Ok, so technically Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is not exactly a new book. It was published all the way back in 2013, so I am more than a little fashionably late to the game, like 7 years too late. To be honest, I wanted to read it since it came out, I just never got around to it. Story of my life. So, now that I have read it, I thought why not write a Fangirl Book Review. After all, it’s my blog, I can write anything on it, even 7 years later.
I don’t remember when or where I actually come across Fangirl, but I do remember reading good things about Fangirl and Eleanor & Park (haven’t read that yet), but I was wary; I usually am of books that get too popular (I still remember the Twilight or 50 Shades of Grey fiasco). I can never trust if the book is popular because it is good, or it is just popular because somebody knows how marketing should be done. So, I usually avoid them, until eventually my curiosity gets the better of me. I still did read Twilight, the first book in the series, but couldn’t for the life of me read the rest. And I did try to read 50 Shades of Grey, I just couldn’t. I got to page 16 and then closed the book for good.
Anyway, yes Fangirl, back on topic. So, since this is a Fangirl Book Review, let’s talk about, well, what I actually though about the book.
Honestly, I loved it. I abso-f*cking-lutely loved it. And I don’t say that about a lot of books. Like, sure, but love not so much. But I loved everything about Fangirl. I love Cath. I feel like Cath is me, or rather that she was modelled on me. There are certain differences, but her personality, her introvert nature, her love of books, her insecurities, her self esteem issues – I can relate to it all, I’ve felt it all, especially her fangirl-ness. I’ve been there, I’ve lived through it. I even have the extrovert outgoing, party loving sister. I have a Wren. So, I could definitely relate to Cath and her awkwardness, and her anxiety.
I also loved the coming of age story, how Cath finally develops her own personality, her own group of friends, and starts living her own live. Her relationships with her father and her sister, and even her mother, feel real and develop organically. Wren’s story arc also feels just and is handled beautifully. Cath’s anxiety, her Dad’s manic episodes, and even Levi’s lack of reading ability is also handled well. It shows how real those issues are without making you feel like you should pity the characters, or that they are less or different somehow. It was beautiful, and more so it was real.
Another great thing was the Fanfiction, both what Cath writes and how the Fanfiction Community is represented here. It’s not glorified, or belittled. It is what it is – a group of people who love the fandom. This is the only book I’ve read which focuses on Fandoms and Fangirls, it was refreshing. Most people, like Cath’s professor, do look down on Fandoms and Fanfiction, but here it is the core of the story. It is the starting point of the story, and I love how Rowell did not force Cath to give it up just to show that she is growing up. Cath did grow up, but she did not have to leave who she was behind her to do so. Who she was is and will continue to be a part of who she is going to be. As someone who used to be active in Fandoms, and does read a lot of Fanfiction, and even has dabbled in writing some (not successfully, I might add), I really did appreciate Rainbow Rowell’s take on it, and her respect for it. Thank you, Ms. Rowell.
Fangirl Characters by Noelle Stevenson
The one thing that I will say I noticed is that Rowell does use a lot of pop culture references. Ignoring the Harry Potter references, which were key for the story, and quite clever I might add, she does reverence a lot of other books and songs. It not that I hated that, but to be honest it did feel a little forced, like when adults try to relate to young adults or children so they use phrases or references to try to make them think that they are one of them. And it happened often enough that I noticed it, but it’s not that big a deal and it doesn’t take away anything from the story. I’m just been nitpicky.
Overall, I loved everything about the book and that’s my official Fangirl Book Review – Just Read it, if you haven’t already. I’m already thinking about reading it again, though probably not immediately. And I love her voice. I love how Rainbow Rowell manages to write the bits of Carry On, in the voice of both Cath and Gemma T. Leslie (the author of the original Simon Snow series in the novel). It’s not easy to write from 3 different voices at the same time: Her own, Cath’s, and Gemma’s, and still manage to sound unique. And now I can’t wait to read more of Rainbow Rowell.
In fact, one of the reasons I did finally get around to reading Fangirl was because I came across a sample of Wayward Son in Amazon Kindle and I absolutely effing loved it. But I couldn’t just go ahead, order that and read it, can I? No, I have to do this properly, which means that I need to read Carry On, the first book in the Simon Snow series first, obviously. (I don’t know how people can read series out of sequence, sure if it works for you, but I just can’t.)
So how did I get to Fangirl? While I’m looking up Carry On, I find out that it is supposed to be the Fanfiction Novel that Cath writes in Fangirl. Of course, I could have gone, oh that’s interesting and that would be that, but me being me, I now absolutely have to read Fangirl before reading Carry On and Wayward Son, sort of like a prequel to the series. After all, it did come first. So that’s where we are now, reading Fangirl, and writing a Fangirl Book Review. I’m already halfway through Carry On, so will possibly do that next, or a combo of Carry On and Wayward Son, we’ll see. Let me know what you think I should do.