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.