I literally just finished Fangirl. As in, 15 seconds ago I read the last line, felt like crying because everything about this book (and the author) is so wonderful and perfect, but decided to plunge into this review instead. Fangirl is such a wonderful, amazing book. It captures what it's like to be a fan and in a fandom, from a fangirl's own perpective. And from the writing, you can tell Rainbow Rowell herself is a fangirl (also, if you check out her tumblr; it's immediately obvious that she's a johnlock shipper). Everything about this book is so amazing and wonderful. From the sister dynamic to how people grow and learn to love fandoms. It didn't make it seem like a weird, "other" thing to be invested in fandoms like Cath and Wren were, it explained it in a way that it showed why fangirls find comfort in escaping to other worlds. I don't really know how to explain my extreme love for this book. It was surprising, it was touching, and it made fangirls seem like normal, everyday people. Even better, I loved that people didn't react in just one way to Cath (and Wren's) being in a fandom. They weren't all freaked out and repulsed by the "nerdiness." Actually, now that I think of it, no one was (except for the Professor, but oh well. Cath's peer's weren't at the least). Reagen accepts it in a very Reagen-like way (you'll get it when you read the book), and Levi is absolutely enthused by it and (minor spoiler, I guess) even starts shipping Baz/Simon himself. Which brings me to another point. Reading Fangirl made me feel like I was reading two separate books at once. On the one hand, I was reading about Cath and the transitory period of her life in which she's going to college with her twin sister and has to forge her way with no one to really guide her. But I also felt like I was reading all the book in the Simon Snow series, and that I was taking a journey through the fandom as well with all the fanfiction exerpts. (I am definitely a Simon/Baz shipper.) In the beginning, I admit that I thought Simon Snow was just Harry Potter, but with some things changed about it. And while it is similar, there are differences as well, that make it its own story that I'd love to read in full, or at least plot summaries. Another thing: it showed the sense of the community within fandoms. (slight spoiler) Cath meeting a reader of Carry On, Simon? Perfect. People in fandoms generally love meeting others from fandoms, and I feel like this little scene was absolutely wonderful, and I love that it was included in the books. I don't really know what else to say, except that if you read and enjoyed Eleanor & Park, you should read this book (even if you're not actively involved in fandoms, I'm sure you can relate), and if you are involved in fandoms, especially if you're wondering if you should hold onto them into your college/adult years, then I definitely recommend that you read this. It's amazing, and I'm pretty sure you'll love it. There are a thousand more things that I want to say, but right now I'll just end with this is a book written by a fangirl for fangirls (but that doesn't mean non-fangirls won't enjoy it), and it shows them as real people, not just "quirky geek girls." Fangirl is so honest and wonderful and amazing, and I recommend it so much.