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1/11/20

SOME THOUGHTS I HAD REREADING IN COLLEGE
-Cath is actually pretty okay with Levi in her room I would be very mad if my roommate's boyfriend was always in the room hello I need my own space and alone time
-I didn't understand the first time I read this why it was scary for Cath to walk alone from the library to her dorm at night... I do now
-How did Cath seriously get into a junior level class just because she asked? That's crazy why isn't she required to take annoying intro level freshman classes like the rest of us plebs? At college everyone is smart you go from being number one in hs to just average in college there's no way she's that special and smart
-I can't believe she actually thought turning in fan fiction was original and okay.
-Professor Piper is actually so nice in letting Cath have the whole spring semester to finish her fall semester class? They don't care about us that much they're just like okay you failed too bad there's thousands of other students who will take your place this is college not high school we don't baby you anymore and hold your hand.
-Reagan is actually such a nice and cool roommate in that she looks out for Cath and makes them go to the dining hall together? My roommates are nice but they don't care that I'm a friendless nobody who eats alone at the dining hall they have their own lives to worry about.
-How did Cath and Reagan decide to room together again so late in the year? Like the very end of the book end of the year. They're making us do next year's housing in January.
-Cath's not really having friends... hits hard.

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This book was just the right amount of fluff and good feelings that I wanted, and easily brightened my day! Identical twins Cather and Wren (Catherine xD) are entering their freshman year of college, prompting their lives to change and the two sisters to grow apart. Instead of having the safety of her sister, Cath now has to navigate a new situation outside of her comfort zone, dealing with a new roommate, professor, and all the challenges that come with growing up.

Cath is definitely one of the most relatable characters I've ever read. First of all, she's a total nerd who would much rather live in a bookish world than our own, who loves reading and writing (especially fanfiction!!), and is ready to drag everyone around her into her geekishness too! She also has social anxiety, and I related with her so much. She's awkward, prefers books to parties, never knows what to do in social situations, and is basically one of the most relatable people I'ev ever read about (and since we're all here on goodreads, I'm sure a lot of you agree too haha).

The supporting characters were just as fantastic as Cath! I loved the relationship she had with her twin sister Wren, especially seeing how they could be strained as they were such different people, but at the end of the day were always there for each other! Her roommate Reagan is such a fun character too, with an amazing personality, and I love how she's so supportive of Cath!! (And willing to take a hapless little freshman under her wing haha).

The theme of family was pretty prevalent here too, and that made me super happy! I feel like family gets glossed over a lot in YA, but along with having her sister for life, Cath also has a strong connection with her dad, and her relationship with her mom is another one of the things that Cath has to deal with to grow as a person.

The relationship Cath had was just so adorable!! I was a little nervous at first that it was going to turn out to be a love triangle, but it wasn't, and that made me just SO HAPPY! And I was thrilled that Cath and her boyfriend got together more in the middle than end of the book so we got to see them together <3

I'm not entirely sure if I would classify Fangirl as Young Adult or New Adult. Based on age alone, it would be new adult since it is set in college, with an 18 year old protagonist and major characters aged 21. However, the content definitely YA appropriate (much more than ACOTAR lol), and I think high schoolers can relate Cath's college situations to their own lives easily! I really enjoyed the unique college setting (instead of HS) too, and seeing the characters a bit more independent!

One complaint I have is that this book felt really long. It was close to 500 pages, which is like a tome for contemporary, and it felt a bit like it dragged at times. One thing that contributed to the length that was kind of annoying were the numerous excerpts from Simon Snow, Carry On, and other fanfictions. I've already read Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, and while I liked it enough, it felt pretty repetitive reading those excerpts. Furthermore, they didn't really relate to Fangirl, and can be easily skipped (which I did sometimes...or skimmed), especially since we know it's basically a rip of of Harry x Malfoy. I really loved the fangirlish moments and how devoted Cath was to her fandom, but these just felt unnecessary!

Overall, I really loved Fangirl and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes contemporary, likes books, or is a fan of ANYTHING really! The ending (the whole book, really), made me just SO HAPPY!

4.5 stars

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5/19/18
Ahh this was so cute!! Where can I get myself a (view spoiler)[Levi??? (hide spoiler)] Full review to come :)