Review: Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First of all, I have to get out all of my own 'fangirling' by saying that I loved, loved, loved, this book. The characters are as real to me as my own fingers typing this sentence. Rowell has done a wonderful job of bringing these unique characters to life, delicately weaving their sorrows and triumphs with humour and love.

Cath is eerily reminiscent of myself fresh out of high school. Without sounding incredibly cliché, she is so relateable to me that at times I found myself wondering if Rowell somehow followed me around 8 years ago during my awkward transition years from teenager to adult and then wrote a story about it. Now obviously she didn't (or did she?) but that's just how real her story felt to me. From Cath's nervousness around boys, to her outright fear and social anxieties surrounding meeting new people, entering college, and becoming an adult, Cath gets 19 year-old me, and despite my years I still get her.

I couldn't help feeling for Cath as she struggles to navigate her new independence and separation from everything familiar and comfortable: her father, her twin sister, their shared love of Simon Snow and the fan fiction that they wrote together that acted as an aid, healing them from their mother's abandonment years before. Despite the humour and light-heartedness that characters like Reagan and Levi offer, it is the raw, emotional dialogue between Cath and her dad, Wren, and eventually her mother, that truly tugged at my heart and brought this story home.

Another aspect that I really appreciate is how Rowell handles mental illness. Without explicitly naming any disorders, we come to assume that Cath's dad has some form of bipolar or depression, that Wren suffers from an early form of alcoholism, and that Cath herself has some form of social anxiety. I'm not a doctor or a psychologist, but like most people I can say that I've dealt with these illnesses in one shape or another - either personally or by association. Fangirl doesn't shy away from the harsh realities that come in living with a family member who suffers from a mental illness. The pressure that Cath feels to 'keep it together' so that she can help her dad and sister remain stable is heartbreaking and I can relate to the internal struggle that she goes through as she learns how to 'let go' and finally take care of herself. These issues are so sensitive and a lot of the time we see stories attempting to grapple with them but falling short - Fangirl is not one of them. The balance between heavily weighted issues and light works well, adding to the overall roundness of the story.

I am aware that there is a certain lack in plot, the story does not rise to any sort of climax nor is there a real conclusion; however I don't believe that this takes away from enjoyment. The dialogue reads conversationally, smooth and quick. Not to mention hilarious, as in laugh out loud hilarious, especially the dialogue between Levi, Regan, and Cath. I would love to have a friend like Reagan in real life - she is a spunky, holds-nothing-back kind of girl and just what Cath needs to help break her out of her shell. Levi is all smiles, genuine and kind, a believable love interest whom I enjoyed. His open mind and easy outlook on life is contagious and his ability to take Cath, high on anxiety and nerves, and bring her back down to reality is sweet and captures their bond so well.

Memorable quote -- Levi asking Cath to read him some of her Simon Snow fan fiction:

"Come on, Cath, don't you write these stories so that some people can enjoy them?"
"I write them so that people will read them. I'll send you a link."
"Don't send me a link. I'm not much of an Internet person."
Cath felt her eyes get big. She was about to take a sip of her coffee, but stopped. "How do you not like the Internet? That's like saying, 'I don't like things that are convenient. And easy. I don't like having access to all of mankind's recorded discoveries at my fingertips. I don't like light. And knowledge.'"

I highly recommend this witty, heartfelt book to anyone who enjoys YA, Contemporary, New Adult, and quirky 'first love' romances. I know I'll be reading more by Rainbow Rowell in the future!

Happy Reading!
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