Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

While creating my seemingly never ending book list for my last trip to the bookstore, I discovered Fangirl. I’ve been intrigued by Rainbow Rowell recently, considering she’s become quite popular, and when I saw Fangirl was written by Rowell, I couldn’t resist.

I almost didn’t buy it because I could only find it in hardcover, but figured it might be worth it (I didn’t realize until after that I bought an exclusive collector’s edition, which includes some cool fan art). Overall, I found it worth it. I only wish I had when I was starting my freshman year at college – gosh, what five years ago?!

While I didn’t try to survive on protein bars for the sole purpose to avoid going to the dining hall, I definitely experienced some of the anxiety, frustration, and some of the defeat that the main character, Cath, experiences. For the most part, the characters and interactions felt real, at least from what I remember of my own freshman year.

While I agree with some other readers of this novel that the ending wasn’t the tidiest, the main message I received is that no matter the situation, we’re resilient and we can adapt to new situations and to change, we just have to give ourselves the chance to do so. One of the perfect examples is starting college.

The excerpts of fan fiction within the novel are interesting, but at times were too much. I always understood that the pieces were connected somehow to Cath’s life, but I usually wanted to skip them because I never really viewed them as part of the actual story.

Overall, though, I would definitely recommend this novel to read. Have you read it? I would love to know your thoughts!

Happy Reading ❤ Nicole