Okay, so. A few days ago, I binged the Simon Snow trilogy, and knowing me, I got obsessed and am now hungering for as much content as I can get my hands on. I remembered really liking Fangirl, so I thought, hey, why the heck should I not reread this too? 

Good decision on my end. I adore this book so much. It's just as brilliant as I thought it was the first time I read it - and actually, I think I appreciated it a lot more now. See, I've been writing fic for approximately five years now (weirdly enough, that's how long Cath has been writing fic for). And I could relate to every single experience Cath had, minus the super popular fic, of course. I too wrote a massive fic that sprawled over two years of my life, and I also gave myself an arbitrary deadline to finish it by (the two-year anniversary of the first chapter being published). I also love characters so much, to the point where it sometimes feels like they really are mine. I also love creative writing, but I struggle with writing characters and worlds I have to make up. Cath in her class was literally me in my own fiction writing class. 

And I too have cried when fictional things came to an end, even though they don't really end, since you can always rewatch or reread them. Case in point, I might've cried when I finished Any Way the Wind Blows. 

Plus, I adored all the Simon Snow stuff in this book. And can I just say how amazing it is that Cath has a cutout of Baz, and now that's a real thing you can get?? Foreshadowing that's been years in the making. It's practically prophetic. 

But really. In all seriousness, this book is so relatable, it has such an excellent cast of characters, and it did a great job of handling heavy topics without making them too depressing to read. This was a hook about people, and it felt real, and I loved every minute of it. 

If you're a fic writer, or fic reader, or anyone who engages in fandom in any way, or just someone who likes good YA - - give this a try. You won't be disappointed. 


[ORIGINAL REVIEW] 

Firstly, let me start this off by saying that Rainbow Rowell is one of the best YA authors I've ever read, and her works are honest and emotional and realistic and just absolutely amazing. So please read her stuff. 

Fangirl is one of those amazing books. I wanted to read it because I'm a fangirl, and I write a lot of fic, so seeing a fellow fic-writer in mainstream fiction was awesome. And if you ever buy this book, buy the special edition! It has gorgeous artwork, and an interesting interview. 

The characters in Fangirl were all great. It goes without saying that Cath and Reagan were my absolute favourites. I must also add that the way Rainbow Rowell discussed mental health and addiction issues was beyond amazing. If you've ever seen the music video for Hayley Kiyoko's One Bad Night, it's a little like that - Rainbow doesn't cover it up, and sometimes it is very straightforward. 

Another great thing: it's so easy to see yourself in the characters. In Cath, I saw myself as a fangirl and fic writer embracing fandom. In Reagan, I saw someone who generally doesn't like people. In Nick, I saw an aspiring writer who likes to take control. 

Just please read this book!