Review: Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



It's a definite must read - and that's someone saying who's neither a big YA reader nor a fan of love stories.

Cath and Wren - twins, 18 years old and just on their way to leave the nest and start their first year at college. But it's not just that, they look alike and are best friends, they both love Simon Snow and are very popular in the fan fiction community - but they're also different. Years ago their mom left and they try different ways to deal with it. Wren pushes forward, Cath keeps herself locked inside. Wren wants to make new friends at college, Cath is afraid of changes and refers to herself as crazy (she's sure of having her father's "crazy genes") - but she's sooooo strong! She's like an everyday life super hero with social anxiety.

In this amazing novel (oh my god, the writing style!! So beautiful and sweet!) we follow Cath's way - at college, with a room mate who's for the first time ever not her sister, boys, writing, her way away from and back to her sister, to a stronger personality, her way to deal with her family and her past but also her way to an exciting future. I loved the topic (it's not just another book about being a freshman at college, it's so much more, it's love to books, writing, family, finding one's own way and growing but still holding on on who one is), the creative storyline (fan fiction woven into the plot as it is woven into Cath's life...loved it!) and the wonderfully sweet protagonists who seemed to be so alive. My absolute favorite was the dad!! I never had the urge to hug my Kindle before ;)

The only thing that wasn't quite 5 stars to me was the love story - there was a little too much back and forth, slowness and understanding on both sides, but the writing, the fan fiction and Simon and Baz made it up for me...and there are some questions left. The most important: What DID Cath do with Baz?? ;) I need to know!! And I was a little irritated by the author actually mentioning Harry Potter once...I was like "huh, isn't Simon Harry? Similar enough to make everyone understand in what fan fiction world we are but still different enough to not have to tell him Harry? But wait...this can be genius as well...mentioning Harry to make the reader stop? Aaah, confusion!" ;)



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