Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Row
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
St. Martin's Griffin (2013), Edition: 1st, 448 pages
Description
Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. HTML: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? Writing her own stories? Open her heart to someone? Or will she just go on living… (more)
Original publication date
2013-09-10
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User reviews
LibraryThing member bragan
I often get very, very annoyed at the stereotyped ways that books and TV shows and other media portray people who are fans of science fiction and fantasy, Trekkies and Harry Potter fanatics and Dungeons & Dragons players and other geeky types. Almost inevitably, even in these days when nerds are
Well, surprise! I didn't hate it. In fact, I loved it to pieces. And I think there are a lot of reasons why it works, why this portrayal feels right where so many of them feel very, very wrong. To begin with, Cath is such a believable, engaging character that it's impossible to think of her as any kind of generic stereotype. She's far too much herself. And she, along with everything else in this story, is written with real charm and with gentle, witty humor. Better still, the author never treats her with condescension. Her interests are not mocked or derided, and although she may learn that there is a bit more to life than Simon Snow, she is never required to give up what she loves or who she is in order to participate fully in that life, and there's no implication that she should be. I cannot tell you how refreshing that is. Indeed, Rainbow Rowell seems to have a genuine affection for and a personal familiarity with the fan subculture her character belongs to. She gets right all the things that most people fail to understand, and, boy, does that make a difference.
More than that, this book gently reminds me that, cartoonish and insulting as they so often are, those stereotypes exist because there is a grain of truth in them, and that I once was -- and in many ways no doubt still am -- walking proof of that. My family situation was very different, but in other ways Cath's college experience is so much like my own was that it's giving me sweetly painful feelings of nostalgia. Except that I had the good fortune to go to a tech school, where people actually thought my encyclopedic knowledge of Star Trek made me cool. That, and the fact that it was twenty-five years ago, and we didn't have the internet to go posting fanfiction epics on. Kids today don't know how lucky they are!
Anyway, this book made me happy. It's warm and funny and likable and the exact opposite of insulting. And, damn it, now I really want to read these Simon Snow novels. And then read fanfiction for them. I'm actually feeling genuinely miffed that they don't really exist.
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supposedly cool, what you see are immature, obsessed, socially clueless loners who cling to fantasy because they can't handle the real world, and who desperately need "normal" people to teach them how to be less weird so they can lose their virginity sometime before they die. I hate that kind of thing. I find it personally insulting. So, you'd think maybe I ought to hate this book, since, in broad outline, it kinda-sorta seems to follow that same pattern. The main character is college freshman Cath Avery, who is a huge fan of a Potter-esque fantasy series about a character named Simon Snow. She writes massively popular Simon Snow fanfiction, but in real life she's socially awkward and spends most of her time in her dorm room, completely fails to recognize when a guy is flirting with her, and relies entirely on her roommate as a conduit to any kind of social life.Well, surprise! I didn't hate it. In fact, I loved it to pieces. And I think there are a lot of reasons why it works, why this portrayal feels right where so many of them feel very, very wrong. To begin with, Cath is such a believable, engaging character that it's impossible to think of her as any kind of generic stereotype. She's far too much herself. And she, along with everything else in this story, is written with real charm and with gentle, witty humor. Better still, the author never treats her with condescension. Her interests are not mocked or derided, and although she may learn that there is a bit more to life than Simon Snow, she is never required to give up what she loves or who she is in order to participate fully in that life, and there's no implication that she should be. I cannot tell you how refreshing that is. Indeed, Rainbow Rowell seems to have a genuine affection for and a personal familiarity with the fan subculture her character belongs to. She gets right all the things that most people fail to understand, and, boy, does that make a difference.
More than that, this book gently reminds me that, cartoonish and insulting as they so often are, those stereotypes exist because there is a grain of truth in them, and that I once was -- and in many ways no doubt still am -- walking proof of that. My family situation was very different, but in other ways Cath's college experience is so much like my own was that it's giving me sweetly painful feelings of nostalgia. Except that I had the good fortune to go to a tech school, where people actually thought my encyclopedic knowledge of Star Trek made me cool. That, and the fact that it was twenty-five years ago, and we didn't have the internet to go posting fanfiction epics on. Kids today don't know how lucky they are!
Anyway, this book made me happy. It's warm and funny and likable and the exact opposite of insulting. And, damn it, now I really want to read these Simon Snow novels. And then read fanfiction for them. I'm actually feeling genuinely miffed that they don't really exist.
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LibraryThing member A_Reader_of_Fictions
There are some authors who write in such a way that I'm mentally swept off my feet, in love from the first words. Rainbow Rowell officially joins this short list, now that I've loved both of her books that I've read. Her books speak to me in a way that very few do, to a degree it's a rare to find.
Fangirl took me about half a month to read, which, if you know how much I read, is sort of insane, especially for a book I love so much. However, I was determined to read this sooner, but my review schedule is not forgiving of dalliances with books not on the schedule, so I read a chapter here and a chapter there as I was able. This can be a bit of an onus for a book to bear, though, because it gives me time to forget everything, and can make connection emotionally more difficult since you're not as thoroughly immersed. With Fangirl, though, the moment I started reading, even if it had been days since I got to read any, I was immediately back in Cath's world. Within a paragraph or two, the world around me dissipated and I was completely absorbed and dialed in.
Because this is such a highly anticipated title, a lot of bloggers have been getting early starts. Thus, though I avoid actual reviews until I've read the book, I've seen some tweets and statuses. Though Fangirl is nigh perfection for me, personally, I know other sorts of readers (as in those that do not have a brain that functions like mine) have had trouble relating to Cath. Certainly, Cath is a very different sort of heroine from the norm. She's introverted to the point of being almost a hermit, preferring to live her life almost entirely in a fictional world. Social anxiety plague her to the degree that she actively avoids making friends and refuses to go to the dining hall because she's afraid of embarrassing her self by doing something wrong. When things get heavy, Cath will just shut down and make really bad choices, like not turning in a final project because she couldn't figure out what to do. Cath is also angry, at her mom, at Wren, and at herself. I can definitely see where her decisions wouldn't register with more socially competent readers.
While I am not precisely like Cath, I'm close enough that I get her. I could have been very much like her, minus the fan fiction stardom. See, in some ways, Cath's downfall was her happy high school experience: built-in best friend in her twin sister Wren, popularity that comes with hanging out with Wren, and comfortable boyfriend Abel. On arriving at the University of Nebraska for her freshman year of college, Wren's safe, familiar little world falls apart. Wren, who refused to room with Cath, wants little to nothing to do with her twin sister, desperate to forge her own identity. Abel dumps her for a girl who a) actually likes him in a romantic way and b) got a higher score on the ACT. Her grumpy roommate Reagan, with omnipresent boyfriend Levi, stress her out further. Wren parties for all she's worth to make new friends; Cath avoids people more than ever. With Cath's personality, suddenly losing your safety net in a new experience like this would result in such a response in a lot of cases. For me, I was so unhappy and friendless for most of high school that I started college fired with determination to become an extrovert; it didn't work, but it did get me through the first weeks.
What Cath fears more than anything is being bad at something, and here is where I understand this girl so much it hurts. She resists new experiences because she doesn't want to make a fool out of herself. This is behind her trepidation to go eat in the dining hall, where she could go the wrong way in line or sit at the wrong table. This is also why she just doesn't do her final fiction writing project: she fears she doesn't have the talent to write her own world, and prefers the safety of her fan fiction. With romance, too, she goes very slow on the physical side of the relationship for fear of doing the wrong thing. With all of these, the more time that passes, the more difficult that goal becomes to accomplish.
The romance is important, and I'll talk about that later, but I love that falling in love isn't the only thing to help bring her out of her shell. Forging a relationship with her roommate, Reagan, is her first true step out of her comfort zone. Sick of watching Cath subsist on protein bars, Reagan forces her to go to the dining hall, and this becomes a routine. There, they bond by people-watching other students, making up ridiculous stories about them. Though Reagan and Cath have little in common, they're able to find ways to connect, and, if Cath can handle the intimidating Reagan, that's a big step. Plus, bonding through stories and jokes like this is exactly what Cath does with her family; the way to get through Cath's heart is through fiction of one kind or another.
Family issues are key here, too, though they are not tied up in a tidy little bow. Cath and Wren have a loving father, who's raised them as a single parent since their mom walked out when they were kids. Though their father, Art, takes good care of them, he has manic depression, and needs a lot of looking after himself, as he will not take his meds, since they interfere with his creativity, necessary to his job in advertising. Art always gave them pretty free rein, trusting them to be responsible and to keep him in check. The twins going to college changes the family dynamics, which is painful, but ultimately better for everyone. On top of that, their mother wants to talk to them, but Cath wants no part of the woman who abandoned her.
Then there's the romance, and, my goodness is it swoony. I won't tell you who the guy is, because it's better to let things evolve in front of your eyes. However, I will say that Rowell gets the speed of emotions just right in Fangirl, both friendship and relationships. Once something starts, it moves with the speed of a man-eating hare. Relationships of all sorts build so quickly in college. Since you're with everyone from morning until night, there's so much more time for feelings to build, because you're all crammed together in dorms. As a kid, you lack transportation or have a curfew in the summer, and other times half your day is school. As an adult, most of your time is spent at work, so there's less time for socialization. College is friendship in romance in hyperdrive.
The romance in Fangirl is a slow burn that comes almost out of nowhere oh so perfectly. Rowell hurt my heart a few times along the way, but she made it all work so well. In a lot of ways, this guy is not my ideal love interest, and I wouldn't want him for myself (several of his qualities are dealbreakers for me personally), but I love him SO HARD for Cath. Who knows if they'll last forever, but he's just what she needs right now.
Much as my heart wants to give Fangirl every single star in the heavens, there was one thing I didn't completely love. While I did love the fan fiction angle, I also found one element puzzling. Cath is writing an immensely popular slash fan fiction about Simon Snow, a wizard, and his nemesis, Baz. The Simon Snow series is an obvious stand-in for Harry Potter, which I'm totally cool with. What threw me for a real loop was a casual reference to HP within Fangirl. Why would both exist? This really does not make sense to me. If HP exists in this world, why draw up an imitation to reference? I suspect it has something to do with the amount of fan fiction included and copyright, but why not just leave HP out entirely? In this world, Simon Snow probably wouldn't be that popular if Harry already existed, because it had been done. If Simon came first, then what sort of commentary is that on Rowling? Logic fail aside, I also was not nearly engaged in Cath's fan fiction, so I was generally just waiting for those bits to be over. I do really like the role it played and her life, and the discussions of fan fiction versus original fiction, but the story itself was of somewhat limited interest.
I will read absolutely anything Rainbow Rowell writes. Though I've only read two of her books, she's near the top of my favorite authors list. Fangirl has realistic characters and is jam-packed with feels. Also, if you've been searching for books authentically about what it feels like to be in college, you want this book. I recommend Fangirl as highly as I possibly can.
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Rowell's books make me feel a little bit less alone, a little bit more understand, and point out truths I've often thought or even discussed with friends but not seen in fiction. I can tell you right now that I will be sitting on Attachments (not literally) for as long as I can hold out, because then I know that there won't be ANY MORE Rowell for who knows how long. That's how much I love her writing.Fangirl took me about half a month to read, which, if you know how much I read, is sort of insane, especially for a book I love so much. However, I was determined to read this sooner, but my review schedule is not forgiving of dalliances with books not on the schedule, so I read a chapter here and a chapter there as I was able. This can be a bit of an onus for a book to bear, though, because it gives me time to forget everything, and can make connection emotionally more difficult since you're not as thoroughly immersed. With Fangirl, though, the moment I started reading, even if it had been days since I got to read any, I was immediately back in Cath's world. Within a paragraph or two, the world around me dissipated and I was completely absorbed and dialed in.
Because this is such a highly anticipated title, a lot of bloggers have been getting early starts. Thus, though I avoid actual reviews until I've read the book, I've seen some tweets and statuses. Though Fangirl is nigh perfection for me, personally, I know other sorts of readers (as in those that do not have a brain that functions like mine) have had trouble relating to Cath. Certainly, Cath is a very different sort of heroine from the norm. She's introverted to the point of being almost a hermit, preferring to live her life almost entirely in a fictional world. Social anxiety plague her to the degree that she actively avoids making friends and refuses to go to the dining hall because she's afraid of embarrassing her self by doing something wrong. When things get heavy, Cath will just shut down and make really bad choices, like not turning in a final project because she couldn't figure out what to do. Cath is also angry, at her mom, at Wren, and at herself. I can definitely see where her decisions wouldn't register with more socially competent readers.
While I am not precisely like Cath, I'm close enough that I get her. I could have been very much like her, minus the fan fiction stardom. See, in some ways, Cath's downfall was her happy high school experience: built-in best friend in her twin sister Wren, popularity that comes with hanging out with Wren, and comfortable boyfriend Abel. On arriving at the University of Nebraska for her freshman year of college, Wren's safe, familiar little world falls apart. Wren, who refused to room with Cath, wants little to nothing to do with her twin sister, desperate to forge her own identity. Abel dumps her for a girl who a) actually likes him in a romantic way and b) got a higher score on the ACT. Her grumpy roommate Reagan, with omnipresent boyfriend Levi, stress her out further. Wren parties for all she's worth to make new friends; Cath avoids people more than ever. With Cath's personality, suddenly losing your safety net in a new experience like this would result in such a response in a lot of cases. For me, I was so unhappy and friendless for most of high school that I started college fired with determination to become an extrovert; it didn't work, but it did get me through the first weeks.
What Cath fears more than anything is being bad at something, and here is where I understand this girl so much it hurts. She resists new experiences because she doesn't want to make a fool out of herself. This is behind her trepidation to go eat in the dining hall, where she could go the wrong way in line or sit at the wrong table. This is also why she just doesn't do her final fiction writing project: she fears she doesn't have the talent to write her own world, and prefers the safety of her fan fiction. With romance, too, she goes very slow on the physical side of the relationship for fear of doing the wrong thing. With all of these, the more time that passes, the more difficult that goal becomes to accomplish.
The romance is important, and I'll talk about that later, but I love that falling in love isn't the only thing to help bring her out of her shell. Forging a relationship with her roommate, Reagan, is her first true step out of her comfort zone. Sick of watching Cath subsist on protein bars, Reagan forces her to go to the dining hall, and this becomes a routine. There, they bond by people-watching other students, making up ridiculous stories about them. Though Reagan and Cath have little in common, they're able to find ways to connect, and, if Cath can handle the intimidating Reagan, that's a big step. Plus, bonding through stories and jokes like this is exactly what Cath does with her family; the way to get through Cath's heart is through fiction of one kind or another.
Family issues are key here, too, though they are not tied up in a tidy little bow. Cath and Wren have a loving father, who's raised them as a single parent since their mom walked out when they were kids. Though their father, Art, takes good care of them, he has manic depression, and needs a lot of looking after himself, as he will not take his meds, since they interfere with his creativity, necessary to his job in advertising. Art always gave them pretty free rein, trusting them to be responsible and to keep him in check. The twins going to college changes the family dynamics, which is painful, but ultimately better for everyone. On top of that, their mother wants to talk to them, but Cath wants no part of the woman who abandoned her.
Then there's the romance, and, my goodness is it swoony. I won't tell you who the guy is, because it's better to let things evolve in front of your eyes. However, I will say that Rowell gets the speed of emotions just right in Fangirl, both friendship and relationships. Once something starts, it moves with the speed of a man-eating hare. Relationships of all sorts build so quickly in college. Since you're with everyone from morning until night, there's so much more time for feelings to build, because you're all crammed together in dorms. As a kid, you lack transportation or have a curfew in the summer, and other times half your day is school. As an adult, most of your time is spent at work, so there's less time for socialization. College is friendship in romance in hyperdrive.
The romance in Fangirl is a slow burn that comes almost out of nowhere oh so perfectly. Rowell hurt my heart a few times along the way, but she made it all work so well. In a lot of ways, this guy is not my ideal love interest, and I wouldn't want him for myself (several of his qualities are dealbreakers for me personally), but I love him SO HARD for Cath. Who knows if they'll last forever, but he's just what she needs right now.
Much as my heart wants to give Fangirl every single star in the heavens, there was one thing I didn't completely love. While I did love the fan fiction angle, I also found one element puzzling. Cath is writing an immensely popular slash fan fiction about Simon Snow, a wizard, and his nemesis, Baz. The Simon Snow series is an obvious stand-in for Harry Potter, which I'm totally cool with. What threw me for a real loop was a casual reference to HP within Fangirl. Why would both exist? This really does not make sense to me. If HP exists in this world, why draw up an imitation to reference? I suspect it has something to do with the amount of fan fiction included and copyright, but why not just leave HP out entirely? In this world, Simon Snow probably wouldn't be that popular if Harry already existed, because it had been done. If Simon came first, then what sort of commentary is that on Rowling? Logic fail aside, I also was not nearly engaged in Cath's fan fiction, so I was generally just waiting for those bits to be over. I do really like the role it played and her life, and the discussions of fan fiction versus original fiction, but the story itself was of somewhat limited interest.
I will read absolutely anything Rainbow Rowell writes. Though I've only read two of her books, she's near the top of my favorite authors list. Fangirl has realistic characters and is jam-packed with feels. Also, if you've been searching for books authentically about what it feels like to be in college, you want this book. I recommend Fangirl as highly as I possibly can.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This is a book centered on a fanfic writer and college Freshman, Cath Avery--of basically Harry Potter slash fiction--Harry/Draco. Oh, the books are called the "Simon Snow" books by "Gemma T. Leslie" but... In her Acknowledgments, Rowell wrote:
I decided to write this book after reading a lot (I
Well, ditto. Because I have to acknowledge--my name is Lisa and I'm a recovering fanfiction writer. (Of Harry Potter fic no less. Which puts me in good company with bestselling authors such as Naomi Novik and Cassandra Clare, so I wouldn't scoff.) Well, except that "recovering" makes it sound like I disown it, and I'm not. But I get this subculture from the inside--and so does Rowell obviously--she gets it, and treats it with affection. She gets other things too--about the terror of writing, about the terror of growing up--about how the two can be intertwined. Fangirl is a sweet and funny and at times heartbreaking coming of age story about a girl finding her own voice--not just in writing but in how she relates to her twin sister, to the people around her. It's charming and witty and clever and I scarfed down its 300 plus pages in one day. And had a blast doing it. I wouldn't rank it as a profound work of staggering genius--but if you're looking for something light and funny, even if mixed with some of the darker stuff of life--well, come and read. I'd certainly after this read more of Rainbow Rowell.
I decided to write this book after reading a lot (I
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mean a lot) of fanfiction. Reading fic was a transformative experience for me--it changed the way I think about writing and storytelling, and helped me more deeply understand my own intense relationships with fictional worlds and characters. So thank you for writing it.Well, ditto. Because I have to acknowledge--my name is Lisa and I'm a recovering fanfiction writer. (Of Harry Potter fic no less. Which puts me in good company with bestselling authors such as Naomi Novik and Cassandra Clare, so I wouldn't scoff.) Well, except that "recovering" makes it sound like I disown it, and I'm not. But I get this subculture from the inside--and so does Rowell obviously--she gets it, and treats it with affection. She gets other things too--about the terror of writing, about the terror of growing up--about how the two can be intertwined. Fangirl is a sweet and funny and at times heartbreaking coming of age story about a girl finding her own voice--not just in writing but in how she relates to her twin sister, to the people around her. It's charming and witty and clever and I scarfed down its 300 plus pages in one day. And had a blast doing it. I wouldn't rank it as a profound work of staggering genius--but if you're looking for something light and funny, even if mixed with some of the darker stuff of life--well, come and read. I'd certainly after this read more of Rainbow Rowell.
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LibraryThing member pennma05
This was my second Rainbow Rowell book. I LOVED Eleanor & Park so I was really looking forward to reading more from Rowell. I did like this book a lot but my main irritation was the main character, Cath. She had some social anxieties and while that itself wasn’t what bothered me (as I have social
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anxieties of my own), she seemed to be constantly whining about it. She didn’t do anything really to try and get over these issues. One thing that really bugged me was when her professor gave her the chance to re-do her final writing assignment and she kept putting it off until finally deciding to not do it at all. I wish like hell I had been given chances to re-do things in college, it just seems incredibly stupid not to take that chance. On the other hand, when it came to the issues with her mother, I totally felt for her. I would not have been able to forgive my mother if she had left me either. I don’t really quite understand how Wren could have just forgotten about what their mother had put them all through by leaving. Now, I think my favorite part of this book was Levi. He was such a lovable character! He’s like the perfect guy and Cath was very lucky that he was into her. All the things I didn’t like about this book were completely made up for with Levi’s character and personality. Show Less
LibraryThing member paghababian
I'd give this six stars (hell, ten stars) if I could.
LibraryThing member melissarochelle
Read from July 01 to 03, 2013
I didn't want the story to end. I would have been perfectly happy following Cath through all four years of college. Rowell does a wonderful job of creating fully-realized characters (that I want to be friends with).
While this will definitely appeal to teens, for me it
Fantastic book!
I didn't want the story to end. I would have been perfectly happy following Cath through all four years of college. Rowell does a wonderful job of creating fully-realized characters (that I want to be friends with).
While this will definitely appeal to teens, for me it
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took me back to college. The tricky transition, the feeling of being alone despite being surrounded by people, the terror of the dining hall those first few weeks. Fantastic book!
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LibraryThing member rivkat
Cath and Wren were fanfic-writing twins, BNFs in a Harry Potter-esque fandom who wrote the equivalent of Harry/Draco. Now they’re in college and Wren is moving on, while Cath isn’t. I really enjoyed the way in which being immersed fanfic was a valuable part of Cath’s life, even as it also
“… I hope she never forgives herself.”
“Don’t say that.” Wren’s face was red, and there were tears in her eyes. “I’m not broken.”
There weren’t any tears in Cath’s eyes. “Cracks in your foundation.” She shrugged.
“F*ck that.”
“Do you think I absorbed all the impact? That when Mom left, it hit my side of the car? F*ck that, Wren. She left you, too.”
Recommended.
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insulated her from other experiences that she didn’t want to have—sometimes insulation is worth having. Cath has other issues—boy trouble, professor trouble, a father who doesn’t treat his bipolar condition until things go wrong, a mother who abandoned her and Wren when they were young—and that makes for a readable YA. There’s also some wonderful dialogue. Probably my favorite:“… I hope she never forgives herself.”
“Don’t say that.” Wren’s face was red, and there were tears in her eyes. “I’m not broken.”
There weren’t any tears in Cath’s eyes. “Cracks in your foundation.” She shrugged.
“F*ck that.”
“Do you think I absorbed all the impact? That when Mom left, it hit my side of the car? F*ck that, Wren. She left you, too.”
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member andreablythe
Prepare for caplocks and lots of squee.
Cath and her twin sister Wren have loved Simon Snow since they were kids and avidly lived in the fandom, reading, discussing, and writing fanfic. But when go to college, they head for college, Wren wants her own life and to leave all that behind. Facing a new
I love, love, LOVE this book. Normally I only listen to audio books in the morning on my way to work, because after work I'm too mentally tired to pay attention. But with Fangirl, I couldn't stop listening, using every available moment in the car that I could to keep listening.
I relate to Cath so much. The desire to read, to hang out on the internet, to hide in my room rather than socially interact with strangers is something I've felt myself on a regular basis. I've been left behind by friends (in her case, family) who I assumed would always be there and found myself at a loss to fill the gap. I also relate to her joy over Simon Snow, as I'm sure many fans who fall in love with imagined worlds do.
I also ADORE Levi. He's just so, so NICE. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to have a male love interest be just a genuinely good guy, who treats every person he meets with politeness and good humor. Someone has his own interests and makes human mistakes and tries to do good. Someone who respects and personal boundaries and when sex comes up, approaches the discussion and possibility in a way to make sure both parties are 100% comfortable. He's not a mysterious bad guy and that is so sexy.
I also really love each and every side character. Reagan, who is outwardly mocking and all hard edges, but has a secrete inner mushy side and is a fantastic friend. Wren, who in her desperate attempt to find her own way can sometimes be cruel to those she loves. Cath and Wren's dad, who stumbles through everyday life with a mental disorder, but is creatively electric. And so many others, even those who are awful people in the end.
Oh! And I love the integration of snippets from the Simon Snow books and the fanfiction that Cath writes. These snippets parallel the main story so well and somehow Rowell manages to paint a overall picture with these bits and pieces of what the Simon Snow novels and fandom would be like if they existed. I found myself wishing that they did so I could read them.
Cath's story is about growing up and I love the fact that growing up doesn't mean abandoning the things you love, rather it means integrating them in a more balanced way. I love that relationships are based on building and keeping trust and offering forgiveness when necessary. Really, there are SO many things I loved and I found myself cycling through laughter and tears throughout, and even at the end both at the same time.
Such a delightful read.
Cath and her twin sister Wren have loved Simon Snow since they were kids and avidly lived in the fandom, reading, discussing, and writing fanfic. But when go to college, they head for college, Wren wants her own life and to leave all that behind. Facing a new
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school with new social rules by herself, Cath retreats further into the fanfic worlds she's created and that she refuses to leave behind. I love, love, LOVE this book. Normally I only listen to audio books in the morning on my way to work, because after work I'm too mentally tired to pay attention. But with Fangirl, I couldn't stop listening, using every available moment in the car that I could to keep listening.
I relate to Cath so much. The desire to read, to hang out on the internet, to hide in my room rather than socially interact with strangers is something I've felt myself on a regular basis. I've been left behind by friends (in her case, family) who I assumed would always be there and found myself at a loss to fill the gap. I also relate to her joy over Simon Snow, as I'm sure many fans who fall in love with imagined worlds do.
I also ADORE Levi. He's just so, so NICE. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to have a male love interest be just a genuinely good guy, who treats every person he meets with politeness and good humor. Someone has his own interests and makes human mistakes and tries to do good. Someone who respects and personal boundaries and when sex comes up, approaches the discussion and possibility in a way to make sure both parties are 100% comfortable. He's not a mysterious bad guy and that is so sexy.
I also really love each and every side character. Reagan, who is outwardly mocking and all hard edges, but has a secrete inner mushy side and is a fantastic friend. Wren, who in her desperate attempt to find her own way can sometimes be cruel to those she loves. Cath and Wren's dad, who stumbles through everyday life with a mental disorder, but is creatively electric. And so many others, even those who are awful people in the end.
Oh! And I love the integration of snippets from the Simon Snow books and the fanfiction that Cath writes. These snippets parallel the main story so well and somehow Rowell manages to paint a overall picture with these bits and pieces of what the Simon Snow novels and fandom would be like if they existed. I found myself wishing that they did so I could read them.
Cath's story is about growing up and I love the fact that growing up doesn't mean abandoning the things you love, rather it means integrating them in a more balanced way. I love that relationships are based on building and keeping trust and offering forgiveness when necessary. Really, there are SO many things I loved and I found myself cycling through laughter and tears throughout, and even at the end both at the same time.
Such a delightful read.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
I have had this book on my to read list forever. Previous to reading this book the only book I had read by Rowell was Landline, which I enjoyed but didn’t love. This was an incredibly engaging read and something that I think a lot of readers/writers will definitely adore. This is basically a
I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was very well done. I thought the narrator did an excellent job with conveying emotion and having distinct character voices. I would definitely recommend this on audiobook if you are a fan of audiobooks.
Cath is a Simon Snow fan (well Simon Snow is really really popular, so a lot of people are fans). It would be more accurate to say that Cath is absolutely obsessed with Simon Snow. She spends a large amount of time writing fanfic that takes place in the Simon Snow world. Her twin sister Wren has grown out of fanfic and is ready to move on with her life. Both sisteres are both going to the same college but Wren decides to get a new roommate and start a new life without Cath.
Cath would love to just hide in her dorm, she has huge anxiety about anything new. She ends up with a grouchy roommate who constantly has her boyfriend around. Things get worse when she finds out her fiction writing professor absolutely hates fanfiction. To add to all of this her manic depressive father is having trouble coping with living alone and she has to finish the eighth book in her alternate Simon Snow series, Carry On, before the final book in the real series actually releases. How will Cath make it through?
The book starts each chapter with either an excerpt from the original Simon Snow series or an excerpt from Cath’s Simon Snow fanfic Carry On. So you are kind of following three stories throughout the book; the Simon Snow series, Cath’s story Carry On, and Cath’s day to day story. It was cleverly done.
This is definitely a coming of age story that touches on a lot of interesting issues. There is a lot in here about fanfiction and about the stresses of interacting with both internet and real-life communities. Additionally a lot of the characters are struggling with social/mental disorders. Cath has extreme anxiety about anything new. Wren has a bit of a drinking problem. Cath and Wren’s father struggles with bipolar disorder. Levi (Cath’s roommate’s boyfriend) has a learning disability that makes reading very tough for him. All of these characters with their issues and quirky disorders make for characters that are intriguing and very real feeling.
I loved Cath and could definitely relate to her. She would rather read or write than do anything else (yep, that describes me), she has a lot of anxiety about new situations (yep, I am with her there), and she would rather write fanfic than deal with real issues (again...I definitely spend time blogging that could be better spent elsewhere). So I really related to her and enjoyed watching her learn to deal with situations that I have also struggled with over the years.
The story is very engaging and absolutely engrossing. You are constantly wondering what will happen between Wren and Cath, what will happen with Cath’s final fiction story, what will happen in Cath’s fanfic Carry On, what will happen between Cath and Levi, what will happen with Cath’s father…. There is a lot to drive the story forward. It is also a very emotion-provoking story; there were parts where I laughed and parts where I cried (seriously one of these was when Cath and Wren are crying over the final book of the Simon Snow series...yes I can totally relate to this).
Overall I loved this book. The characters felt incredibly real, were entertaining, and engaging. This is a coming of age story that deals with a lot of social issues. I could really relate to Cath and really enjoyed reading about her. My only complaint is that the story ends very abruptly. I would recommend to those who enjoy contemporary YA fiction, especially those who read or write a lot themselves.
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coming of age story that is sweet and deals with a lot of life issues.I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was very well done. I thought the narrator did an excellent job with conveying emotion and having distinct character voices. I would definitely recommend this on audiobook if you are a fan of audiobooks.
Cath is a Simon Snow fan (well Simon Snow is really really popular, so a lot of people are fans). It would be more accurate to say that Cath is absolutely obsessed with Simon Snow. She spends a large amount of time writing fanfic that takes place in the Simon Snow world. Her twin sister Wren has grown out of fanfic and is ready to move on with her life. Both sisteres are both going to the same college but Wren decides to get a new roommate and start a new life without Cath.
Cath would love to just hide in her dorm, she has huge anxiety about anything new. She ends up with a grouchy roommate who constantly has her boyfriend around. Things get worse when she finds out her fiction writing professor absolutely hates fanfiction. To add to all of this her manic depressive father is having trouble coping with living alone and she has to finish the eighth book in her alternate Simon Snow series, Carry On, before the final book in the real series actually releases. How will Cath make it through?
The book starts each chapter with either an excerpt from the original Simon Snow series or an excerpt from Cath’s Simon Snow fanfic Carry On. So you are kind of following three stories throughout the book; the Simon Snow series, Cath’s story Carry On, and Cath’s day to day story. It was cleverly done.
This is definitely a coming of age story that touches on a lot of interesting issues. There is a lot in here about fanfiction and about the stresses of interacting with both internet and real-life communities. Additionally a lot of the characters are struggling with social/mental disorders. Cath has extreme anxiety about anything new. Wren has a bit of a drinking problem. Cath and Wren’s father struggles with bipolar disorder. Levi (Cath’s roommate’s boyfriend) has a learning disability that makes reading very tough for him. All of these characters with their issues and quirky disorders make for characters that are intriguing and very real feeling.
I loved Cath and could definitely relate to her. She would rather read or write than do anything else (yep, that describes me), she has a lot of anxiety about new situations (yep, I am with her there), and she would rather write fanfic than deal with real issues (again...I definitely spend time blogging that could be better spent elsewhere). So I really related to her and enjoyed watching her learn to deal with situations that I have also struggled with over the years.
The story is very engaging and absolutely engrossing. You are constantly wondering what will happen between Wren and Cath, what will happen with Cath’s final fiction story, what will happen in Cath’s fanfic Carry On, what will happen between Cath and Levi, what will happen with Cath’s father…. There is a lot to drive the story forward. It is also a very emotion-provoking story; there were parts where I laughed and parts where I cried (seriously one of these was when Cath and Wren are crying over the final book of the Simon Snow series...yes I can totally relate to this).
Overall I loved this book. The characters felt incredibly real, were entertaining, and engaging. This is a coming of age story that deals with a lot of social issues. I could really relate to Cath and really enjoyed reading about her. My only complaint is that the story ends very abruptly. I would recommend to those who enjoy contemporary YA fiction, especially those who read or write a lot themselves.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
YA novel Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell explores many themes and situations and the fact that it is such a good book is totally due to the author’s ability to draw her readers into the world she has envisioned and populated. This story takes place over the course of the main character’s first year
At first being separated from her sister, who is exploring new avenues, and having to stand on her own was very difficult for her. She retreats into her world of fanfic and spends a lot of her time on her laptop creating stories about her favorite characters. As she slowly expands her horizons, I found myself being totally captivated by her, her experiences and the people she meets. The author doesn’t rush the story and this sensitive portrayal felt very realistic. Although both the twins have issues that arise from their mother’s abandonment, each girl expresses those issues in a different way.
Fangirl is a coming-of-age story that delivers it’s message of allowing yourself to be open to change while not being afraid to still be “you” at all times. I appreciated that not all issues were fully worked out during the course of the book as we all know that it takes living a life to fully reach true inner knowledge but I also was very happy to see that both Cath and Wren dealt with some of their issues and were looking forward to the next year by the time the book ended.
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at university. Cath is one half of the Avery twins. Their mother walked out on the family when the girls were eight. The twins are very close to their father who appears to have bi-polar episodes, but the time has come for them to leave home and go to university. Cath is an introvert and very happy to live the shadow of her more outgoing sister, Wren, but Wren has decided the girls need to live more separate lives and has chosen not to room with Cath. When younger both girls were fangirls of Simon Snow, a young wizard from a series of books who sounds very much like Harry Potter, and while Wren has moved on, Cath is still involved in the world of fan culture, and is the author of a very popular fanfic site. At first being separated from her sister, who is exploring new avenues, and having to stand on her own was very difficult for her. She retreats into her world of fanfic and spends a lot of her time on her laptop creating stories about her favorite characters. As she slowly expands her horizons, I found myself being totally captivated by her, her experiences and the people she meets. The author doesn’t rush the story and this sensitive portrayal felt very realistic. Although both the twins have issues that arise from their mother’s abandonment, each girl expresses those issues in a different way.
Fangirl is a coming-of-age story that delivers it’s message of allowing yourself to be open to change while not being afraid to still be “you” at all times. I appreciated that not all issues were fully worked out during the course of the book as we all know that it takes living a life to fully reach true inner knowledge but I also was very happy to see that both Cath and Wren dealt with some of their issues and were looking forward to the next year by the time the book ended.
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LibraryThing member jimrgill
This quaint novel tells the charming story of Cather Avery, a first-year student at the University of Nebraska, a proficient writer of Simon Snow [who is a thinly veiled version of Harry Potter] fan fiction, and a young lady on the cusp of her first oh-wow-golly-gee-willickers romance with a young
Essentially a microcosmic early twenty-first century female Bildungsroman, Fangirl is a light and capricious narrative that acknowledges the challenges of early adulthood (e.g., a mildly bipolar father, an absent and frigid mother, a twin sister—Wren—on the verge of alcoholism). But these issues pale in comparison to Cath’s true dilemma—despite her impressive skill at writing fanfiction, she struggles mightily to create characters and worlds of her own. Rowell subtly mines the young-adult-as-author-of-her-own-life trope as she portrays Cath’s emerging independent identity distinct from her prettier and more socially adept twin sister, but the placid conflicts that arise never create any sort of palpable tension in the novel—at least not from an adult perspective. And maybe that’s as it should be, since this novel is clearly written for adolescents, and it features minimal crossover appeal to a more mature readership.
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man—the perfectly sweet and enchanting Levi.Essentially a microcosmic early twenty-first century female Bildungsroman, Fangirl is a light and capricious narrative that acknowledges the challenges of early adulthood (e.g., a mildly bipolar father, an absent and frigid mother, a twin sister—Wren—on the verge of alcoholism). But these issues pale in comparison to Cath’s true dilemma—despite her impressive skill at writing fanfiction, she struggles mightily to create characters and worlds of her own. Rowell subtly mines the young-adult-as-author-of-her-own-life trope as she portrays Cath’s emerging independent identity distinct from her prettier and more socially adept twin sister, but the placid conflicts that arise never create any sort of palpable tension in the novel—at least not from an adult perspective. And maybe that’s as it should be, since this novel is clearly written for adolescents, and it features minimal crossover appeal to a more mature readership.
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LibraryThing member lycomayflower
The fangirl of the title is Cather Avery, a Big Name Fan in the Simon Snow (think Harry Potter) fandom whose latest long-form fic (posted to the internet in installments) is generating thousands of hits every day. Cath's fanfic writing slows down a bit as she starts her freshmen year at college,
This is young adult fare of high caliber. The writing is superb (with the exception of a handful of wee issues with transitions from scene to scene, the presence of which is the only reason I'm not giving this a full five stars), the characterization is lovely, Cath's dilemmas are handled nicely, and the depiction of fandom is spot-on. This is a good story well-told, but it is the exploration of fandom and of writing that makes Fangirl wonderful. Rowell really captures what it is like to participate in fandom on the internet, how it feels to try to explain fandom to people not engaged in it, and how fanfic writing is both like and completely unlike other kinds of fiction writing. (And the ya fantasy book series Rowell makes up--Harry Potter-esque, but also all its own--and gives us little slices of in order to better understand the fandom Cath participates in is so intriguing that I would read all eight of the books in it if Rowell ever wanted to write them in full.)
Fangirl will probably resonate most strongly with readers who have ever participated in fandom (at whatever age), but I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult fiction or anyone who just likes a good story set in contemporary times.
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deals with her twin sister's desires to separate herself from Cath socially, starts to fall in love with her roommate's sweet ex-boyfriend, and struggles with writing purely original work in a fiction writing class. This is young adult fare of high caliber. The writing is superb (with the exception of a handful of wee issues with transitions from scene to scene, the presence of which is the only reason I'm not giving this a full five stars), the characterization is lovely, Cath's dilemmas are handled nicely, and the depiction of fandom is spot-on. This is a good story well-told, but it is the exploration of fandom and of writing that makes Fangirl wonderful. Rowell really captures what it is like to participate in fandom on the internet, how it feels to try to explain fandom to people not engaged in it, and how fanfic writing is both like and completely unlike other kinds of fiction writing. (And the ya fantasy book series Rowell makes up--Harry Potter-esque, but also all its own--and gives us little slices of in order to better understand the fandom Cath participates in is so intriguing that I would read all eight of the books in it if Rowell ever wanted to write them in full.)
Fangirl will probably resonate most strongly with readers who have ever participated in fandom (at whatever age), but I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult fiction or anyone who just likes a good story set in contemporary times.
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LibraryThing member SaschaD
As I write this, I am trying to think of the last time that I absolutely did not want to finish a book because I just sincerely didn't want it to end. I am still thinking. I will probably still be thinking about that for a while.
Levi and Cather. How utterly sweet!
The writing is excellent,
The juxtapositions between the world of Simon Snow and Cather, again, excellent.
Oh, too many excellents?
If you doubt me, read the book. I know that there are some who won't be as charmed as I am, but I really hope they are few because it gives me hope as there is something about this little novel that goes beyond the written page and touches deeper things, maybe things that you thought you could cynically hide and yet, here they are.
A major sigh. I wonder if any book any time soon is going to compare with the sweet, gentle sincerity of this one.
Levi and Cather. How utterly sweet!
The writing is excellent,
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thoughtful. The characterizations are, again, excellent.The juxtapositions between the world of Simon Snow and Cather, again, excellent.
Oh, too many excellents?
If you doubt me, read the book. I know that there are some who won't be as charmed as I am, but I really hope they are few because it gives me hope as there is something about this little novel that goes beyond the written page and touches deeper things, maybe things that you thought you could cynically hide and yet, here they are.
A major sigh. I wonder if any book any time soon is going to compare with the sweet, gentle sincerity of this one.
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LibraryThing member kittyjay
Protagonist Cath is just entering her first year of college, and it seems like nothing is going right. Her twin sister, Wren, has suddenly started outgrowing their hobby of writing Simon Snow fanfic and doesn't want to live with Cath or even hang out with her anymore; Cath's own social anxiety is
Fangirl is a superbly captured look at college life, to the barest details, and Cath herself has issues and flaws without ever becoming a stereotype of the shut-in, Internet-addicted fanfic writer. Even though she has social anxiety, she's still a smart, funny, likeable character, not some pitiable figure.
Most impressively, Rowell seems to have captured fanfic impressively well: what people get out of it, and what people put into it, the language, and the culture. Cath's interests aren't mocked, they're put into context of her as a person, which is refreshing. She even writes - dare I say it? - slash. Even though slash is the norm rather than the exception, any mentions of fanfic in books seem to still treat it as something dirty and shameful, which Rowell refuses to do.
That said, it is somewhat apparent that this is based on research, and not immersion. The lingo sometimes feels a little too deliberately inserted, and oftentimes Rowell staggers dangerously close to painting fanfiction as a hobby that is meant to be outgrown, and people don't truly mature until they put away that childish fanfic. She never veers across it fully, but there were moments that I was begging the pages, "Please don't do that," before breathing a sigh of relief when she pulled herself back from that particular cliff.
Simon Snow is a clear homage to Harry Potter (though HP also exists in this universe, in which case, I would think that Rowell's imaginary author should expect a lawsuit from J.K. Rowling any day now), and sometimes a little bit too close of one. A more original fictional series probably would have included more fans of fanfic in general.
She also makes a few missteps based on her research. Cath writes an exceedingly popular story on a fanfic website that is a clear nod to Fanfiction.net, which feels a little dated to anyone who knows what Pit of the Voles refers to.
All in all, however, it treats fanfic writers with respect and affection, rather than ridiculing them or patronizing them. It's also a damned good story, with Cath learning to live without the safety net of her twin sister nearby, her first love, and navigating the often perilous waters of adulthood.
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getting in the way of her making new friends; and her mother who left when she was eight suddenly wants to get to know her.Fangirl is a superbly captured look at college life, to the barest details, and Cath herself has issues and flaws without ever becoming a stereotype of the shut-in, Internet-addicted fanfic writer. Even though she has social anxiety, she's still a smart, funny, likeable character, not some pitiable figure.
Most impressively, Rowell seems to have captured fanfic impressively well: what people get out of it, and what people put into it, the language, and the culture. Cath's interests aren't mocked, they're put into context of her as a person, which is refreshing. She even writes - dare I say it? - slash. Even though slash is the norm rather than the exception, any mentions of fanfic in books seem to still treat it as something dirty and shameful, which Rowell refuses to do.
That said, it is somewhat apparent that this is based on research, and not immersion. The lingo sometimes feels a little too deliberately inserted, and oftentimes Rowell staggers dangerously close to painting fanfiction as a hobby that is meant to be outgrown, and people don't truly mature until they put away that childish fanfic. She never veers across it fully, but there were moments that I was begging the pages, "Please don't do that," before breathing a sigh of relief when she pulled herself back from that particular cliff.
Simon Snow is a clear homage to Harry Potter (though HP also exists in this universe, in which case, I would think that Rowell's imaginary author should expect a lawsuit from J.K. Rowling any day now), and sometimes a little bit too close of one. A more original fictional series probably would have included more fans of fanfic in general.
She also makes a few missteps based on her research. Cath writes an exceedingly popular story on a fanfic website that is a clear nod to Fanfiction.net, which feels a little dated to anyone who knows what Pit of the Voles refers to.
All in all, however, it treats fanfic writers with respect and affection, rather than ridiculing them or patronizing them. It's also a damned good story, with Cath learning to live without the safety net of her twin sister nearby, her first love, and navigating the often perilous waters of adulthood.
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LibraryThing member pollywannabook
At turns uncomfortable, hilarious, sad, and triumphant, FANGIRL is all those and more.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the cover and would have completely dismissed FANGIRL if not for the recommendation of a friend who gushed over the writing and characters. Apart from the gay Harry Potter type
The characters are equally impressive from the often frustrating awkward Cather, her thoughtlessly self destructive sister Wren, the inhumanly charming Levi, and every other character that breathes in this book. No one is flat or trivial. Every single character exists somewhere--I truly feel that way--the ones you love and hate, the ones you root for or pity down to your bones. They are flesh and blood more than paper and ink.
Again, I didn't like the story breaks that jumped to the fanfiction passages (imagine if Harry Potter and Draco were gay and and that's pretty much the Simon Snow fanfiction that Cather writes), but there aren't too many of those sections. Most of FANGIRL is rightly focused on Cather and her first exquisitely wonderful and painful year of college.
I'm officially a Rainbow Rowell fangirl for life.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the cover and would have completely dismissed FANGIRL if not for the recommendation of a friend who gushed over the writing and characters. Apart from the gay Harry Potter type
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fanfiction excerpts that closed each chapter (which I could have done without), I'm gushing with her. The writing is very simplistic and stronger for that simplicity. There are numerous long dialog exchanges often without any dialogue tags, and they ended up being my favorite parts of the book (and something I hope is a trademark of Rainbow Rowell's writing style). The characters are equally impressive from the often frustrating awkward Cather, her thoughtlessly self destructive sister Wren, the inhumanly charming Levi, and every other character that breathes in this book. No one is flat or trivial. Every single character exists somewhere--I truly feel that way--the ones you love and hate, the ones you root for or pity down to your bones. They are flesh and blood more than paper and ink.
Again, I didn't like the story breaks that jumped to the fanfiction passages (imagine if Harry Potter and Draco were gay and and that's pretty much the Simon Snow fanfiction that Cather writes), but there aren't too many of those sections. Most of FANGIRL is rightly focused on Cather and her first exquisitely wonderful and painful year of college.
I'm officially a Rainbow Rowell fangirl for life.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
Fangirl is the story of Cath Avery, a prolific and popular writer of fanfiction based on the novels about Simon Snow, which is a Harry-Potter-esque series. The story is interspersed with pertinent segments both from the Simon Snow books and from Cath’s own fan fiction (posted under her pen name,
Cath is in her first semester at the University of Nebraska, and is rooming with someone else for the first time besides her twin Wren, who is also at the school. Her new roommate Reagan has a sort-of boyfriend named Levi, who is a warm fuzzy complement to Reagan’s brusque edges. But Reagan decides that Cath, who has a bit of social phobia and won’t even go to the cafeteria to eat, needs a friend, and she will be that friend, and she takes Cath under her wing:
"‘I feel sorry for you, and I’m going to be your friend.’
‘I don’t want to be your friend,’ Cath said as sternly as she could. I like that we’re not friends.’
‘Me, too,’ Reagan said. ‘I’m sorry you ruined it by being so pathetic.’”
Levi feels the need to take care of Cath as well, and soon she has two very good friends. Still, the world she most prefers is that of fanfiction, where “you get to play inside somebody else’s universe. Rewrite the rules.”
In her creative writing class, Cath turns in a piece of her fanfiction, but the professor refuses to accept it. She, Professor Piper, thinks Cath has real talent, but wants her to write her own story. Cath objects that she doesn’t think she is cut out for fiction writing. In a clever allusion, her teacher, Professor Piper, rejoins:
"What are you talking about? You’re exactly cut out for it. You’re a Butterick pattern, Cath - this is what you were meant to do.”
Still Cath resists, explaining:
"I don’t want to write my own fiction. I don’t want to write my own characters or my own worlds - I don’t care about them. ... I’d rather pour myself into a world I love and understand than try to make something up out of nothing.”
What I love about this book, and about Rainbow Rowell in general:
The dialogue is wonderful. It’s real, it’s clever (wait: do those two go together?), it’s charming, funny, poignant, and makes you not only feel you know the characters, but makes you want to take them into your lives and keep them there. Some of my favorite passages include these:
Cath debates with Wren how to conclude her story about Simon and Baz, and Wren objects to her proposed less-than-happy ending:
"‘Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy,’ Wren said. ‘It’s the noblest, like, the most courageous thing two people can shoot for.’”
Cath’s rumination about kissing:
"Kissed. Cath loved that word. She used it sparingly in her fic, just because it felt so powerful. it felt like kissing to say it. Well done, English language.”
And this wonderful exchange between Cath and Levi:
"I just want to know—are you rooting for me? Are you hoping I pull this off?"
Cath's eyes settled on his, tentatively, like they'd fly away if he moved.
She nodded her head.
The right side of his mouth pulled up.
"I'm rooting for you," she whispered."
The coming-of-age aspects are so realistically and warmly depicted. Cath not only needs to establish her identity apart from her sister, but to come to terms with the best way to have a relationship with each of her parents, both of whom could compromise her stability and future. And finally, she needs to figure out what it means to have a relationship. When we first meet Cath, she has a boyfriend, Abel, but Wren doesn’t think he quite fits the definition:
"‘He’s a perfectly good boyfriend,’ Cath would say.
‘he’s an end table,’ Wren would answer.
‘He’s always there for me.’
‘...to set magazines on.’”
Rowell shows us alternatives to a relationship with an end table, giving us several in both real life and in the story-within-the-story that are characterized by tenderness, nurturing, honesty, respect, and a bit of chemistry.
The characters are so lovable, and constructed with depth and dimension. Reagan may be brusque, but she has a great heart. Levi doesn’t fit conventional stereotypes, but is absolutely wonderful. Cath is so real, and so courageous in so many ways in spite of her social phobias. In some ways Wren serves mainly as a foil for Cath, to show how Cath could have adjusted to their twinness and parental problems, but didn’t.
The theme of what constitutes “legitimate” fiction. Speculative stories come from a variety of places but in reality only reconfigure a small number of story arcs. If you draw on the elements of your own experiences and switch them up to create a fresh and original piece of fiction, is that so much different from drawing upon characters from another book and switching up their experiences and relationships?
Evaluation: Once again, this author has come up with a book that is touching, clever, funny, heartwarming, and imaginative. I said in a review of one of her previous books (Attachments that I wanted to take the book to bed with me. I think I’m going to have a bed full of Rainbow Rowell books.
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MagiCath). In Cath’s continuing book, called Carry On, Simon and his nemesis Baz become partners, and then, more than partners.Cath is in her first semester at the University of Nebraska, and is rooming with someone else for the first time besides her twin Wren, who is also at the school. Her new roommate Reagan has a sort-of boyfriend named Levi, who is a warm fuzzy complement to Reagan’s brusque edges. But Reagan decides that Cath, who has a bit of social phobia and won’t even go to the cafeteria to eat, needs a friend, and she will be that friend, and she takes Cath under her wing:
"‘I feel sorry for you, and I’m going to be your friend.’
‘I don’t want to be your friend,’ Cath said as sternly as she could. I like that we’re not friends.’
‘Me, too,’ Reagan said. ‘I’m sorry you ruined it by being so pathetic.’”
Levi feels the need to take care of Cath as well, and soon she has two very good friends. Still, the world she most prefers is that of fanfiction, where “you get to play inside somebody else’s universe. Rewrite the rules.”
In her creative writing class, Cath turns in a piece of her fanfiction, but the professor refuses to accept it. She, Professor Piper, thinks Cath has real talent, but wants her to write her own story. Cath objects that she doesn’t think she is cut out for fiction writing. In a clever allusion, her teacher, Professor Piper, rejoins:
"What are you talking about? You’re exactly cut out for it. You’re a Butterick pattern, Cath - this is what you were meant to do.”
Still Cath resists, explaining:
"I don’t want to write my own fiction. I don’t want to write my own characters or my own worlds - I don’t care about them. ... I’d rather pour myself into a world I love and understand than try to make something up out of nothing.”
What I love about this book, and about Rainbow Rowell in general:
The dialogue is wonderful. It’s real, it’s clever (wait: do those two go together?), it’s charming, funny, poignant, and makes you not only feel you know the characters, but makes you want to take them into your lives and keep them there. Some of my favorite passages include these:
Cath debates with Wren how to conclude her story about Simon and Baz, and Wren objects to her proposed less-than-happy ending:
"‘Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy,’ Wren said. ‘It’s the noblest, like, the most courageous thing two people can shoot for.’”
Cath’s rumination about kissing:
"Kissed. Cath loved that word. She used it sparingly in her fic, just because it felt so powerful. it felt like kissing to say it. Well done, English language.”
And this wonderful exchange between Cath and Levi:
"I just want to know—are you rooting for me? Are you hoping I pull this off?"
Cath's eyes settled on his, tentatively, like they'd fly away if he moved.
She nodded her head.
The right side of his mouth pulled up.
"I'm rooting for you," she whispered."
The coming-of-age aspects are so realistically and warmly depicted. Cath not only needs to establish her identity apart from her sister, but to come to terms with the best way to have a relationship with each of her parents, both of whom could compromise her stability and future. And finally, she needs to figure out what it means to have a relationship. When we first meet Cath, she has a boyfriend, Abel, but Wren doesn’t think he quite fits the definition:
"‘He’s a perfectly good boyfriend,’ Cath would say.
‘he’s an end table,’ Wren would answer.
‘He’s always there for me.’
‘...to set magazines on.’”
Rowell shows us alternatives to a relationship with an end table, giving us several in both real life and in the story-within-the-story that are characterized by tenderness, nurturing, honesty, respect, and a bit of chemistry.
The characters are so lovable, and constructed with depth and dimension. Reagan may be brusque, but she has a great heart. Levi doesn’t fit conventional stereotypes, but is absolutely wonderful. Cath is so real, and so courageous in so many ways in spite of her social phobias. In some ways Wren serves mainly as a foil for Cath, to show how Cath could have adjusted to their twinness and parental problems, but didn’t.
The theme of what constitutes “legitimate” fiction. Speculative stories come from a variety of places but in reality only reconfigure a small number of story arcs. If you draw on the elements of your own experiences and switch them up to create a fresh and original piece of fiction, is that so much different from drawing upon characters from another book and switching up their experiences and relationships?
Evaluation: Once again, this author has come up with a book that is touching, clever, funny, heartwarming, and imaginative. I said in a review of one of her previous books (Attachments that I wanted to take the book to bed with me. I think I’m going to have a bed full of Rainbow Rowell books.
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LibraryThing member rayneofdarkness
Cute book! I really enjoyed it and thought it was overall a satisfying book. It was hard to put down.
LibraryThing member em0451
I have read all three of Rainbow Rowell's books. And I can say with confidence that I am definitely a fan!
Rowell's newest book, Fangirl, is about fans! Cath is the world's biggest Simon Snow fan (Simon Snow is suspiciously similar to Harry Potter). Along with her twin sister Wren, she not only
My description of the book is not doing it justice. This is a great little story! Rainbow Rowell's writing is just so much fun to read! I love her style. I love the way that she can get inside the mind of insecure, nerdy, introverted characters. I love the way she describes the awkward clumsiness of new relationships. I love how her characters always seem so real. I love her humor and wit and dialogue. Rowell writes with the perfect blend of sweetness and humor without being cheesy or sappy. Her books are cute, and I mean that in the best way possible!
My only complaint with Fangirl is the Simon Snow fanfiction parts. Interspersed throughout the book are portions from the Simon Snow books as well as Cath's Simon Snow fanfiction. I understand why Rowell included them as a part of this novel, but I really didn't care much for them at all. I ended up skimming over most of the Simon Snow parts, and I don't feel like I really missed too much. I probably would have given this book five stars if it weren't for the fanfiction excerpts.
I also didn't love the ending. The book ends with a portion of Cath's fanfiction, rather than her actual story. And I think that is why I don't like it. Because the fanfiction was my least favorite part of the book, it was anti-climactic to read it as an ending. I wanted the book to end with Cath's real life story and not her fictional world.
Regardless of my complaints, this was a fun book. It made me smile. A lot. I will be first in line to read Rainbow Rowell's next book
Rowell's newest book, Fangirl, is about fans! Cath is the world's biggest Simon Snow fan (Simon Snow is suspiciously similar to Harry Potter). Along with her twin sister Wren, she not only
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reads and studies all of the Simon Snow books, but she also writes Simon Snow fanfiction. When Cath and Wren go to college, Wren quickly abandons Cath (and Simon Snow) for the sake of exploring a brand new world. But Cath would prefer to live in her fictional world rather than interact with real people, like her rude roommate who always speaks her mind or the handsome guy who is always hanging around Cath but couldn't possibly be interested in someone like her. Fangirl is a coming of age story about Cath's adjustment through her first year of college.My description of the book is not doing it justice. This is a great little story! Rainbow Rowell's writing is just so much fun to read! I love her style. I love the way that she can get inside the mind of insecure, nerdy, introverted characters. I love the way she describes the awkward clumsiness of new relationships. I love how her characters always seem so real. I love her humor and wit and dialogue. Rowell writes with the perfect blend of sweetness and humor without being cheesy or sappy. Her books are cute, and I mean that in the best way possible!
My only complaint with Fangirl is the Simon Snow fanfiction parts. Interspersed throughout the book are portions from the Simon Snow books as well as Cath's Simon Snow fanfiction. I understand why Rowell included them as a part of this novel, but I really didn't care much for them at all. I ended up skimming over most of the Simon Snow parts, and I don't feel like I really missed too much. I probably would have given this book five stars if it weren't for the fanfiction excerpts.
I also didn't love the ending. The book ends with a portion of Cath's fanfiction, rather than her actual story. And I think that is why I don't like it. Because the fanfiction was my least favorite part of the book, it was anti-climactic to read it as an ending. I wanted the book to end with Cath's real life story and not her fictional world.
Regardless of my complaints, this was a fun book. It made me smile. A lot. I will be first in line to read Rainbow Rowell's next book
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LibraryThing member joanasimao
This book is the perfect mix of light and fluffy with serious and heart wrenching. PER-FECT!
I've NEVER felt this understood by an author. She gets the fandom world and the way it works. She gets mental issues and why sometimes we need to hide in fiction to keep going in reality.
This was a LOVELY
I've NEVER felt this understood by an author. She gets the fandom world and the way it works. She gets mental issues and why sometimes we need to hide in fiction to keep going in reality.
This was a LOVELY
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LOVELY story and I'm having a really hard time talking about it without failing it so just freaking pick it up and read it! Ok, thanks! xoxo Show Less
LibraryThing member Rowena_
Awesome, heart tugging book.
LibraryThing member porch_reader
I read Eleanor & Park earlier this year and loved it. So I couldn't wait to read Rowell's new book Fangirl. Cather Avery is the titular character. Even though she is starting college, she is still a huge fan of the Simon Snow books, a series with magicians and vampires that will put you in mind of
Rowell captures Cath's experiences in a voice that feels honest. Cath is smart and funny and insecure and real. The supporting characters each leap off the pages. (Cath's roommate Raegan is my favorite.) The pull of the familiar and the promise of the unknown are themes that resonate at all ages, and I rooted for Cath as she navigated the new while remaining true to herself.
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other popular series. Online, she is know as Magicath, one of the most popular authors of Simon Snow fan fiction. But her twin sister Wren, who used to write fic with her under the name of Wrenegade, has come to college looking for new experiences, and Cath feels left behind. Rowell captures Cath's experiences in a voice that feels honest. Cath is smart and funny and insecure and real. The supporting characters each leap off the pages. (Cath's roommate Raegan is my favorite.) The pull of the familiar and the promise of the unknown are themes that resonate at all ages, and I rooted for Cath as she navigated the new while remaining true to herself.
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LibraryThing member EdGoldberg
You can see by the rating, it's not Eleanor and Park. Succinctly, it's too long by 100 pages. Cath and Wren are 18 year old twins who are obsessed with the Simon Snow book series and have been writing fan fiction about it for years. They both decide to go to the same Nebraska college, but not live
Wren is the more outgoing of the two and she aims to enjoy herself, going to parties, drinking, etc. Cath basically holes up in her room until her roommate, Reagan, pulls her out of her shell a little. Reagan's former boyfriend, LevI, gets a crush on her, which is mutual, but Cath is too insecure to follow through (she also thinks Levi is still Reagan's boyfriend).
Underlying the main story is the act that their mother abandoned them when they were 8 and wants to reunite and her father, who has raised them, gets obsessed with work to the point of losing control of his life and needs hospitalization.
There's a fair amount of Cath's fan fiction writing, as well as excepts from the 'real' Simon Snow books sprinkled throughout the book.
Fangirl is definitely an interesting read but as I said, it could have been shorter.
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together.Wren is the more outgoing of the two and she aims to enjoy herself, going to parties, drinking, etc. Cath basically holes up in her room until her roommate, Reagan, pulls her out of her shell a little. Reagan's former boyfriend, LevI, gets a crush on her, which is mutual, but Cath is too insecure to follow through (she also thinks Levi is still Reagan's boyfriend).
Underlying the main story is the act that their mother abandoned them when they were 8 and wants to reunite and her father, who has raised them, gets obsessed with work to the point of losing control of his life and needs hospitalization.
There's a fair amount of Cath's fan fiction writing, as well as excepts from the 'real' Simon Snow books sprinkled throughout the book.
Fangirl is definitely an interesting read but as I said, it could have been shorter.
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LibraryThing member MVTheBookBabe
Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.
I really expected to love Fangirl. I liked it, but I feel like it didn't resonate with me as deeply as it could have.
I really liked Cath as a character, but I just couldn't relate to the fandom. I did relate to almost everything else about her,
But as much as I liked Cath, I feel like the secondary characters lacked a bit. I enjoyed Levi and Reagan, but I don't feel like I really got to know them throughout the book. I mean, I can't even tell you where Reagan worked, and she does work somewhere. We get to see Levi a lot more, but I can tell you very little about him too-- it's like we got a quick school on them, and it didn't ever go any deeper than that. I can't very well tell you some of the most basic things about them.
Going past that though, I did enjoy Cath and Levi's relationship. They were very cute together, and they balanced each other out pretty well. I loved the scenes between them-- I don't think they could have been any cuter. It actually reminds me of a John Green quote, which is crazy.
"I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly at first, then all at once."
I liked that the situations seemed very realistic-- I could imagine them all happening, which was great. But back to the fandom-- I loved how it was like this alternate of Harry Potter-- it made it so much easier to believe, because you could compare it to the HP fandom, and it all made sense.
The only thing that really disappointed me to speak up was the ending-- I feel like not everything was resolved. We kind of end up with an open type ending, which isn't really my thing, you know?
All in all, Fangirl was a good read, and I'm not disappointed, but I feel like it could have been better. I don't know why.
I really expected to love Fangirl. I liked it, but I feel like it didn't resonate with me as deeply as it could have.
I really liked Cath as a character, but I just couldn't relate to the fandom. I did relate to almost everything else about her,
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though. Nerdy, socially retarded, and not leaving her room ever...that's me completely. She was so weird that it was endearing. I really liked that about her-- I liked her hesitance towards new situations, and just really enjoyed her as a character.But as much as I liked Cath, I feel like the secondary characters lacked a bit. I enjoyed Levi and Reagan, but I don't feel like I really got to know them throughout the book. I mean, I can't even tell you where Reagan worked, and she does work somewhere. We get to see Levi a lot more, but I can tell you very little about him too-- it's like we got a quick school on them, and it didn't ever go any deeper than that. I can't very well tell you some of the most basic things about them.
Going past that though, I did enjoy Cath and Levi's relationship. They were very cute together, and they balanced each other out pretty well. I loved the scenes between them-- I don't think they could have been any cuter. It actually reminds me of a John Green quote, which is crazy.
"I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly at first, then all at once."
I liked that the situations seemed very realistic-- I could imagine them all happening, which was great. But back to the fandom-- I loved how it was like this alternate of Harry Potter-- it made it so much easier to believe, because you could compare it to the HP fandom, and it all made sense.
The only thing that really disappointed me to speak up was the ending-- I feel like not everything was resolved. We kind of end up with an open type ending, which isn't really my thing, you know?
All in all, Fangirl was a good read, and I'm not disappointed, but I feel like it could have been better. I don't know why.
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LibraryThing member SarahLewis
I love love love times infinity Rainbow Rowell! I've read all her books, and I must say that this was my favorite!! Maybe because it was relevant to my life, idk.
She's such a gift to readers.
She's such a gift to readers.
LibraryThing member ladycato
I adored this book. I am going through withdrawal because it is over. I say that, though this is not normally my kind of book at all. It's New Adult with all the angsty experiences of a college freshman, with boy drama, sister drama, roommate drama... but it all feels utterly real. These
The fantastic heroine is part of that. Cath is a super-introvert who writes Simon Snow fanfiction. Snow is obviously based on Harry Potter, though Potter exists in this world, too. Cath isn't just a writer--she's THE writer, with a huge online following for her slash stories about Simon and his very-Draco-like roommate, Bas. I couldn't help but get a huge kick out of this since my core group of online friends through my college years consisted of women writing anime and game-related slash. Again, the book just resounded for me in a major way.
I'm not huge on romance books (especially for this age group) but this has one of the sweetest romances I've ever encountered. I should also add that this book is realistic about nitty gritty college stuff. There's no graphic sex, but the subject is very much there. So is alcohol abuse, with the hard lessons that come with it. Again, realism.
I was so hooked on this book that I have through hundreds of pages while suffering with a migraine. I curled up in my chair, one eye shut, one hand pressed to my gut because of nausea, and I read.
I want to write more, but I don't want to spoil the joy of this book for anyone. If you love any kind of fandom, just go get this book. I hope it charms you as much as it charmed me.
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characters. Oh, these characters. This book is just plain real.The fantastic heroine is part of that. Cath is a super-introvert who writes Simon Snow fanfiction. Snow is obviously based on Harry Potter, though Potter exists in this world, too. Cath isn't just a writer--she's THE writer, with a huge online following for her slash stories about Simon and his very-Draco-like roommate, Bas. I couldn't help but get a huge kick out of this since my core group of online friends through my college years consisted of women writing anime and game-related slash. Again, the book just resounded for me in a major way.
I'm not huge on romance books (especially for this age group) but this has one of the sweetest romances I've ever encountered. I should also add that this book is realistic about nitty gritty college stuff. There's no graphic sex, but the subject is very much there. So is alcohol abuse, with the hard lessons that come with it. Again, realism.
I was so hooked on this book that I have through hundreds of pages while suffering with a migraine. I curled up in my chair, one eye shut, one hand pressed to my gut because of nausea, and I read.
I want to write more, but I don't want to spoil the joy of this book for anyone. If you love any kind of fandom, just go get this book. I hope it charms you as much as it charmed me.
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Pages
448