The Summary : When Cath’s twin sister, Wren, tells her that she doesn’t want to room with her in college, Cath freaks out. Suddenly, she is thrown into a new situation, all by herself, with a roommate that she has never met. To cope, she throws herself into her fiction writing course, and writing her Simon Snow (read : harry Potter) Fanfiction. Keeping up her secret life as a famous fanfiction author becomes really hard when her roommate, Raegan, forces her to be social, and a cute boy named Levi, falls for her.
The Characters:
Cath : Cath is a phenomenal character. She is awkward, and quirky, and funny. She is a perfect portrait of an introvert being forced into a social situation, which is something that I can totally relate to. She has an incredibly relatable voice, and all of her problems feel very real. She worries abut the things that every college freshman would worry about, such as what to do when she’s late to class, and should she let this random boy into her dorm. She is forced out of her comfort zone, and boy does she come out of it.
Wren : In the very beginning, I wanted to hate Wren for abandoning Cath. As far as character development goes, I feel like Wren didn’t change all that much. Instead, Wren’s storyline just goes on, as anyones life would, and she grows up from it, but not any more than any regular human being. You really grow to understand her, which is amazing.
Raegan : Raegan is so sassy and I love it. Literally, if I could have any roommate from any book ever, It would be Raegan. Cath describes her as “bigger on the inside” and “forceful,” And that is exactly what she is. She lives her life like she owns the world. On the other hand, she ends up being an amazing friend to Cath, which i didn’t expect at all.
Cath and Wren’s Dad : FINALLY A YA NOVEL WHERE THE PARENTS EXIST. I don’t think I have ever read a young adult novel where the parents aren’t just side characters. Their father played a large role in this book, and he added so much to the story. He gets to be the “cool dad,” and be there for Cath in everything she deals with, but manages to be the bad cop when Wren needs it.
Levi : Literally, just insert the heart eyes emoji here. That’s all I have to say. Levi is perfect. He is the perfect guy friend, and becomes the perfect boyfriend, but the best part is, is that he isn’t perfect at all. He is the genuinely good guy that every girl wants to meet in college. If I ever re read this book, it would be solely for Levi.
The Plot : Rainbow Rowell is amazing. She created this world that is incredibly real, a world that completely sucks you in, so that you can’t put the book down. The story moves at a great pace, not too fast, not too slow, and the story isn’t typical or cliche at all. The most unique part of this story is the fanfiction. Rowell has created a story within a story, and throws in some excerpts from the “Simon Snow” series, which is along the lines of the Harry Potter series in our world. These excerpts, along with some excerpts from the fanfictions that Cath and Wren have written really add to the story. I didn’t expect to like those parts, but some o them ended up being my favorites.
The Overall : 5 out of 5. Fangirl is an amazing book. I very rarely read a book and wish that there was a sequel. I love how this book wraps up nicely in the end, I just wish there was more. I would recommend this to everybody. Literally, I have no specifications. Everyone should be reading this book.
Fearless Literacy. 