How do I even begin to explain just how much I identify with this book?!
I am an extremely happy and enthusiastic person. I get unusually excited about the oddest things. So needless to say, I was already hooked at just the title of this book, Fangirl. I am a fangirl, of many, many things. From Harry Potter, to Doctor Who, to John Green, to Jane Austen; give me something I'm interested in and I'll grab on to it and never let go. I'll spend my time obsessing over every detail of a story, buying or creating paraphernalia, and even writing my own fan fiction. When Cath tells her roommate, Reagan that she is "active in the fandom," I laughed so hard, because that is so inexplicably me.
In that sense, I completely connected with the protagonist of this novel, Cath. While I am not nearly as shy as her, I too prefer an evening in, curled up in my bed and reading or writing, to going out and partying. I have always felt a bit insecure, worried that i'm not having the traditional "college experience," but this book made me feel less alone and different.
I really appreciated how very real Rowell's characters are (which I am noticing in her other books as well). I'm pretty tired of reading about and watching characters with all these fantastic powers or special destinies. While those types of stories are entertaining, don't get me wrong (I love The Hunger Games and Divergent, and Harry Potter is my life), it is refreshing to read a story about a normal person going through real life situations. Rowell expertly captures exactly how I felt my freshman year of college, and how hard it can be to balance school work, your social life, and keeping up with your family.
Another aspect of the novel that I found fascinating was the idea of the story within the story. In writing Fangirl, Rowell essentially had to write two books, Fangirl, and Simon Snow within Fangirl. While it wasn't a completely fleshed out story, it definitely must have taken some time to come up with the World of Mages. Having the tiny snippets from Simon Snow and Cath's fan fiction Carry On Simon, kept me stimulated, and was a nice break in-between chapters.
Speaking of, I am a bit ashamed to admit it, but I am no stranger to fan fiction. Like I said before, I am extremely enthusiastic about the things that I love, so when a story ends and I didn't like the way it ended (either in general or for a certain character in particular), or I just want more, I turn to fan fiction. I've tried reading some, but I'm usually just so appalled at the grammar and formatting, that I mostly just wind up writing my own. There is just something so satisfying about taking a world or a character that you love, and shaping it to become your own. I think Cath said it perfectly when she tells Professor Piper that she would rather "pour [herself] into a world [she] love[s] and understand[s] than try to make something up out of nothing" (275). I sometimes find it hard myself to start from scratch with a story. It always has to come from somewhere; whether that's someone else's story, or a personal life experience.
I think that's the whole point of writing, though; to find something in someone else's story that sparks your own story. We all have similar experiences in life, and isn't that all we really want, to feel understood and like we belong? One of my favorite things about meeting new people, is seeing their face light up when you find out that you like the same band or TV show. They instantly feel more comfortable, excited to share something that they love with someone else who also appreciates it. This book makes you feel that tenfold.
Something I found so peculiar about this novel however, and I am so interested to find the answer to this, is why did Rowell decide to create the world of Simon Snow when she also references Harry Potter? It is so obviously a nod to Rowling's world renowned series. My only guess is that due to copyright, she was allowed to say the name Harry Potter, but not use any of its characters or story lines? I found it utterly hilarious though, with the subtle differences between the two magical worlds. It was very clever on Rowell's part, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
With all that said, I rated this novel five stars on Goodreads, and automatically added it to my "Favorites" shelf, which I don't do often (that in itself should tell you something about how much I love this book). It was a fabulous read, and I highly recommend it! Have you read Fangirl yet? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments! :)
Until next time,
Danielle
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