Fangirl

Locations
Call Number: Teen Fiction / Rowell, Rainbow
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Teen, 1st Floor 4-week checkout	Teen Fiction / Rowell, Rainbow	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Feeling cast off when her best friend outgrows their shared love for a favorite celebrity, Cath, a dedicated fan-fiction writer, struggles to survive on her own in her first year of college while avoiding a surly roommate, bonding with a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words and worrying about her fragile father.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

good teen book! submitted by manz on February 5, 2014, 3:45pm Another great book from Rainbow Rowell. I really enjoyed Echo & Park, and was excited to read the author's follow-up novel. While I preferred Echo to Fangirl, I still found Fangirl a fun and refreshing read. Very funny narration and dialog.

Midwestern Teen Love Story submitted by sdunav on June 16, 2014, 8:19pm Lovely story about a college freshman in Nebraska. Rowell's becoming one of my favorite YA authors. This coming-of-age story touches on so many different things: fan fiction and the internet, fantasy books and their fan communities (think Harry Potter), slash fiction, bipolar disorder, twins, parental abandonment, college drinking, roommates, anxiety....all of this without becoming heavy-handed or preachy. It was awesome.

The only thing I didn't love about this book was the cover. And it took a while for me to realize just how deep the story was; it seemed cutesy (like the cover) at first, and it has definitely been marketed/advertised that way.

Good Book submitted by Beth Manuel on July 17, 2014, 1:09pm I enjoyed the plot of this story although I didn't find it as engrossing as Eleanor & Park. I liked the character development and plot line. I'd agree with manz that the narration and dialog was funny. It seemed honestly written.

Good Book submitted by bluepapaya on July 26, 2014, 1:36pm This is actually my favorite book by Rainbow Rowell. It's funny and realistic.

Loved it submitted by GwenC on June 15, 2015, 10:05am It was a really great book! I couldn't stop reading it and when it was done I couldn't wait to read more of Rainbow Rowell's books.

Light, but well-written & enjoyable submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on June 21, 2015, 8:11pm This was light and fun, but well-written and so quite enjoyable.

I'm not sure if it was supposed to have deep meaning, what with its forays into a twin who is outgoing (to the point of drinking to blackouts her first semester in college) vs. a twin who can't leave her room to find the dining hall, a fanfiction writer who has tens of thousands of readers vs. a professor who says fanfiction has no value, the mother who left her children when they were eight vs. the main character who is ready to give up her scholarship to stay home with her bipolar father. Certainly all of these (and more) could be springboards for interesting conversations.

But the story itself mostly felt light and engaging. The characters were quirky and well-rounded. They had personality. Come to think of it, there was hardly any environment at all... the whole story was the characters, and the internal world of the Simon Snow story and the fanfiction writing about it. Huh. Interesting. And so very well done.

cute submitted by airgood on July 13, 2015, 5:20pm Fun, quick read with an adorable love story! The characters seemed very well-developed, and I loved the story. Didn't want it to end!!

My fav Rainbow Rowell submitted by jmb.mlis on August 12, 2015, 10:22pm Really excellent on sudio - allows you to hear the Simon Snow sections in wonderful atmospheric sound.

Missed the hype submitted by abenson on July 4, 2016, 1:37pm I guess I missed what everyone else liked about this book. I couldn't finish it. All of the characters were either unlikeable or flat, and the main character Cath was the worst offender.

I had read about halfway through the story and then gave up, and I had been skipping through the Simon Snow fan-fiction excerpts. The writing (both in the actual story and the invented fan-fiction) was bizarre and unreadable. I'm disappointed because I was looking forward to reading a highly-rated, well-reviewed YA novel for some light summer reading.

Rowell's Best submitted by LibraryLiz on July 23, 2016, 4:15pm I've read almost all of her books, and I think this one showcases Rowell's strengths in all the best ways. It's a coming of age story with humor, a little drama, well thought-through characters, some romance, but mostly a lot of great insight into what life is like for someone who's stepping out of their comfort zone. If you want a great read, one that you can delve into, with funny and unique circumstances plus a touch of fantasy - as Cath writes a fanfic - you're going to love this book. IT'S SO GOOD!!!

For Fan-fiction lover submitted by alleywater on June 17, 2017, 7:38pm I have loved everything Rowell has written and this was not an exception. Beautiful characters and writing. I love that we got snippets of the fanfiction and book that is at the center of the story. If you enjoyed this book you must read Carry On.

Eh? submitted by Juliettie on July 13, 2017, 6:38am Loved Eleanor and Park. But...I'm not a fan of fan fiction. And this one has way too much of it! What should I have expected, right? I had a hard time following the thread of the fan fic, so that made it harder. Dunno, this was just okay.

Not very good submitted by hahahame on July 24, 2017, 7:56pm Not a fan - a bit racist, actually.

cute book submitted by KOH on August 28, 2017, 8:16pm Great quick read for teens!

amazing! submitted by Corgo0828 on June 19, 2018, 6:27pm omg i love this book so much! Rainbow Rowell is a amazing author and you should totally check out her other books!
I would give this book a 10/10 rating!

Okay submitted by somewhere.gone on June 29, 2018, 10:58pm Pretty good, actually!

hit or miss submitted by laurenalysse on August 17, 2018, 11:07am rainbow rowell's books can be pretty hit or miss for me. this was a miss. I didn't like the main character, wasn't super interested in the fan fic aspect, and wasnt super compelled by the romance.

ok submitted by Kadydja13 on July 13, 2019, 10:57pm thsi was ok

Good book submitted by jasonc1177 on July 31, 2019, 7:57pm )this book is great. Very interesting

Fav book 10/10 submitted by AmP-K on July 23, 2021, 5:21pm This is my favorite book, I've re-read it many a times. Highly recommend if you're like me and you like stories that don't have a big overarching conflict.

Problematic YA submitted by bookasaurusray on July 27, 2022, 5:26pm Are we can ignore the fact that she broke up a relationship to be with him though? Cute, I guess.

Fantastic submitted by claraerosenfeld on October 16, 2023, 4:12pm I loved it. it's a cute romance and the characters were great. It follows the main character for a year in her life in freshman year of college. Rainbow Rowell has a great unique writing style and it's an engrossing story. 10/10.