Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell

Book: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell Her Site
Series: Novel
Rating: 5/5
Moral: 5/5 

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. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to. 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. For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

A looking glass into someone else's life.

The Plot:
I could rave and rave about the fantastic, descriptive and stunning style of this book. Rainbow Rowell constructed a new life, one that is easy to relate to. The plot was slower paced, but not uninteresting. The characters were so enjoyable that it didn't matter how slow the story-line moved along. The book was so real and original because it takes actually time for Cath and the other characters to mature. In lots of books you feel like it is happening over night, but in Fangirl it is obvious that it can take months for someone to change. It usually does. 

The Characters:
I fell immediately in love with the characters of Rainbow Rowell's Fangril. Not only were they all unique and quirky, they practically popped off the page. Cath can be annoying if you don't have anything in common with her, but sometimes I exhibit the same shyness and nervousness that kept her hiding in her room. Cath spent most of the book hiding in her room. She was scared of the world, but as her character develops she begins to face her fears. Levi, a funny, charming and weird guy always lit up the book, not only in my mind but the main characters. Reagan and Wren are two more completely original characters. I loved them all and was fascinated by the intense dialog. Sometimes in books I find myself looking forward to the quotation marks, waiting for someone to talk. In Rainbow Rowell's book I never had the urge to look ahead. There was lots of dialog and the descriptions were so fascinating they were impossible to skip. Wren, Cath's sister, was a huge part of the story. Her and Cath had major rock in their relationship. The story is truly about this relationship.

The Setting:
The story mostly takes place in Cath's dorm room. It's tiny and cozy. Also there was this awesome library that I have been dreaming about ever since I finished the book, it is an endless labyrinth that you should really read about.

The Standout:
Nick, Cath's crush. His character is vague and untrustworthy. Throughout the book you don't know if he is a potential boyfriend or a jerk. There are people like that, and Cath totally reads him wrong sometimes. It's easy to do that, to judge people without knowing them. And sometimes, even when we hope for the opposite, people let us down. Nick was the perfect example. His and Cath's relationship was that of holding each other at arm lingth and spending time in the vast branches of Love Library. So Nick was my favorite, he was my favorite for being useless and mean, and for looking so nice. Professor Piper is another awesome character, she has a stern demeanor, but she is willing to give second chances when she sees a worthy person.

The Moral:
Maybe this book was about coming out of your shell and being brave, or maybe it was that even when people let you down it is okay to give them another chance (as long as you aren't a pushover). There was lots of things this story could be about, it was about all of them. Thankfully there wasn't too much swearing or any sex. This book was wonderful and I would love to recommend it.