finished reading...

From the publisher:

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?

Rowell does not shy away from the ugly side of her characters, which makes them authentic. Every character in this book is believably flawed. I knew of fanfiction but didn't realize how prevalent it is or what kind of sub-culture it has.

I liked the family dynamics, the budding relationship, the faltering way Cath enters the world, the dorm setting, and campus life. My gripe is that there was almost too much "quoted" fanfic. I didn't get caught up in that world. And I thought the ending was a tad abrupt. But don't let that put you off. It's another great read!