Lisa Reviews - Rainbow Rowell's - "Fangirl"

Cath and Wren have been together their entire lives, mostly because they’re sisters! And twins! But also because when they were about eight years old, their mother packed her things and left them behind with their father. It’s been years since either of the three has talked to her, and no one truly knows the reason why she left.

Cath and Wren are all grown up and going to college. Cath isn’t too excited about the idea of going off to college far from home, and leaving their dad behind all alone. But Wren doesn’t make her feel any better about the whole situation when she tells her sister that she doesn’t want to dorm together; trying to convince her that they won’t get the FULL experience if they do! Instead Cath is left to share her room with a girl named Reagan, and partially with Reagan’s best friend/ex-boyfriend Levi; who is around all the time.

Cath loves writing and has spent the last two years of her life writing Simon Snow fanfiction online. She writes and posts a chapter a day to feed her devoted fans’ addiction.  With school work and writing a chapter every night, Cath doesn’t get out much. She doesn’t mind either. She would much rather get lost in the world of Simon Snow than have to deal with the awkward feeling of meeting new people, or going places she’s never been before. Even when Reagan and Levi ask her to go out with them to parties or just to hangout, Cath always declines their offers, staying in the dorm room instead.

But Cath does make one friend in her advanced writing class; Nick. He’s cute, nice and also LOVES writing! Sounds like the perfect guy for Cath. She even has a few “dates” with him in the library, where the two stay until midnight working on a story together! Aside from Reagan, Levi and Nick, Cath hasn’t talked much to anyone else, not even her sister.

Wren doesn’t think to come home, when Cath is told that their dad was put into the hospital for exhaustion from working too hard. Not even when Cath pleads her to come.

Wren spends most of her time hanging out with her roomate, Courtney, usually partying and/or drinking. So when Cath receives an emergency text message saying she’s at a bar, she asks Levi for a ride, and heads there to make sure her sister is safe. It just so turns out that Wren wasn’t trying to reach Cath, but Courtney instead, and that her sister is drunk.

Not too long after that night, Cath receives a message from her, telling her that Wren is in the hospital. Cath ignores all the anger she has towards her mother and towards Wren (for talking to their mother), and gets there as soon as possible for Wren.

Her dad in the hospital, a phone call from her mom saying Wren was in the hospital, and Nick doing something unbelievable; everything in Cath’s life seemed to be breaking apart. And strangely, the person who is there to help catch everything and make her feel better is Levi.

Fangirl totally rocked my world, and I’m not sure if that’s because I felt this strong connection between myself and Cath or what! Cath was awesome, real, and I felt like she could be my best friend!

Wren and Nick added a whole crazy level to the story with all its twists and turns. Cath was amazing, and dealt with everything going on around her, in a way I don’t think I could have. I would have probably freaked out, had a good cry and then tried to figure something out.

But there was one thing that wasn’t cleared up, and that was Cath and Wren’s mom. The reader is never truly informed as to why she left when they were so young, or what happened after Cath ran to hospital for Wren.

Overall, Fangirl was as AWESOME as everyone kept telling me, and I’m so glad that it went to the top of my TBR pile as soon as I purchased it!