Fangirl is a unique book which I loved. After John Green recommended Rainbow Rowell's books I've been wanting to read Fangirl (and Eleanor and Park) for a long time. And this book really won't disappoint.
Cath is starting her first year at university, and her identical twin Wren has decided she wants to be independent for once. So Cath ends up with a moody room-mate called Reagan. And with Reagan comes her ever-smiling on-off boyfriend Levi. But rather than making new friends, shy Cath would rather hide in her fanfiction. Because as well as being Cath, Wren's quiet twin, she is also Magicath, most popular author of Simon Snow fanfiction. Simon Snow is Cath's life. She is constantly trying to finish her fic, Carry on Simon – which features the main character Simon in love with his enemy Baz – before the real author finishes the last real book in the series. But will she finish in time when she has a chaotic dad, a re-appearing mum, a bold sister, a mysterious writing partner and a weirdly hot crush to contend with?
The style of this book was unexpectedly grabbing. Normally books written in the third person annoy me, but with Fangirl you could still see into Cath's head as you would if it was from her point of view. And its also the first book I've read set in a university. Being twelve, I was a bit unsure about this setting but it was explained well and didn't hinder my appreciation of the book. I'm not sure which genre Fangirl belongs to. It has elements of contemporary YA, but also of a problem-novel. Personally I would probably class it as coming-of-age, which is not something I would normally read; but this book was excellent anyway. Fangirl is definitely the most real book I've read in a while. Being a huge dystopia fan, I'm used to futures that are plausible but (hopefully) hundreds or thousands of years away. Even the books I read set in the present are normally slightly unnatural; like out-of-body experiences, ghosts, double lives or far-fetched murders. So Fangirl was a refreshing change. Although set in America, this book felt like real things happening to real people that I knew…
The characters are one of the stand-out features in Fangirl. Cath was one of the most relatable characters I've ever read; she's geeky, always reading and has faults. She is well developed, and so reads like real person. This is a character full of detail, from a complicated family past to a tendency to prefer fictional universes to the real one. Your typical fangirl, and more. The other outstanding character was Levi. Its increasingly rare to find a love interest with faults but here we have one. Boys in YA books are normally perfect and popular, but Levi felt like someone you knew. This is a character I would love to meet; he is said to be always smiling and kind to everyone, but still interesting and with secrets. Cath and Levi were some of the most unique yet real people I've read about for a long time.
The supporting characters were also great. Wren was interesting in her similarities and differences to Cath, and the dynamic between Wren and Levi was intriguing. Wren's room-mate Courtney was an interesting character and Nick was great because he was a lot more mysterious. And Cath and Wren's parents were definitely intriguing. The pair were split up, but Cath's mother was trying to get back in contact with the girls. Although it added depth, this was a feature I didn't really like because it reminded me a bit of the cliché of a Jacqueline Wilson novel.
So, to conclude, Fangirl is a unique book that feels like you are hearing about real people you know; I loved it and hope to read more books by the same author. I would recommend Fangirl to girls aged 12+ It is one not to miss.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
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