Fangirl

This is the second novel by Rainbow Rowell that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. The first is, of course, Eleanor and Park, the delightful novel that introduced me to Watchmen. Ever since reading E&P I’ve been impressed by Rowell’s carefully crafted characters and realistic yet hopeful story lines. When I saw that she had published another novel, and that it was getting rave reviews, I just had to give it a try. I’m glad I did. I found in Fangirl a story that is more conventional than E&P, yet no less delightful. Rowell still manages to strike a great balance by creating a book that addresses serious real-life issues, while still providing likable characters and a pleasant reading experience.

Fangirl is the story of Cath, (short for Cather, which I assume is a nod to Nebraska-born novelist Willa Cather, who joins Rowell as one of just a handful of good things to come out of the state) who is an avid writer of Simon Snow fanfiction (Snow obviously fills the place of Harry Potter in Rowell’s world). When Cath goes to college she finds that she must try to balance her academic rigors (which include a fiction writing professor who considers fanfic to be plagiarism) worries about the father that she left at home, struggles to maintain a relationship with her twin sister, and of course trouble with boys.

I really liked Fangirl. Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite YA novelists, and this book was charming, engaging, and addressed serious issues without becoming too heavy. It suffered from some of the minor flaws that tend to plague the genre, namely a tendency towards sentimentality and romanticism, but that was kind of what I was hoping for, so I wasn’t bothered. The book also made me want to eat corned beef hash, which can be either good or bad depending on how you look at things. Anyway, I liked this book, and I hope others will too.

Score: 8.5/10
Read this book if: You like the world of fanfiction, are just starting college, or feel nostalgic about your early college years.
Don’t read this book if: You dislike occasional schmaltz.