Fangirl

“Just… isn’t giving up allowed sometimes? Isn’t it okay to say, ‘This really hurts, so I’m going to stop trying’?”
“It sets a dangerous precedent.”
“For avoiding pain?”
“For avoiding life.”

Summary
Simon Snow is Cath’s life. She and her twin sister fell in love with those books when they were kids and they are still the most important part of their life. Or at least Cath’s. But it’s time for her to go to college and meet new people. But how can she do that when Wren, her sister, doesn’t want to be there to hold her hand? And when all she wants to do is stay in her room and write fanfiction?

Writing
The writing is light and really easy to read. The conversations between the characters feel very natural and believable. It’s easy to forget that they are not real.

Characters
Cath is one of the most relatable characters I have ever encountered. I found so many similarities between her and myself, it was getting ridiculous. I also think that Rainbow Rowell did a great job with portraying anxiety. It felt really good to see some actual representation, instead of a meme.

The relationships in this book are very heartwarming. Not only the romance, but the ones with Cath’s friends and family. To see her struggle with her father’s mental illness, with her mother’s absence and with trying to repair her relations with her sister… that felt very important. This book is light, yet it still touches on many important topics, but in a very approachable way.

Plot
It’s definitely not a fast paced book. There isn’t a lot of things going on, but it never feels stretched out. Every part is important.

My favourite thing about this book were the little glimpses into the fanfiction Cath was writing. It made this book totally unique.

Overall
It’s a story about a young girl trying to live in a completely new environment, far away from her comfort zone. It’s about her struggling with her relationships and with her family. It’s about Cath embracing her anxiety and her father’s mental illness. But most importantly, I think it’s about surrounding yourself with people who are going to love you for exactly who you are.

You can find this book on Goodreads and Book Depository