Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, 438 pages

Cath is a major fan of the Simon Snow series. MAJOR. Such a major fan, in fact, that her fan fiction has become some of the most popular Snow fanfic on the Internet, with thousands of readers checking in daily to see if she's posted another chapter of Carry On, Simon. It becomes a bit of a problem when the introverted-to-a-fault fangirl heads to college. She's got a weird roommate with a boyfriend-type who never seems to leave, a twin sister who's trying her best to drink everything in town, and an English teacher who doesn't believe in fanfic. Throw in homesickness and a dad with some serious psychological problems, and you've got a perfect storm of awkwardness for our protagonist.

Rowell does a great job writing about awkward, imperfect teenage girls, particularly those who don't really know how to recognize their feelings. She did it in Eleanor & Park (which is an excellent study in teenage love), and she does it again here. Most of the characters in this book get a full, three-dimensional treatment: Cath is shy and awkward in real life, but online has boatloads of confidence. On the other hand, her sister Wren seems to ooze confidence and attitude, though there seems to be something lurking under that exterior. Even the boys who manage to enter orbit around Cath are realistic characters (though if I'm going to nitpick, they might be just a *tad* too good-vs.-evil. But just a tad).

Also noteworthy is the structure Rowell chose for this novel. She weaves Cath's story in with excerpts from the Harry Potter-esque Simon Snow series, and from Cath's fanfic writing. In doing so, the reader gets a glimpse of the object of Cath's obsession, as well as added insight into her personal growth. What's really remarkable is how Rowell's writing style changes, depending on who the "author" is, whether it's Cath, Simon Snow's author, or Rowell herself.

Altogether, a well-done book. Good for fans of Rowell's other works, of fanfic, or for anyone who either is, will be, or remembers being an awkward teenage girl.