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A review by staticat
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
3.0
Rating: 3,5 stars, rounded up after giving the book a less critical and more comfort-oriented second reading but critically still unsure.
Review take 2
This was a comfort re-read some months after being mildly underwhelmed the first time, and while I still don't think of Fangirl as a prime example of literature, it served its purpose at the time. I love (and love to hate) some of the characters here, and I love that there are non-judgemental coming-of-age stories out there, even for losers like me.
But I don't think a third read is going to happen anytime soon. At least, I should hope so... Below is, at least for the time being, review number one from a couple years ago.
Expectations: An awesome coming of age story with great, easy-to-identify-with characters and a little annoying take on what it means to be an active fangirl. [I've never been one myself, though. I'm still a bit sad about it.]
Dead on.
Review (the first)
The story itself is not all that original, but it's one that definitely attracts its target audience, and does so for a good reason. It's not too simple or boring, it's sort of cute in all its lightness but does not gloss over the difficulties of growing up, refacing a mother who's not been much of a parent in the last ten years, and adjusting to a new situation in your life in general.
The setting Lincoln/Omaha, Nebraska, USA, the universe, 2011/2012. Easy and everyday-ish without any other fantasy elements than a purrrfict guy a few years older than her.
The prose, while not anything especially nasty, didn't grab me. It's simple and somewhat repetitive, and at times it has too much of a 'girly YA' feel to it for my liking. Maybe it's the parenthesis that did it. Or the extreme awkwardness of the scenes where Cath the main character is alone.
It was rarely truly awful but I found myself yawning quite a lot and wishing that the writing would have been more refined and interesting. Then again, whenever Cath was not alone in a scene,Rowell made me see pink bubble gum bunnies all around it was lovely.
No, really. It was. If everything in the book had been as amazing as everything that happened between the characters, Fangirl would have been a 5 star book. Or... at least a 4, anyway.
The characters and relationships between them are the real reason for reading this book. For example, there's Reagan, Cath's roommate and by far one of my favourite characters in the book.
Then there's Cath's family. Her bipolar, fragile, caring father. Her mother who still doesn't want to be a mother.
Wren, the twin sister who still takes up more space and attention than Cath. Who, unlike her sister, deals with her emotions by running away, drinking, getting a life of her own on another dorm - but still has this unbreakable connection with Cath. It doesn't matter that I was a bit baffled in the beginning when Cath tells that she has shared a room with her twin for eighteen years and doesn't want to change a thing. While this relationship didn't always fully convince me (being an identical twin myself, I was a bit suspicious about the execution of this kind of relationship...) but it was really, really good. There's the silent envy and competition, even if it's not really pronounced here. And most importantly, this book shows how identical twins are not one person in two bodies despite being sometimes treated as such but two beings that differ greatly... and have even more in common, on some occasions.
Cath, the more private sister and the main character. On the inside, she was believable and for sure many introverts can relate to her on several levels. I think I'm the more Wren-like twin in my family, but I've still done the "I can't go, there'll be people" thing a lot - and I still do it, but not nearly as much as my sister. While Cath may at times sound like an exaggerated character, she probably isn't. Of course that doesn't mean she's a good main character (to be honest... she isn't, really), but I feel where she's coming from.
I still think she could have employed a bit more of her brain cells at times when she made decisions, and that she sometimes behaves in a way I find hard to accept. (Saying stuff like "actively trying not to make friends" and)
The overwhelming majority of the relationships in the book are painfully well done. The dialogue is awesome and the feelings are beautifully presented and well handled.
The not so great: This is no perfect book. Nick could have had more personality (now it felt like he had only a role) and Levi, while being the ultimate dream guy for a girl like Cath, felt at times too soft and golden.
Nevertheless, these are only minor flaws. What I really would have liked was a sense of community, be that Wren's party people or Cath's fellow fans. I started reading this book expecting to see little to no actual fan stuff thrown in, but still, Cath's life and character are seriously lacking when the fan thing is poorly examined. Most of the time I felt like Rowell didn't really understand or respect what she claimed to be writing about. She ended up writing a nice coming of age book, but for all that it's worth, it isn't quite enough with characters like Cath. Or Wren. Fangirl needs more (ex)fangirly stuff in it, not randomish excerpts of Simon Snow.
The ending: Made me suspect if there was any real growth in this book, which is kind of sad because the book was otherwise so good in what comes to the characters.
Final conclusion: I don't see much difference between watchcing a film about the same themes and reading this book, actually. But in the end, the good sides of this book easily outweight the not-so-good ones. Fangirl is, if not a life-changing experience, still well worth the read for anyone interested in stories of this kind.
Review take 2
This was a comfort re-read some months after being mildly underwhelmed the first time, and while I still don't think of Fangirl as a prime example of literature, it served its purpose at the time. I love (and love to hate) some of the characters here, and I love that there are non-judgemental coming-of-age stories out there, even for losers like me.
But I don't think a third read is going to happen anytime soon. At least, I should hope so... Below is, at least for the time being, review number one from a couple years ago.
Expectations: An awesome coming of age story with great, easy-to-identify-with characters and a little annoying take on what it means to be an active fangirl. [I've never been one myself, though. I'm still a bit sad about it.]
Dead on.
Review (the first)
The story itself is not all that original, but it's one that definitely attracts its target audience, and does so for a good reason. It's not too simple or boring, it's sort of cute in all its lightness but does not gloss over the difficulties of growing up, refacing a mother who's not been much of a parent in the last ten years, and adjusting to a new situation in your life in general.
The setting Lincoln/Omaha, Nebraska, USA, the universe, 2011/2012. Easy and everyday-ish without any other fantasy elements than a purrrfict guy a few years older than her.
The prose, while not anything especially nasty, didn't grab me. It's simple and somewhat repetitive, and at times it has too much of a 'girly YA' feel to it for my liking. Maybe it's the parenthesis that did it. Or the extreme awkwardness of the scenes where Cath the main character is alone.
Levi stood in front of Cath, his face serious (for once)(seriously, for once), and his head deliberately bobbing up and down...or a little bit less alone.
It was rarely truly awful but I found myself yawning quite a lot and wishing that the writing would have been more refined and interesting. Then again, whenever Cath was not alone in a scene,
No, really. It was. If everything in the book had been as amazing as everything that happened between the characters, Fangirl would have been a 5 star book. Or... at least a 4, anyway.
The characters and relationships between them are the real reason for reading this book. For example, there's Reagan, Cath's roommate and by far one of my favourite characters in the book.
"I feel sorry for you, and we're going to be friends."Now, isn't that just a lovely way to get the main character out of her room and start a very real, if not a little unconventional, friendship between the two of them?
"I don't want to be your friend," Cath said as sternly as she could. "I like that we're not friends."
"Me, too," Reagan said. "I'm sorry you ruined it by being so pathetic."
Then there's Cath's family. Her bipolar, fragile, caring father. Her mother who still doesn't want to be a mother.
Wren, the twin sister who still takes up more space and attention than Cath. Who, unlike her sister, deals with her emotions by running away, drinking, getting a life of her own on another dorm - but still has this unbreakable connection with Cath. It doesn't matter that I was a bit baffled in the beginning when Cath tells that she has shared a room with her twin for eighteen years and doesn't want to change a thing. While this relationship didn't always fully convince me (being an identical twin myself, I was a bit suspicious about the execution of this kind of relationship...) but it was really, really good. There's the silent envy and competition, even if it's not really pronounced here. And most importantly, this book shows how identical twins are not one person in two bodies despite being sometimes treated as such but two beings that differ greatly... and have even more in common, on some occasions.
Cath, the more private sister and the main character. On the inside, she was believable and for sure many introverts can relate to her on several levels. I think I'm the more Wren-like twin in my family, but I've still done the "I can't go, there'll be people" thing a lot - and I still do it, but not nearly as much as my sister. While Cath may at times sound like an exaggerated character, she probably isn't. Of course that doesn't mean she's a good main character (to be honest... she isn't, really), but I feel where she's coming from.
I still think she could have employed a bit more of her brain cells at times when she made decisions, and that she sometimes behaves in a way I find hard to accept. (Saying stuff like "actively trying not to make friends" and
Spoiler
being angry at Levi forever because omg he kissed a girl at a party. OH THE DRAMA.The overwhelming majority of the relationships in the book are painfully well done. The dialogue is awesome and the feelings are beautifully presented and well handled.
The not so great: This is no perfect book. Nick could have had more personality (now it felt like he had only a role) and Levi, while being the ultimate dream guy for a girl like Cath, felt at times too soft and golden.
Nevertheless, these are only minor flaws. What I really would have liked was a sense of community, be that Wren's party people or Cath's fellow fans. I started reading this book expecting to see little to no actual fan stuff thrown in, but still, Cath's life and character are seriously lacking when the fan thing is poorly examined. Most of the time I felt like Rowell didn't really understand or respect what she claimed to be writing about. She ended up writing a nice coming of age book, but for all that it's worth, it isn't quite enough with characters like Cath. Or Wren. Fangirl needs more (ex)fangirly stuff in it, not randomish excerpts of Simon Snow.
The ending: Made me suspect if there was any real growth in this book, which is kind of sad because the book was otherwise so good in what comes to the characters.
Spoiler
It was a bit too twee and clean for my tastes. Somebody else might call it 'encouraging' or 'comforting' or 'cute'. Everything's tied to a nice package, everybody's kind of happy, and - the only thing I really didn't like in the book - Cath and Wren kind of switch their positions, Cath becoming the popular and Wren the clingy one... blach.Final conclusion: I don't see much difference between watchcing a film about the same themes and reading this book, actually. But in the end, the good sides of this book easily outweight the not-so-good ones. Fangirl is, if not a life-changing experience, still well worth the read for anyone interested in stories of this kind.