Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, reviewed by Izzy

Author: http://rainbowrowell.com/blog/
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Pages: 445 pages
Buy this book: Amazon
Rating: 5 Stars
What is this book about? 

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.

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.
Who should read this book? Over eleven? No upper age limit because Rowell writes for everyone.

Would you have tea with the protagonist? (Cath) Yes. Clearly Cath and I would be best friends. 

Would you fall for the main love interest? Telling you who the main love interest is kind of ruins the story...but let me just say yes, yes, yes a million times yes. 

Would you want to 'strain' the main antagonist? Again, who is the main antagonist? I'd quite like to strangle Abel, Cath's ex-boyfriend. He's just a massive dick. (Hem. We haven't discussed as a group whether dick is appropriate language. I hope it is because other words are failing me).

Were the characters three dimensional? Seriously? This is Rainbow Rowell. OF COURSE.

Do you like the authors flavour of writing? Yes, yes, yes. 

Was the writing strong or weak? Strong, strong, strong. Rowell defies the idea of "another teenage love story," adding in serious plot lines such as mental illness and the importance of family, yet manages to make these all feel linked and not disjointed. This doesn't make her a good author, it makes her a great one.

Was the ending to your taste? Would saying "yes, yes, yes" annoy you?

If this cover were tea, would you drink it? I preferred the cover to "Eleanor and Park," because I thought that was beautiful. This cover is fine. 

Favourite Quote?
"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. I'm sorry you ruined it by being so pathetic." 

Reagan is so badass. I love it. 

Overview: This novel established something in my mind. Rainbow Rowell is my favourite author. I know this sounds like I'm trying to kiss arse, but I feel for a book blogger this is an important moment that should be documented on the internet. Fangirl contains so many pop-culture references that it feels like a hard hitting episode of Gilmore Girls in glorious novel form. Rowell's characters are never what you expect and she is a genius at mixing the sad with the funny and the serious with the playful. This book is wonderful, and I expect to see her career continue to soar. 

The Spectacular Now, Tim Tharp

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp reviewed by Izzy


Author: Twitter
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 304 pages
Buy this book: Amazon
Rating: 4 Stars

What is this book about? 
SUTTER KEELY. HE’S the guy you want at your party. He’ll get everyone dancing. He’ ll get everyone in your parents’ pool. Okay, so he’s not exactly a shining academic star. He has no plans for college and will probably end up folding men’s shirts for a living. But there are plenty of ladies in town, and with the help of Dean Martin and Seagram’s V.O., life’s pretty fabuloso, actually.

Until the morning he wakes up on a random front lawn, and he meets Aimee. Aimee’s clueless. Aimee is a social disaster. Aimee needs help, and it’s up to the Sutterman to show Aimee a splendiferous time and then let her go forth and prosper. But Aimee’s not like other girls, and before long he’s in way over his head. For the first time in his life, he has the power to make a difference in someone else’s life—or ruin it forever.

Who should read this book?

It will have most impact on teens aged 13 and up

Would you have tea with the protagonist? (Aimee)

Yes of course.

Would you fall for the main love interest? (Sutter)

For me, Sutter would be the boy I would want to save.

Would you want to 'strain' the main antagonist? (Sutter's Dad)

Yes. The scene between Sutter and his Dad made me weep.

Were the characters three dimensional?

YES. Sutter particularly was possibly one of the most interesting characters I have ever read, not just in YA fiction but in fiction generally.

Do you like the authors flavour of writing?

Easy to read, but continually interesting, yes.

Was the writing strong or weak?

Strong. Tharp created a voice that was 100% recognizable- a difficult feat but managed with such ease.

Was the ending to your taste?

At first no, but after consideration, yes. I feel this may be the answer given by lots of people.

If this cover were tea, would you drink it?

I had the cover with Miles Teller on the front. So what do you think? Have you seen Miles Teller? Come on, Miles Teller people. He was in Footloose. Footloose. (Please say Miles Teller never reads this)

Favourite Quote?

"Childhood was a fantastic country to live in." 

Overview: The most remarkable thing about The Spectacular Now was that it was not what I was expecting at all. Sutter was not how I imagined him and he was a character I had never read before. His voice shone throughout the book and he became utterly real and alive to me. Even with books I adore this doesn't always happen. I cried and laughed for him. For the character of Sutter Keeley, YA literature should be eternally grateful to Tharp. The plot was good and strong, but Sutter really lifted this book into "great" for me.