"Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

"We read to know we are not alone."

~ C. S. Lewis

Cath and Wren have done everything together. They swap clothes, food, ideas, hobbies, and even take turns writing fanfiction about their favorite character, Simon Snow.

However, once it comes time for college, Wren decides it is time that her and Cath part ways. After all, they may be twins, but college is a place to truly find yourself, right?

While Wren adapts to her new 'freedom,' Cath stays in her dorm, continuing work on her Simon Snow fanfiction, "Carry On," while Wren chops her hair, attends college parties, and experiments with alcohol.

Cath, eventually warming up to her roommate (and her roommate's golden retriever humanoid friend named Levi), realizes her life cannot be written by anyone but herself. Yet, when Wren meets trouble while being drunk, Cath will drop everything to save her sister, even if it means putting herself on the back burner.

College may be a time for firsts, but sometimes, living reality can be harder than spending time in fictional worlds. But you can't stay hidden forever. And as Cath learns that sometimes it will take a little push to step out of your comfort zone, you won't regret living life.

The way Rainbow Rowell writes Cath's story is so well-written that you can't help but want the story to never end. Cath feels like the ultimate nerd/fangirl. She adores one fandom, but that fandom is her entire life. Cath knows nothing, not even herself, as much or as well as she does Simon Snow and the Snow fandom.

I've read this book so many times, I'm surprised my copy isn't falling apart. I related to Cath while growing up (right down to the sweaters and writing fanfiction) and now, as a 24-year-old who occasionally has her life together, I still relate to her. Cath and Levi's relationship is one for the books, as I was always hoping to find my Levi.

For those who want to feel seen, heard, and noticed. For those who have always used words to express themselves, and for those who love fictional characters more than life itself, "Fangirl" creates an immersive fictional reality that shows life just may be the greatest story of all.

Favorite Quotes

1. "It's not wind at all. It's what we feel when time suddenly jolts forward." (Pg. 82)

2. "A little manic is what our house ran on. The goblin spinning gold in the basement." (Pg. 95)

3. "And sometimes, you held somebody's hand just to prove that you were still alive, and that another human being was there to testify to that fact." (Pg. 99)

4. "Write as if your life depended o it. Write as if your future depended on it." (Pg. 204)

5. "Smiling is confusing. This is why I don't do it." (Pg. 208)

6. "To really be a nerd, you had to prefer fictional worlds to the real one." (Pg. 299)

7.