Ok. So I read Eleanor & Park. I am LOVING it. Then there's about 40 pages left. Then I finish it. And then I make this face. 
 Thus begins my love/hate relationship with Rainbow Rowell. 
 And then I read Attachments. And I'm like, "Oh, ok, Rainbow." 
 And then I see that Fangirl is coming out. And my huge Harry Potter nerdom, in conjunction with how good the reviews were, and a sale on B&N, and how much I loved Attachments, and I decide I have to read it. So I do. And I am looovvvviiinnnggg it. And then there's about 30 pages left. And then I finish. Rainbow, are we back to this again? 
 [Ok, small rant coming on. BUT I gave this book 4 stars, and I felt like it deserved it. So if you can get through this paragraph, please keep reading!] 
 HERE'S THE DEAL. My issue with her two YA books is that I didn't feel that either of them were quite, well, finished. She writes about some pretty heavy stuff in both of them, but doesn't really conclude any of those storylines. It's almost as though she has a checklist of "things to write about" somewhere, and she's ticking them off as she goes. Abuse? check. Gay characters? check. Mental Illness? check. Teen Drinking? check. Abandonment? check. I wouldn't have any issue with these topics being in the books, if it seemed as though they were being handled. It comes off more as "Ok, wrote that part. Moving on." The stories finish without these plot points being effectively dealt with. I think both Eleanor & Park and FanGirl could have stood to be 50-100 pages longer. But if it is her prerogative as the writer to end them this way, who am I to argue with her creative genius? (I don't mean that in a snarky way, I really think she's got that going for her.) However, as someone who knows people who have had to deal with some of these issues, it just seems really irresponsible to market these books towards teenagers and not even have a footnote saying, "Hey, this stuff is real. If you or someone you know is dealing with (Teenage Drinking, Abuse, Mental Illness, etc), here are some numbers/websites to check out." [Rant complete.] 
 Ok, now on to why I loved this book. And I did. I really, really, did. 
 I freaking ADORED Cath. She may not be everyone's protoganist, and when people come into a bookstore asking for a "strong female lead," Hunger Games/Divergent and the like would get chosen over this in a heartbeat. BUT. Cath is just so unflinchingly, beautifully, heartbreakingly, hilariously real. She is every introvert's hero. Her experiences as a freshmen in college are so similar to what I imagine mine would have been, had I had the opportunity to go. One thing that totally struck me as something I would do: Cath spends about 2 weeks trying to survive on protein bars and jars of peanut butter, rather than having to deal with the new scary situation that is the dining hall. I TOTALLY get this. What book loving introvert DOESN'T get the heebie jeebies going into new stressful situations? And her Simon Snow fandom was just so completely relatable. I grew up with Harry Potter, and even in my late 20s I'm not ready to let it go. (My cats are named Neville and Luna. I'm in this for the long haul.) 
 One thing that was new to me was the fanfiction aspect. Having not read or written any during my HP years, I was very unaware how big it could really get. Also, slash fanfiction? Um. Hello. I was sort of weirded out by that until a friend that is more familiar with fanfic explained to me that was actually more standard than one might think. I did find that I was sort-of skimming the Simon Snow excerpts though, much more interested in the story going on in the real world. (And come on, what compares to HP? *clears throat* Nothing.) 
 The main reason that I love Rainbow Rowell's writing is how well she writes relationships. So many times during the novel this happened to me. 
 I loved every single relationship there was in this book, whether it was the main characters or minor did not matter. 
 Cath and her new boy? (Not giving away the name, the journey she takes to get to him is too good to spoil!) They were absolutely freaking precious. Adorbs, if you will. What every first real relationship should be. 
 Cath and her sister? I loved it. I don't have a sister, nor do I have a twin. Rowell wrote their relationship in such a way that it I almost felt like I could know what that would be like, even with no real world relationship to compare it to. It must be so difficult to try to find yourself as an adult, separate from someone who grew up a part of you. (Also, totally didn't catch the Cather/Wren part until it was explained to me. #facepalm) 
 Cath and her roommate? Hahahahaha. Yes. I love that she got such a badass roommate, and how Reagan (the roomie) took Cath on almost as her project, but never in a condescending way. Just a "You have got to be kidding me." kind-of way. 
 Cath and her father? Yes. Cath and her professor? So much yes. (Can I have a Professor Piper in my life? Even in a co-worker or boss. That would be fine.) Cath and her study partner? Well played, Rainbow. Cath and her mother? OH THE FEELS. 
 I ended up wavering between 3.5 and 4.5 stars on this one, but I just can't let go of my rant earlier. I want her books to be longer, I want her to finish what she's started. I hope that as she continues to write, I'll see this issue a bit less. But who am I kidding? I'll be there when the next book comes out. Because. Well.