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A review by vi_violetrose
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
2.75
A cute, easy read. It was nice to read a coming-of-age story set in freshman year college.
The prose is charming but thoroughly unimpressive, which was a big disappointment for me, especially since writing was a central part of the story. Even the samples of other characters’ writing wasn’t very good. At first I thought it was on purpose, because Cath’s writing does feel very fanfic-y. Perhaps it’s just not to my tastes.
Prose aside, the characters and dialogue are strong. A lot of funny moments, and I was pretty surprised (in a good way) with the writing for Cath and Wren’s father. The characters feel pretty realistic, especially Cath. I liked that Levi isn’t a cookie cutter romantic interest… though the romance didn’t do it for me and I felt myself getting a little bored with the book by that point; but I’ve never been big into romance, so I’m not sure I can hold it against the book. The relationship between the sisters was by far the most compelling aspect of the novel.
I liked Baz a lot in all the fanfic excerpts, but that’s about it. Cath is so cringe… Good for her.
The ending felt rushed. I flipped to the next page and then had to flip back, confused that I had just finished the story. One of my favorite parts of reading a book is the sensation of reading the last line and knowing that you’ve reached the end, but the ending took me out of this one a bit.
The prose is charming but thoroughly unimpressive, which was a big disappointment for me, especially since writing was a central part of the story. Even the samples of other characters’ writing wasn’t very good. At first I thought it was on purpose, because Cath’s writing does feel very fanfic-y. Perhaps it’s just not to my tastes.
Prose aside, the characters and dialogue are strong. A lot of funny moments, and I was pretty surprised (in a good way) with the writing for Cath and Wren’s father. The characters feel pretty realistic, especially Cath. I liked that Levi isn’t a cookie cutter romantic interest… though the romance didn’t do it for me and I felt myself getting a little bored with the book by that point; but I’ve never been big into romance, so I’m not sure I can hold it against the book. The relationship between the sisters was by far the most compelling aspect of the novel.
I liked Baz a lot in all the fanfic excerpts, but that’s about it. Cath is so cringe… Good for her.
The ending felt rushed. I flipped to the next page and then had to flip back, confused that I had just finished the story. One of my favorite parts of reading a book is the sensation of reading the last line and knowing that you’ve reached the end, but the ending took me out of this one a bit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism