FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

Publication date: September 10th 2013

                                                                Synopsis:

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 fanfiction, 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 fanfiction 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? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My thoughts:

I absolutely adored FANGIRL, as I always do enjoy a Rainbow Rowell novel. I read it this past summer and immediately purchased the special UK edition that comes with a poster and a fancy etching of Simon & Baz on the cover. Fangirl is yet another book made perfectly for YA readers or anyone who’s ever devoted their lives to fandoms.

The Simon Snow aspect of the novel definitely has its parallels to the Harry Potter fandom and Cath’s devotion to the Simon Snow franchise is scarily similar to my own obsession with HP. But this novel actually taught me something about letting go.

This novel was not only hilarious with excellent character development and witty dialogue. But it was also serious in a way that Cath is making major changes in her life and having to move on from a fandom she’s loved for years. And let’s face it. We’ve all been through this.

Cath’s college adventures, anxiey-filled visits to the cafeteria, and a confusing relationship with her roommate are exactly what young adults need to read. Personally, Fangirl taught me that moving on with your life and making changes does not mean that you have to leave everything in your past behind you. But you can’t let those things take over your life either.   
As I stated above, this book is brilliantly written, as all of Rowell’s books are. Rowell deserves all the recognition she’s gained and then some; she is by far my favorite author of 2014.

I can’t wait to read more of Simon Snows adventures in her upcoming book: Carry On
And I look forward to reading her work for years to come.   

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