If you enjoyed this, then I'd recommend Alice Oseman's novels, which are more somber and tense than the Heartstopper comics. This reminded me of Loveless in particular with regards to the setting and general character dynamics, but the main character in that book and the one in this book have quite different problems. This book is also a bit of a product of its time and some of the dialogue and attitudes are bit less culturally sensitive than a more contemporary book would probably be. I usually give books that I had a pretty good time with but didn't get really excited about 4 stars, but I can't quite give this book that rating. I started the book disliking all of the characters at least a tiny bit and none of them managed to fully grow on me. I mostly felt uncomfortable and worried while reading, right up until the end I just didn't trust that anything would be resolved or that Cath was going to make good decisions. I will say that it was interesting to read this after having read Carry On, since a decent percentage of the book is references to that story and the Simon Snow in-universe series. The audiobook narrator was a little too monotone for me, I had her sped up to 1.7 speed. 

"She had to make him another omelet." 🥹 My god, this was not destined to be a 5 star read, but it so so so was. I connected so deeply, in my heart and soul and stomach, with Cath, right from the beginning. And Wren, Reagan, Levi, Dr. Piper, and Art, even Courtney, Nick, and Laura—the whole cast did such justice to the beauty, fragility, strength, brokenness, wit, and charm of Cath.

I thought the book was really good! I didn’t really see the point of all the Simon content before each chapter, I didn’t really understand how it related to each chapter but maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention to it. There were some little things that I felt took away from the ability to be immersed into the story and connect with Cath but I found her and the other characters relatable enough that it didn’t matter. Overall, I really liked this book!

A good fluffy read if you want to explore how the character experiences their first year of university and how they navigate the new and changing dynamics in their life. 

Non-spoiler summary: This is a YA, contemporary, coming-of-age novel about Cath, a fanfiction writer who is starting her freshman year of college alongside her twin sister Wren. This novel was highly relatable for me even though I graduated college recently. It really helped me with a big transition in my life and that's why I rate it so highly.

Spoilers from here on out! You have been warned!

<Spoiler>What I liked: 

Cath was such a relatable character to me. I have anxiety and ADHD and can relate to her need to take care of her family and a fear of interacting with others. I love her internal monologue throughout the book and I loved to see her growth as a character throughout the book. She started out as highly introverted and recluse, then evolved into a writer knowing her direction in her new adult life. 
Reagan: So funny and at times passive aggressive. She's firey and I love it. I like how she influences Cath to go out into the world and grow a sense of confidence. 
Wren: At first she was somewhat annoying and a hot mess but she had her own character development and we got to see by reading between the lines why she partied and drank. We saw from an outside perspective Wren's struggles with alcohol addiction and unsuccessful relationships. I had many friends like Wren in college. I'm glad that Wren was able to see the light in her addiction and not continue down her unhealthy dangerous path. I'm glad that she was able to find happiness in her darkness. I'm glad that she was able to speak to her fun-time-only Mom and be okay with that. I definitely would have taken Cath's path and not speak to her if it were me.
Levi: A chivalrous sweetheart. From him came a healthy relationship with Cath and I love to see that in a YA novel. He doesn't push her into things she's not comfortable with. He bonds with her in his own way by having her read to him. That was so cute. I love that there was some representation for people who have trouble reading and prefer audiobooks or audio in general. I have trouble reading physical or ebooks due to my ADHD and I love that they were able to bond over reading and be okay with their differences. I really liked how their relationship was portrayed. Simple acts were very intimate without being graphic. She walked the line of YA romance well.

Fanfiction representation in a published book: I love that this book made it possible for people to find out about fanfiction and to encourage others to write fanfiction. When I first attempted this book in 2015, I was drawn to it by this premise alone. 

What I disliked:

A lot of my dislikes came at the end of the book. (Possibly an unpopular opinion) I wish Cath took the deal with Nick to get their joint story published. It would have been nice to be seen for the hard work she put into it. I guess it worked out for Cath in the end but, I feel it would have been nice. I get why it was written the way it was. Nick pretty much betrayed Cath and this was a Karmic moment for him.

Towards the end of the book when Cath and Levi's physical relationship started to heat up I didn't really feel much chemistry. The descriptions and physicality of movements were unclear to read. I'm not saying I wanted more spicy scenes, I know this is a YA novel but there was less emotion from Cath. It was like the internal monologue of a Vulcan with anxiety.<spoiler/>

There's not much I liked about this book which sucks because Rainbow has been so highly rated by people I know, and I have another of her books on my to-read shelf...

First off the writing was just weak; it had moments near the end where it got better, but overall - too many cringe moments. A couple examples...

"His eyes were that color you can't see in the rainbow. Indigo."

"Levi giggled. (Did guys 'giggle' or 'chuckle'? Cath hated the word 'chuckle.')"

"...leaning over her left shoulder. He smelled good. (Breaking news: Boys smell good.)"

There was also a couple moments in which the writing was very repetitive. One here where she restates things you mentioned just 10 pages earlier.

P. 231
"She started coming downstairs every morning when she heard the coffeemaker beeping. To check on him, to see him off.… Cath would make him breakfast while he ran—and after he ate and left for work, she'd fall back asleep on the couch. After a few days of this it already felt like a routine.... Cath would usually wake up again when Wren came downstairs or came home."

P. 242
"Their dad got up to jog every morning. Cath woke up when she heard his coffeemaker beep. She'd get up and make him breakfast, then fall back to sleep on the couch until Wren woke up."

Also, I thought this book talking about a fandom was supposed to be a spoof of Harry Potter - it's pretty clear from the way Rainbow talks about books, movies, the author, the plots, etc. and yet! Harry Potter is alive and well in this universe bc the characters mention it?? Weird...

My final complaint is on the characters - I personally didn't find them likable. There was a scene in which they talked about rape too lightheartedly. There's scenes in which the men seem to act chivalrous almost to the point of being offensive. Idk I just don't think I would hang out with any of them by choice (maybe the dad; he seems alright).