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A review by keysmashhh
Stranger Than Fanfiction by Chris Colfer
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Plot: 3/5
Character: 4/5
Relationships: 4/5
World-Building: 4/5
Genre: 4/5
- this book was 50/50 for me
- the fandom-ness of the book *really* worked - as someone who is a committed fangirl there were so many moments and references that made me smile - Wizzkids sounded like exactly the kind of show that would attract a fan audience (also some suspiscious similaries to Who)
- however, the idealism of all the main characters being fans and living in the same town and being that committed to the show felt a bit unrealistic to me - despite being a committed fan, that sort of fan-based friendship group is just not very common
- and then at times i was like hey this book *gets is* you know - when they were talking about shipping and cons and all that - and at other times i was like uh no that just wouldnt happen. things like mo's story about leaving hate on someone elses fic and bullying this random girl online just made her out to be a phycho obsessed with shipping and it made me uncomfortable to read as instead of the nuence i was hoping for in her charecter she just kind of fell into the sterotype of "crazy fangirl" which was kind of sad to read.
- THE. PLOT. TWIST. OMG. OMG. OMG - i give credit where credit is due i did not see that coming - initially that made the book into something v. different and a lot more complex - but on the other hand i could see how some people might see it as a cheap trick
- i wish there was just more of this book - in terms of the actual road-trip-ness of the book i felt like this got pushed aside in favour of the charecters issues
- i honestly loved the celeb guy - he was so funny and his attitude was just so contradictory to the rest of the group
- the other 4 characters were not unbearable but none of them really shone for me - they kind of felt a bit soulless and other than Mo i didn't really feel like they had a strong sense of presence beyond their secrets they were keeping from one another
- about the "secrets" - it was nice to see some interesting differences in the way the book delt with representing each characters struggle but there was some moments where charecters motivations and actions didn't really make sense to me
- it's hard to express the reservation i had with this book about diversity without coming off the wrong way but in the best way it felt like it was kind of shoved into fit and constantly brought up as a way to highlight they were all keeping secrets from one another. idk how to explain it - there was genuinly one of my favourite moments of the book when the charecter from Saudia Arabia explained how the news about the tv show passed down a pipeline of people eventually to someone in turkey and then to her which was so heartwarming in showing the power of connection, even at international levels, that fandom has. then there were moments where the book wouldn't let you forget that one charecter had a japanese parent to the point where that seemed to be an adjective in every description of her. idk, it felt like the charecters couldn't escape the labels and secrets they were keeping which was a detriment to all of their charecterisation.
- yeah, leading on from that the more i reflect on it the more...odd the actions of some of the charecters were - idk it just felt a little ott and underexplained at times
- despite my reservations it was fascianting to watch the experiences of Cash and i guess the way the book looked into the effects of fans on creators not just the effect that creators have on fans lives
- sidenote: the group suggesting they watch supernatural next after wizz-kids ended was horrifying and nostalgic at the same time
- the other charecters all felt like charectacures - my personal fave being the youtuber/reporter girl at conventions - ironic because she is defintly a steryotpe but based of very real people
- knowing that it was cris colfer who wrote this book - and obviously he has first hand experiences as a celebrity in the public eye, with a very enthusiastic slash scary fanbase (the gleeks are terrifying!) i feel like the book was v. authentic in the way fame was dealt with and honesty that was the best part of the book to me
- the book could almost have been just about cash and i think i would have still enjoyed it just as much as to me the other charecters felt like stage dressing and we didn't get enough time to really feel the substance they had - I think the nuence of their friendship and struggles was overshadowed by the complexity of cash as a charecter. i'm not complaining but it almost felt like two different priorities were fighting each other
- theres definatly just some...issues with the book that get swept under the rug for the sake of time and a happy ending - like the outing of two of the charecters which was just uncomfortable to read, and the idea that cash magically fixes all their issues - especially the scene where cash basically tells Joey is ok to be gay and its made out like he's the solution to all of joey's issues. idk it just felt like the ending was a little too neat as joey gets rejected from his family but is living with topher and sam is magically accepted by everyone around him (unlikely given the 2010s midwest he's living in) and everyone kind of just solves all their issues in time for the ending - it was just a bit too idealistic for me. i prefer an ending which is more accepting of reality.
- the book treads carefully between demonising fans and celebrating - instead choosing the happy medium which is honesty refreshing to see - especially when so many ignore the nuence in the debate instead focusing exlusively on the positives and negatives of fan culture
Character: 4/5
Relationships: 4/5
World-Building: 4/5
Genre: 4/5
- this book was 50/50 for me
- the fandom-ness of the book *really* worked - as someone who is a committed fangirl there were so many moments and references that made me smile - Wizzkids sounded like exactly the kind of show that would attract a fan audience (also some suspiscious similaries to Who)
- however, the idealism of all the main characters being fans and living in the same town and being that committed to the show felt a bit unrealistic to me - despite being a committed fan, that sort of fan-based friendship group is just not very common
- and then at times i was like hey this book *gets is* you know - when they were talking about shipping and cons and all that - and at other times i was like uh no that just wouldnt happen. things like mo's story about leaving hate on someone elses fic and bullying this random girl online just made her out to be a phycho obsessed with shipping and it made me uncomfortable to read as instead of the nuence i was hoping for in her charecter she just kind of fell into the sterotype of "crazy fangirl" which was kind of sad to read.
- THE. PLOT. TWIST. OMG. OMG. OMG - i give credit where credit is due i did not see that coming - initially that made the book into something v. different and a lot more complex - but on the other hand i could see how some people might see it as a cheap trick
- i wish there was just more of this book - in terms of the actual road-trip-ness of the book i felt like this got pushed aside in favour of the charecters issues
- i honestly loved the celeb guy - he was so funny and his attitude was just so contradictory to the rest of the group
- the other 4 characters were not unbearable but none of them really shone for me - they kind of felt a bit soulless and other than Mo i didn't really feel like they had a strong sense of presence beyond their secrets they were keeping from one another
- about the "secrets" - it was nice to see some interesting differences in the way the book delt with representing each characters struggle but there was some moments where charecters motivations and actions didn't really make sense to me
- it's hard to express the reservation i had with this book about diversity without coming off the wrong way but in the best way it felt like it was kind of shoved into fit and constantly brought up as a way to highlight they were all keeping secrets from one another. idk how to explain it - there was genuinly one of my favourite moments of the book when the charecter from Saudia Arabia explained how the news about the tv show passed down a pipeline of people eventually to someone in turkey and then to her which was so heartwarming in showing the power of connection, even at international levels, that fandom has. then there were moments where the book wouldn't let you forget that one charecter had a japanese parent to the point where that seemed to be an adjective in every description of her. idk, it felt like the charecters couldn't escape the labels and secrets they were keeping which was a detriment to all of their charecterisation.
- yeah, leading on from that the more i reflect on it the more...odd the actions of some of the charecters were - idk it just felt a little ott and underexplained at times
- despite my reservations it was fascianting to watch the experiences of Cash and i guess the way the book looked into the effects of fans on creators not just the effect that creators have on fans lives
- sidenote: the group suggesting they watch supernatural next after wizz-kids ended was horrifying and nostalgic at the same time
- the other charecters all felt like charectacures - my personal fave being the youtuber/reporter girl at conventions - ironic because she is defintly a steryotpe but based of very real people
- knowing that it was cris colfer who wrote this book - and obviously he has first hand experiences as a celebrity in the public eye, with a very enthusiastic slash scary fanbase (the gleeks are terrifying!) i feel like the book was v. authentic in the way fame was dealt with and honesty that was the best part of the book to me
- the book could almost have been just about cash and i think i would have still enjoyed it just as much as to me the other charecters felt like stage dressing and we didn't get enough time to really feel the substance they had - I think the nuence of their friendship and struggles was overshadowed by the complexity of cash as a charecter. i'm not complaining but it almost felt like two different priorities were fighting each other
- theres definatly just some...issues with the book that get swept under the rug for the sake of time and a happy ending - like the outing of two of the charecters which was just uncomfortable to read, and the idea that cash magically fixes all their issues - especially the scene where cash basically tells Joey is ok to be gay and its made out like he's the solution to all of joey's issues. idk it just felt like the ending was a little too neat as joey gets rejected from his family but is living with topher and sam is magically accepted by everyone around him (unlikely given the 2010s midwest he's living in) and everyone kind of just solves all their issues in time for the ending - it was just a bit too idealistic for me. i prefer an ending which is more accepting of reality.
- the book treads carefully between demonising fans and celebrating - instead choosing the happy medium which is honesty refreshing to see - especially when so many ignore the nuence in the debate instead focusing exlusively on the positives and negatives of fan culture