I believe in books.: Deidra Reviews Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 10 September 2013
Source: NetGalley
Pages: 405

Summary: Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Favorite Lines:

“You shouldn't reward me for endangering your life, you know. Think of the precedent you're setting.”

“You give away nice like it doesn't cost you anything.”

“Cath felt like she was swimming in words. Drowning in them, sometimes.”

Why I Loved It: Rainbow has a way of capturing everyday human emotion, thought, and feelings into these fabulous one-liners that fill a book that takes what other authors would make into a sweet story into a story filled with powerfully emotions that are feel. I read people in these books and think, 'I went to school with girl' or 'I know someone just like that.' I love when authors make their books reflect the real world around you while still sucking you into the characters' world.

Cather is facing college alone. For Cather, that's something new since she's a twin. Unfortunately her twin, Wren, doesn't want to go into college as a twin. Instead she wants to be an individual and experience the complete college experience. Cather does not really like that. She's not used to having to be separate from Wren. And the Wren that shows up in college is not quite the same girl she grew up with. She doesn't really like these new developments.

As a character, Cather is wonderful. When she cares about something, she stays dedicated. She is devoted to her family. And she's even devoted to Simon Snow, a famous fictional character that is really a part of her world. As far as she's concerned anyways. Cather is a famous writer in the world of fan fiction. She's good. Really good. And this story really captures the world of fan fiction. Down to the t.

Now let's talk about Levi, the main boy crush is totally adorable in the great personality and adorable outer shell. Plus, you could totally meet a Levi. Ms. Rowell convinces me to love her characters without much work. Even when they are not so lovable, I can appreciate them and their worth in the story. Wren is not always a fabulous character. Plus Cather's room mate is not always pleasant, but she really cares about Cather.

What really makes Ms. Rowell so wonderful is how much control she has over the words she writes in her stories. She isn't wordy, but she really doesn't need to be. Just one line can pack such a punch that you will always remember that line. I love that power in the book. This story was nothing like Eleanor and Park, but at the same time, it's very much like that style. A bit of a happier story, but still same powerful type story.

Low Points: The name Cather. For the first 40 pages, all I could think was catheter. Maybe I'm the only one. But still, it was going through my mind.

High Points: Rainbow Rowell just knows how to create a world that looks so much like yours, but better. READ IT! Enjoy the fabulousness of it.

Who Should Read It? Contemporary fiction lovers, please check this out.