Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

فن گرل by Rainbow Rowell

59 reviews

matrim's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Es un buen libro para una lectura tranquila. Siento que la protagonista no tiene mucho desarrollo y el drama que llega a ocurrir siempre se resuelve de forma rápida y no muy dramática, pero te deja con un buen sabor de boca.

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lchambers394's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Overall I liked it. I liked Cath and Levi  and how pure and genuine their connection was. They were both likeable and complicated characters, enhanced by the other characters — especially Reagan and Wren. Cath and Levi were also incredible autistic and adhd representation. I liked the storylines and multimedia a lot and growing with Cath felt natural and hopeful. This book gave a space to all of us that get lost in books and to the wonderful fanfic writers that help us continue to enjoy them. 

My main issue was the ending. It felt anticlimactic and rushed. For most of the book Cath’s fanfic was praised as just as valid as her uni work. So ending with an extract from her uni piece kinda undermined that. The ending and Cath’s conflict with Levi felt rushed and one dimensional. The message should have been that yes expanding your world is important, but it’s better to find a way to combine your new life and your authentic self. Cath’s fanfiction meant more to her than any uni piece and the climax should’ve been her finishing her greatest work, Carry On. I struggle to rate it lower, however, as I did really enjoy the majority of the book and I’m not mad enough at the ending for it to ruin it.
 

It was a personal and hopeful read, and I enjoyed it.

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nafisa_tabassum's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

5.0

Rainbow Rowell books have an irresistible charm to them - they romanticise the little things in life. The books tell us of familiar things - rebellious eyeliner, rural landscapes, a shared obsession with a loved one, horrible food habits at university - and makes it feel new and worth paying attention to. I think this ability of hers is most obvious in 'Fangirl'.

This is an intensely relatable book and made me cry. Cath is not like me at all, but she goes through coming-of-age stages that are timeless. The way her family is written is especially heartbreaking - there comes a stage in life where familiar relationships change and Cath portrays how hard it can be to adjust to that. Her relationship with her father is loving, but painful in a way that personally related to me and opened up old wounds. 

The romance is a distracting and delightful highlight. The main guy is golden retriever, and I have never been able to resist fictional golden retriever men.

Lastly, Cat grows with her love for media and being a true geek - by her own definition, someone who would choose fiction and fantasy over reality any day - and doesn't force her or Wren to grow out of it. Instead, their loved ones participate in their interests. The novel takes fanfic as seriously as it should be, and shows the genuine art, love and dedication that goes into it. It understands girl geeks, which was refreshing.

I think this is my favourite Rowell book. I'll come back to it.

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imskylow's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I read this book aloud to my cousin. It was such a fun ride. So much laughter, so much emotion and frustration, so many squeals of delight. When I tell you I started crying as soon as I started reading the last chapter aloud, believe me. (I’ve never cried over a book before, so that was a first.) I wasn’t and probably will never be ready to let these characters go. Rainbow Rowell breathed such life into each of them. They felt like real people with real flaws and quirks— real friends I wanted to be with (especially Reagan. She was a riot). It was such a relatable story of intense anxiety but wild creativity. As an artist and aspiring author myself, I related with Cath and her journey so much. Closing this book hurt my heart so much that I convinced my sister to let me read it to her so that I could stay with Cath, Levi, Reagan, and Wren for just a little bit longer. A+++ this is going down as one of my soul books. Rainbow, I have no notes except that I wish the ending was a bit longer and that there was a sequel. 

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basementdweller's review against another edition

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2.0


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chaos_and_chapters's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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findleydunn's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25


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notsolocaltheatrekid's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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brontesauruses's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Levi best boy!!!

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nonidude's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

There's not much I liked about this book which sucks because Rainbow has been so highly rated by people I know, and I have another of her books on my to-read shelf...

First off the writing was just weak; it had moments near the end where it got better, but overall - too many cringe moments. A couple examples...

"His eyes were that color you can't see in the rainbow. Indigo."

"Levi giggled. (Did guys 'giggle' or 'chuckle'? Cath hated the word 'chuckle.')"

"...leaning over her left shoulder. He smelled good. (Breaking news: Boys smell good.)"

There was also a couple moments in which the writing was very repetitive. One here where she restates things you mentioned just 10 pages earlier.

P. 231
"She started coming downstairs every morning when she heard the coffeemaker beeping. To check on him, to see him off.… Cath would make him breakfast while he ran—and after he ate and left for work, she'd fall back asleep on the couch. After a few days of this it already felt like a routine.... Cath would usually wake up again when Wren came downstairs or came home."

P. 242
"Their dad got up to jog every morning. Cath woke up when she heard his coffeemaker beep. She'd get up and make him breakfast, then fall back to sleep on the couch until Wren woke up."

Also, I thought this book talking about a fandom was supposed to be a spoof of Harry Potter - it's pretty clear from the way Rainbow talks about books, movies, the author, the plots, etc. and yet! Harry Potter is alive and well in this universe bc the characters mention it?? Weird...

My final complaint is on the characters - I personally didn't find them likable. There was a scene in which they talked about rape too lightheartedly. There's scenes in which the men seem to act chivalrous almost to the point of being offensive. Idk I just don't think I would hang out with any of them by choice (maybe the dad; he seems alright).

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