Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
My sister in law always gives me the most awesomest book recommendations so I was pumped up to read her latest one.
Especially because times right now are super stressful and a little lighter reading is right up my alley.
Here is a quick summary:
“In Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life―and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?”
Fan fiction.
I knew it was a BIG thing but never really understood HOW big of a thing it is…and never quite understood WHAT it is either.
That all changed when I read this book!
(If you don’t know what fan fiction is go look it up and see…super fascinating and interesting phenomenon, y’all. )
The main character, Cath, is a fan fiction writer who writes about her favorite book character of all time, Simon Snow….who has a WHOLE lot of similarities to one of MY favorite book characters of all times, Harry Potter.
Not EXACTLY the same but VERY similar…magic, special British school, treasured friendships, dark missions…
So that was kinda fun and nostalgic for me!
I even looked up some Harry Potter fan fiction before I wrote this…
now THAT is a rabbit hole you could fall into for HOURS…
so many creative people in this world…and also what a reminder of how very strange and twisted some people can be too 😬
This book isn’t only about the world of fan fiction…
The story really chronicles Cath’s first year of college and her struggles as a “book geek” introvert to find her place in her new world
…it also explores the journey of first “real” relationships and falling in love for the first time…
but it also really dives into some pretty serious things as well like mental health struggles, family dysfunction, self esteem issues, and alcohol abuse.
Not as light of a read as I expected.
I did find this book good but I was not as into it as I expected I would be either.
Not sure why on that…I didn’t feel as pulled into the characters or story like I usually get with books.
I didn’t dislike it..I found it to be interesting enough…but it was not the best book I’ve read recently either.
My mental state is in a weird place right now with all that is happening so that may be part of it 🤷♀️
Basically I’d say it was a pretty good read.
I will most likely check out more by the author in the future…because my sister in law is the bomb and ❤️s her so I know I’m following a trust worthy path 😃