If I had to describe this book in two words it would be 'absolutely relatable'. I have heard wonders about Rainbow Rowell's books, especially, a lot of praise for her bestseller Eleanor & Park. However, whilst scrolling through book titles, this book in particular caught my eye, and after doing some research, I decided to start off by reading Fangirl before moving onto her other titles.
The book tells the coming–of–age story of two twins who grew up in the world of internet fandom. The main protagonist, Cath, is one of the most successful fan–fiction author on the 'Simon Snow' archive (which shares a lot of its elements with the Harry Potter series). Having grown up without a mother, Cath grows up to be a very introverted girl, being overly attached to her twin sister who serves the role of both her best friend and only link to a social life. This however changes when both girls decide to move away from home for uni and decide not to share rooms. Now being separated from her only source of comfort, Cath must face the life of a freshman in uni, dealing with anxiety, a rude room mate and her room mate's hyperactive 'boyfriend' who just won't leave her alone.
Fangirl is a must–read for any teenage girl going through any kind of change, as it explores many themes, from the fear of making new friends, to the change of relationships with people, as you move on in life. It explains the importance of not changing yourself but growing. Often times, people think growing up means growing out of childish things, and often times it does mean leaving parts of us behind, however, there is always a way of balancing things that are important to us with things that are important for our future. Life is all about finding this balance, and this book explores the journey perfectly.
Overall, I really liked this book as every teenage girl (and boy) can relate to some of the themes explored on Cath's journey. Fangirl includes a little bit of everything: romance, humour, drama and even fantasy, as little snippets of Cath's fan–fiction are shown. The only complaint I had from this book is that it was a little slow paced. Some people may enjoy this fact, however, personally I sometimes just had to put the book down and come back to it (which is very rare for me) as I just didn't find it interesting. However, I can definitely say that even at the slower parts in the story, Rowell has you wondering what happens next, as you get so emotionally attached to the characters, that you just HAVE to come back to finish the story. This is why I believe everyone should give this book a try.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
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