Back of Book: 

In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, 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? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind? 

Book Number: Stand Alone

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Romance

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A slow burn coming of age novel featuring two twins as they discover themselves while they are away at college that truly highlights the importance of having a fandom for those that need them. 

Cath and Wren are Simon Snow fans. Well, most of the world are fans of the young magician Simon Snow, but he truly got these twin sisters through all the hard events of their young lives. Especially when their mother left them, the two girls relied on Simon Snow to get them through it. Now that the two are preparing for college, Wren decides to let Simon go while Cath holds on for dear life. Not only does it feel like Cath is drifting away from her childhood, but she also feels as though she is drifting away from her sister. Now, Cath feels abandoned and alone as she begins to form her new life as a college freshman living on campus in a strange new world. Without Wren, can Cath's Simon Snow fanfiction keep her from drowning in the real world? 

Reading "Fangirl" is something that I've meant to do for a while now. When I accidently read the connected holiday novella "If the Fates Allow" (it follows Cath's roommate, Reagan) last December, I felt it was time to finally give this one a read. Knowing more about Reagan than Cath as I started out this book was a bit of an odd experience, but it was great getting to learn more about the both of them. 

What I loved most about this book was the importance of fandoms. As a huge nerd myself, there a few different fandoms that I am addicted to ("Fire Emblem", "Heartstopper", and "How to Train Your Dragon" to name a few). It's no surprise that I related heavily to Cath and her love for Simon Snow. It is pretty obvious that Simon Snow started off as an off-brand Harry Potter, but I'm glad that he's grown into his own thing now that Rowell wrote the spin-off series that follows Simon and Baz based on Cath's fanfiction. I think there should be a rule in the universe that people aren't allowed to make fun of other people fandoms, because when one is a huge fan of something, one pours their entire heart into it. It's not cool to make fun of things that other people love. It plain cruel, actually.

The new college student experience of this book also had a huge appeal. Cath isn't really sure what she wants to do with her life, and she is confused that Wren seems to be completely fine living without her. I would have been heartbroken if my sister abandoned me as soon as she went to college, so my heart seriously goes out to Cath. This story does a great job of showing Cath's struggles making new friends, coming out of her shell, and opening up enough to truly fall in love. I think these are things that most young adults can relate to, especially if they are an introverted nerd such as myself.

Cath's story is also intermingled with bits from the original "Simon Snow" books written by Gemma T. Leslie as well as bits and pieces of Cath's own fanfiction. I think it was fun to get these pieces of magic interwoven into Cath's story, because it really shows how much she values the escapism that comes with being transported into a magical world. 

Something that caught me by surprise was the fact that this book was a true slow burn romance. Like, the main couple wasn't kissing until we were over three hundred pages into this book. It has been a while since I've read a slow burn this slow, and I must say, I sort of miss the characters getting to know each other so deeply before they dive into anything physical. 

I did think the book ended a bit abruptly, but it did take us until almost the end of the school year. I probably would have ended it with a summer goodbye and an optimistic note, but to each their own. I wish there would have been a bit more of a resolution for several story bits, but I found myself mostly satisfied by what was provided. 

This one also dives into some deeper topics, such as alcoholism, living with a learning disability, and reconciling with one's estranged mother. I think these bits of reality sprinkled into this lighthearted romance really added to the strength of this novel. 

Overall, "Fangirl" is such a great coming of age novel that was truly written for book nerds and fangirls alike. I had a blast learning about Simon Snow (I seriously look forward to reading these books in the nearish future) and seeing just how much he meant to Cath. The slow burn nature of this book was also well done. If you are looking for a great college romance with a nerdy protagonist, this one is definitely worth reading! 

Back of Book: 

After a long, lonely year, two people stumble toward each other in this holiday short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor & Park and Fangirl.

Social distancing came easily to Reagan. Maybe a little too easily. She’s always liked people better from afar. But Reagan doesn’t want her grandpa to be alone for Christmas this year—he’s already spent too much time on his own in 2020. So she heads back to her hometown with a dish of holiday Jell-O salad, hoping they can have a little normalcy. Hoping it will be safe…

She isn’t expecting to run into the boy next door. Mason is all grown up now. He’s considerate. He’s funny. He doesn’t mind how prickly Reagan is—he maybe even likes it. And it makes Reagan feel like her defenses are falling. She needs her defenses, doesn’t she? In a time when six feet is close enough, how long can they keep their distance? 

 Book Number: Companion Short Story 

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A holiday Christmas story featuring Reagan, a side character from the iconic "Fangirl" book. 

It hasn't been hard for Reagan to keep her distance once COVID struck. She's always kept people at an arm's length anyway, but she still feels obligated to spend her Christmas with her grandfather. When Reagan runs into his next-door neighbor, Mason, she begins to realize that she may just be longing for a connection after all. 

I went into this one looking for a short Christmas read, and I totally didn't know that it was connected to the "Fangirl" universe until I was mostly finished reading this one. I guess this might be my sign to read "Fangirl" soon. 

This story features a COVID Christmas, which is something that I've never read about. This story was extremely relatable, because as someone who lived through this era, I remember how odd the holiday experience was in 2020. 

Reagan is a bit of an introvert who feels obligated to spend time with her family despite all of her fears of the coronavirus. She spends most of her time alone, but it was nice to see her grow closer to Mason. I honestly thought it was pretty neat that the romance was kept to a minimum in this story and it mainly focuses on human connection in general. Also, Mason was such a sweet love interest; I mean, the care he felt towards that deer was so cute. 

Since I haven't read "Fangirl" yet I hadn't had the chance to meet Reagan prior to this story. I'm very curious to see her character's role in "Fangirl" and learn more about her in general.  

Overall, "If the Fates Allow" was a solid Christmas story that highlights the unfortunate Christmas season of 2020. I haven't read "Fangirl" yet, so I'm not one hundred percent sure how this story connects to everything. I enjoyed reading it as a stand alone regardless. Reading a COVID Christmas story truly brought me back to 2020 and had me thinking about just how much COVID truly affected our lives for a while.