In only 427 pages, Rainbow Rowell succeeds in conveying a complicated story of an everyday college freshman. While other authors prefer eye-catching characters to go along with their dramatic plots, Rowell, a bestselling author, chooses to catch the readers’ attention with an ordinary main character.

“Fangirl” tells the story of Cath, a student who attends the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In the process of introducing the main character, Rowell uses the rather-uncommon genre of fanfiction. 

Cath’s great adoration for a series of books called “Simon Snow” and the fanfiction she writes about the series leads the reader into a familiar issue between young adults: their career path. Along the way, Cath also introduces readers to the issues between her family and her love life. 

The personal growth that she experiences while at college is more thrilling than typical realistic fiction pieces as excerpts of love brewed from Cath’s bumpy relationship with her boyfriend, Levi, shows moments in the book where they are desperate to be together, but cannot. 

“Fangirl” was a familiar, yet unpredictable read. Rainbow Rowell’s choice to discuss some of the most typical dilemmas in realistic fiction, such as family and love, made the book seem ordinary at first. 

Nonetheless, after flipping through a few chapters, I was hooked. The unexpected parts of the plot laid out by the author, such as rebellions and contradictions against stereotypical situations, and the hints of romance enabled me to finish the book in a single day.  

Due to this reason, young adults that enjoy reading romance and action would be candidates for reading “Fangirl,” as they could easily connect with Cath’s worries and doubts.

As an avid reader, I think “Fangirl” is a brilliant realistic fiction novel that can easily be added to anyone’s list of favorite reads. Once you read it, it won’t be hard at all to “fangirl” over the book.