Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell | Review

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Series: None
Publisher: Macmillan
Release: 3rd July 2014
Source: Bought


Summary:
Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life.

Without Wren, Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly room-mate 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.

Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible.


Review:
I’m seriously in love with this book.
In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting to like it this much since there were quite a few things in the beginning of the book that sort of bothered me but as soon as I got over them and really started enjoying Fangirl for what it is I just couldn’t stop reading. It’s such an addictive book and so easy to read even though it touches strong themes like first love, mental instability and child abandonment. Rainbow Rowell has a gift with words and maybe that’s why it’s impossible to put her books down – her writing style is enchanting and beautiful in its simplicity.

This story is like an ode to fan culture. There are a lot of references in the book that mean so much and are so much fun for avid readers who have devoured those books in the past. Also, the whole Simon and Baz side story is fascinating by bringing a certain Harry Potter vibe – at least that was the first thought that crossed my mind when I read it.
Maybe this book is so enthralling because it focuses on something that many readers can connect to after finishing a series. Maybe it's the writing style that binds it all. Maybe the characters are the right answer. All I know is that Fangirl is absolutely amazing as a whole. It’s funny, it’s adorable and so, so real.

The characters are very relatable, and hilarious, and fascinatingly unique while also incredibly perfect in their own imperfectness. Cather is a great leading lady exactly because of that – she’s a little bit too obsessive with her fanfiction Carry On, Simon, she’s insecure, somewhat crazy but she has so many feelings and love inside of her. Wren, on the other hand, is super confidant, and outgoing and even though she makes a lot of mistakes throughout the book, I think she really understood the importance of maintaining a close relationship with her twin sister, Cather.
I really liked Levi – he’s super patient and so, so funny – but completely disliked Nick (I think you can guess why). Reagan is pure awesomeness and Courtney is certainly the symbol of bad friendship. God, this book has so many amazing characters that I could talk – write – about them all day.

The details are the last thing I need to mention in this review. I loved the meaning behind Cather and Wren’s name – not really how or why they got it but the sound effect behind it –, I loved the little glimpses of Cather’s stories, I loved Levi’s love seat, I loved the scene when Cather reads Levi The Outsiders, I loved… I just really loved this book and I think you all should read it. Seriously. Just go read it.