Fangirl
I very easily fell into the world of Cath, Wren, Levi and the rest of the characters in Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Rowell created a very realistic world filled with characters with real life issues that many teens can relate to. Cath and Wren’s mom left when they were very young and their father has some of his own issues that you learn more about as you enter their world. They twins and best friends – even going to the same college together, until Wren decides to room with someone else, rather than Cath. And that’s where it all begins – Cath feels lost at sea, slowly drowning without her sister to help her make friends and be her friend in the crazy world of a freshman college student. You see, Cath is an introvert and fangirl of a book series (think “Harry Potter”) and writes fanfiction online where her stories and chapters get hundreds and thousands of hits a day, but in her daily life she is uncomfortable around people and feels completely lost. But slowly, Cath begins meeting people, stretching out beyond her comfort zone, and learning more about herself than she ever thought she would.
I thought Rowell did an amazing job of creating three-dimensional characters that I really felt for, while also creating settings that were extremely real and could easily happen on any college campus across the country. Rowell did an amazing job of not only creating the world for these characters, but also creating the fictional world that Cath “lives in” so frequently. It was a main feature of the book and Rowell was able to create a strong enough world that I could picture this story within the other. This book, although a little more adult that what I would give most of the kids I work with, is part of the “new” genre making waves in the literature community called “New Adult Fiction.” New Adult Fiction is created with the intent of marketing to post-adolescents (think 18-30) and I think it totally hit that mark and did it surprising well with a lot of depth that makes you truly care about what happens to the characters.
For more about Rainbow Rowell and her work, check out her website!
Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: 2013
Page Number: 448 pgs.