever. People make so much effort with her and she almost just throws it back in their face. I don't like that. She is far too self-involved. Even by the end, she hasn't changed much (aside from the fact that she's got a boyfriend, who, let's face it, makes ALL of the effort). If she had developed more I think I would have grown to like her.

[[deleted user]]

And you're right, the "fangirls" I know have just as many friends as the next person. I don't think she alienates herself because she loves Simon Snow. I think she just uses it as something to hide behind. I think the link between being a fangirl and deliberately distancing yourself from everyone and everything is a little tenuous.

[Mikaela]

Charlotte wrote: "And you're right, the "fangirls" I know have just as many friends as the next person. I don't think she alienates herself because she loves Simon Snow. I think she just uses it as something to hide..."

I agree with everything you have said above. I think you touched on the main issue for me which was exactly that everything goes right at the end for Cath, but it is hard to see her appreciating this or developing because of it. Something else that bothered me in general was the alleged closeness between Cath and Wren that we don't see until the end of the book. I'm very close to my sister even though we live in different countries and I thought their 'bond' was almost non-existent! Despite all this though, I still enjoyed the book, maybe even more because I was frustrated with Cath. I always say that if a book has left me with any reaction at all then it was worth reading.

[Kate]

She doesn't make any effort because socially awkward people don't know HOW. That is the definition of socially awkward. I feel like you're saying "I don't mind that she's socially awkward but I mind that she acts socially awkward." This is how introverted people act. We don't know how to talk to people. I found it refreshing that it wasn't a book all about how introverts have to change who they are to please everyone else. Why should I not be an introvert? Why can't other people not be extroverts? I find them frustrating.

[Mikaela]

Kate wrote: "She doesn't make any effort because socially awkward people don't know HOW. That is the definition of socially awkward. I feel like you're saying "I don't mind that she's socially awkward but I min..."

No, I meant to say that I don't see much evidence of her caring either way. There was never a sense of 'I find it hard to connect and interact with my room-mate, even though I would like to'. Since we get an insight into some of her thoughts and feelings I found that some of these things niggled me. And I have always considered myself a confident introvert; many readers are introverts, since they often prefer to spend time with books rather than with humans. The book Quiet by Susan Cain is actually a really good read and it explains the different types of introverts - it really boils down to there being many. Shyness and social awkwardness can overlap with introversion, but they are not the same thing and not synonymous. Introverts prefer less stimulation, and therefore I felt that Cath could definitely be both an introvert and socially awkward, but also show the reader that she still wanted to connect with her environment.

[Cheyenne]

Mikaela wrote: "Kate wrote: "She doesn't make any effort because socially awkward people don't know HOW. That is the definition of socially awkward. I feel like you're saying "I don't mind that she's socially awkw..."

I agree with this, being both socially awkward and introverted myself. Catherine did not seem to want to connect to her environment.

[[deleted user]]

I agree. It wasn't just that she found it difficult, it's that she didn't actually CARE. She didn't seem to truly care about anyone except Wren and her dad. (Then later, Levi).

[Megan]

She's preemptively rejecting a world that she's already decided will reject her. That's a super-common coping strategy among socially awkward introverts.

[Megan]

Cheyenne wrote: "Mikaela wrote: "Kate wrote: "She doesn't make any effort because socially awkward people don't know HOW. That is the definition of socially awkward. I feel like you're saying "I don't mind that she..."

...Her name is not Catherine. That's a fairly significant plot point. Her name is Cath. Her sister's name is Wren.

[Cheyenne]

Megan wrote: "Cheyenne wrote: "Mikaela wrote: "Kate wrote: "She doesn't make any effort because socially awkward people don't know HOW. That is the definition of socially awkward. I feel like you're saying "I do..."

Wow. Thanks for that, but that was the fault of the auto correct and I was in a hurry and did not pre-read before posting.

[Kate]

Megan wrote: "She's preemptively rejecting a world that she's already decided will reject her. That's a super-common coping strategy among socially awkward introverts."

Exactly. It's easier to pretend you don't care than to deal with the possibility of getting hurt.

[Mikaela]

Hey guys, there's no need to fight here! I think we all enjoyed the book, any discussion here is not meant to offend or cause argument...

[Samantha]

I totally agree with all that you wrote, she's so annoying, to be honest when i first started to read the book and were on page 78 i said "ok she's a little annoying, but maybe she grows up later throughout the story", but that didn't happen!! from the beginning to the end of the book She had the same personality, that not even Levi couldn't help her on that, and the most annoying thing (for me) was her insanely obsession with Simon Snow she was so obsessed that she didn't want to see the reality that Simon and Baz were just book characters!
Rainbow really disappoint me on this one, because I first read Eleanor & Park and it was so good, so i had very high expectations
but it was good tough (if we left Cath aside)

Simon Snow and then HARRY POTTER? i still don't get what Rainbow try to said with that, it is impossible that two similar characters coexist on the same world

[Megan]

Cheyenne wrote: "Megan wrote: "Cheyenne wrote: "Mikaela wrote: "Kate wrote: "She doesn't make any effort because socially awkward people don't know HOW. That is the definition of socially awkward. I feel like you'r..."

No problem. Sorry if I came across harsh. It just kind of startled me that someone could have missed that.


Ugh, the Harry Potter thing (which is totally off-topic, but oh well)? I do NOT understand why she put that in. It completely yanked me out of the book.

[Bri]

finally people who understand the annoyance of this book, in real like I'm a Wren (pre-hospital) and I could never stand be around or deal with someone like Cath

[Bri]

finally people who understand the annoyance of this book, in real like I'm a Wren (pre-hospital) and I could never stand be around or deal with someone like Cath

[Currer]

I just think that Cath has to be afraid or the message of the book will totally be lost. It is about someone who moves out of their shell and faces the problems that they have been avoiding. She finds her voice when she stands up to Nick, she opens her heart to Levi and Regan, and she deals with the abandonment she never let herself deal with. In all, she is a very strong character who faces her challenges. If she did not have this challenge then what would the book be about?

[[deleted user]]

Fangirl had a lot of hype around it therefore Cath and Wren were a big dissapointment for me as there seem to be little to no character development for them in the book, whilst strangely I enjoyed reading Fangirl I felt it lacked purpose in the plot and didn't really go anywhere. Cath was dull and read like a lot of protagonists in contemporary novels ( i.e. the quiet bookish girl who doesn't like to drink or party and has little time to indulge her friends etc. selfish) Wren however was just a megga bitch who I don't feel was punished enough by Rowell for her behaviour throughout. Overall, despite me not liking two of the main characters I did enjoy the concept and have read other books by Rainbow Rowell as a result. Can't help myself sometimes.

[Wassila]

I must recognize that at first I felt extremely annoyed with Cath behavior and unwillingness to make new friends and socialize despite all these people wanting to know her.
That said I do understand where it comes from. Having a twin myself I can assure you there is nothing worth than being "separated" from your other half. Especially when you are the dependent one in the pair. Unfortunately many twins are seen as a pair and usually one of the two will (involuntary) attract people easier than the other making the latter hide and sometimes erase themselves to the profit of their siblings. I had to go through this and I wish that to no one.

Regarding her personality I don't think she lacked any. After all personality isn't measured in numbers of traits or interests one has. I believe she had a hard time showing it off because she was always letting her sister do the work for both of them.

Despite everyone opinion or mine I truly believe Cath was a character many could relate to in this book, which isn't something we find often nowadays.

[Elsa]

I think Cath is a character that could be easily a real person. She isn't perfect that's true she is socially inept. I think we should accept that we are not all made to be a peoples person. Some people like their own company for a big chunk of time and they really don't get along with a lot of other people. That's not bad, it just happens. Cath was a character that a lot people could relate to , even if those people are a minority.

[[deleted user]]

I don't dislike Cath because she isn't the life and soul of the party - I just struggled to read 400 odd pages of her because to me she lacked personality and when she did bother speaking to people she wasn't particularly nice to them, eg the constant rolling of the eyes. I think that's very rude. Yet everyone is really keen to be her friend? In some ways the book is really realistic but that irked me. It reminded me of Twilight when everyone was falling over themselves to either be friends with or hook up with Bella, for no apparent reason. (I'm not bashing Twilight, I actually love Twilight. But that aspect of it always irritated me).

[Megan]

Charlotte wrote: "I don't dislike Cath because she isn't the life and soul of the party - I just struggled to read 400 odd pages of her because to me she lacked personality and when she did bother speaking to people..."

I agree there's an aspect of that, but really, the only people who go out of their way to befriend her are Levi and Regan (Nick starts spending time with her because of the class project). Regan is her roommate, so it makes sense that she's going to put SOME effort into pulling Cath out of her shell, and she really doesn't even try that hard. Levi is a little more inexplicable, but he did hang out around her a lot, so it's not like his liking her is based on nothing but a first impression.

[[deleted user]]

Yeah, you make some really good points there. However it seemed to me that Levi had a bit of a crush on her from the beginning. He says something like "didn't you wonder why I was always hanging around in your room when Regan (I might've spelt it wrong) wasn't there?" - he does that pretty much from day one.

[[deleted user]]

Oh and her refusing to do her paper and writing the fanfic instead - that frustrated me more than words can describe.

[[deleted user]]

I agree with Mikaela, too. I have a friend with social anxiety disorder and, while she doesn't find it easy to get close with people she doesn't know very well, she tries you know? She WANTS to form friendships and relationships even though she finds it difficult. Cath's attitude just seems to be like "**** everyone" and I doubt that's purely down to "she's social awkward" or "she has social anxiety." And aside from getting a boyfriend, does she REALLY develop? I don't think she does. Except for the fact that she writes her story (in a day or something - realistic...) which is mandatory anyway.

[Caroline]

I almost done reading this book but I am so frustrated with Cath. She is afraid of everything. She needs a therapy for her social anxiety. I wish she lived a little. I also found Simon Snow excerpt extremely annoying. I guess it's supposed to be HP but it was so annoying I skipped all the excerpt & Cath reading her FF.

[[deleted user]]

C-Line wrote: "I almost done reading this book but I am so frustrated with Cath. She is afraid of everything. She needs a therapy for her social anxiety. I wish she lived a little. I also found Simon Snow excerpt..."

I feel you! I feel the book had the potential to be amazing but ugh :( Idk if I can be bothered reading Eleanor and Park because I'm wary of running into similar issues.

[Shannon]

OMG here I was thinking I was the only one who didn't love this book! The MC was annoying and didn't take actions that made sense for her priorities, which is one of my pet peeves. I didn't end up finishing it (don't tell my friends) but reading your reviews I'm glad I saved myself the time!