Book Review: Fangirl

I found Fangirl the way I find out about most things. Twitter. When it was released back in September, it seemed like everyone was talking about it. So of course, I had to get my hands on a copy

Fangirl starts off as a somewhat typical coming of age story. You have the protagonist, Cath, and her twin sister Wren heading off to freshman year of college. Wren has decided she wants to be something other than a twin, and leaves Cath to face the perils of dorm life on her own.

Cath however, doesn’t like change. She wants to share a room with her sister just as she always has. She wants them to continue to geek out about Simon Snow (a Harry Potter like series) and write fanfiction together. She wants things to be the same.

As we follow Cath’s story, it’s more than the simple coming of age story it appears to be. It’s about anytime you’re thrown into a new situation and feel completely uncomfortable. I was hooked into Fangirl when I got to this line chapter two:

In new situations, all the trickiest rules are the ones nobody bothers to explain to you.

It’s such a universal statement. It doesn’t matter if you’re starting school, starting a new job, or just starting something new. That’s what makes Fangirl more than a typical coming of age story. It’s an “I’m scared of this new experience” story.

Throughout Fangirl Cath also struggles with how big of a part the Simon Snow series plays in her life. Something I think all of us fangirls and fanboys can relate to. And you get the feeling that author Rainbow Rowell is really one of us. That she gets it. That she’s been through these things, and has come out the other side to let us know how it is.

Overall, Fangirl is an awesome story that somehow makes fanfiction seem cool. Head over to Amazon and get a copy, you won’t be disappointed.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of Fangirl for review.