Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

The last novel in the Simon Snow series is set to be released at the end of Cath and Wren’s first year at the University of Nebraska. The twins are huge Simon Snow fans, wrapped up in the magic and in fan fiction. Cath, more so than Wren over the last couple of months, since Cath has a huge following online and has been working on her own installment of the Simon Snow series that she has been slowly releasing to her followers. But this freshmen year has been a year full of change. It all began when Wren told Cath she didn’t want to be roommates their freshmen year of school. For the first time ever Cath is without her built-in best friend. Their father is at home alone causing Cath to constantly worry about his wellbeing. It doesn’t help that she thinks her roommate Reagan hates her. And to top it all off, her mother who left the family when Cath and Wren were eight years old suddenly wants to have a relationship with the twins again. It’s too much for Cath to handle! She always finds herself going back to Simon and The World of Mages because she is too afraid to live in the real world and Simon’s world is one she understands and knows.

Fangirl is a great coming of age story that grips you from the beginning. Cath and Wren have always been a package deal and now that partnership is broken. The sisters are on two different playing fields and Wren has absolutely no problem spreading her wings while her sister flounders. Emotions are constantly running high and Cath’s anxiety paired with good ole’ college angst is the foundation for an amazing coming of age story. Cath is afraid of navigating her way through life and has been using her sister as a buffer. Their father was the sole parent the majority of their life and had his own mental issues and dilemmas throughout which adds to Cath’s paranoia. Growing up without a mother has scarred Cath and Wren and it’s apparent as the story goes on that they each have developed separate coping mechanisms. The people that Cath begins to interact with and develop relationships with, slowly begin to coax her out of her shell and away from the fear that she has developed. College is about learning but it’s also about the experience and Cath can’t experience anything if she stays in her dorm, scared to venture out of her comfort zone.

Rowell did an amazing job developing this story and truly embracing that college experience. The characters were thoroughly flushed out, engaging and well imagined. It was believable and made me remember that college angst and that experience of my own freshman year. There were moments where I couldn’t stop laughing, others where I was blushing and a few when I felt quite embarrassed for our main characters. This was an easy read that I couldn’t put down. The Simon Snow aspect was both a gift and a curse to this story for me. In my opinion, it was reminiscent of Harry Potter and the fandom (which I am a part of, even though I don’t read the fanfiction) that lives with people and in their being. It was endearing to see Cath’s dedication to the characters and how they really did make up a significant part of her life. What I didn’t like were the “excerpts” that were included in Fangirl from the Simon Snow series and from the fanfiction. There was an excerpt before every chapter which was fine but I got so distracted when an excerpt was added into the actual story line. I simply wanted to read this novel.  Every reference to what was going on in the Simon Snow series could have been paraphrased for all I care. I still give this novel 4 out of 5 stars. I couldn’t put it down and it brought out genuine emotions from me. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone in the mood for a great coming of age story with a twist.