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. 

Notes:
- Sweet romance with all my fav tropes :') Pure escapism, my beloved.
- Levi is a top tier book boyfriend: gentle with Cath, outgoing, enthusiastic, AND passionately supportive of Cath's love of books?! Insanely top tier.
- Writing was good (compared to a lot of other romances at the moment maybe..) and I liked the exploration of the characters' aspects/struggles outside of the relationship. Cath's family situation, her social anxiety, fandoms, etc.
- Simon and Baz origin story!! I love them :')

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. 

Rainbow Rowell books have an irresistible charm to them - they romanticise the little things in life. The books tell us of familiar things - rebellious eyeliner, rural landscapes, a shared obsession with a loved one, horrible food habits at university - and makes it feel new and worth paying attention to. I think this ability of hers is most obvious in 'Fangirl'.

This is an intensely relatable book and made me cry. Cath is not like me at all, but she goes through coming-of-age stages that are timeless. The way her family is written is especially heartbreaking - there comes a stage in life where familiar relationships change and Cath portrays how hard it can be to adjust to that. Her relationship with her father is loving, but painful in a way that personally related to me and opened up old wounds. 

The romance is a distracting and delightful highlight. The main guy is golden retriever, and I have never been able to resist fictional golden retriever men.

Lastly, Cat grows with her love for media and being a true geek - by her own definition, someone who would choose fiction and fantasy over reality any day - and doesn't force her or Wren to grow out of it. Instead, their loved ones participate in their interests. The novel takes fanfic as seriously as it should be, and shows the genuine art, love and dedication that goes into it. It understands girl geeks, which was refreshing.

I think this is my favourite Rowell book. I'll come back to it.

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/>

Bonus point for the Noelle drawings (and also for Raegan I love her)
(Also i related to the dad which is probably not good but oh well!)
Edited my review down bcs I remembered some moment and cringed again 

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I have read it at various stages of my life, and the older I get, the more I understand it and the more connected I feel with the characters in the world of Fangirl. Once upon a time, I was a girl who read and wrote fanfiction. Back then, I saw a piece of myself in Cath and I understood her connection to fictional worlds. Now, as a 21-year-old college student, I see myself in Fangirl in a very different way, in more ways than before. The book helped me reflect on the experiences in my own life - on the struggles of growing up, on my familial issues, etc. in a way I hadn't before. It is rare to find a book that makes characters that are so incredibly real and that experience life in a way that is so incredibly real, that I can see myself in it so well. Can real be boring sometimes? Yes, but not to me. Not really, at least. I mean, I am someone who also thoroughly enjoyed Ladybird, which is a movie largely regarded as boring...so...lololol

There is a lot to love about this book. I love the characters - their relationships and interactions with one another, their senses of humor, their distinct personalities, and, of course, how incredibly real they feel. I love that they feel like they have whole lives outside of Cath's. It really makes it feel like they are real, breathing (often imperfect) people. I love Rowell's writing style - simple but honest and clever and witty. I love those lines that made me go "how did she come up with that?" I love the little peeks we got into the world of Simon Snow, even if at times they felt a bit long. I love how they often connected to what was happening in the book itself and how it helped us understand something that is such an important part of Cath's life. I love, I love, I love. 

This book was a lot more reflective for me than I expected. It reminds me that experiences like the ones Cath went through (keeping it as vague as possible) can be universal. It reminds me that I am not alone. And that every experience - whether it is horrible or anxiety-inducing or traumatic - is survivable. It reminds me that life is full of lessons and opportunities to grow, as well as really great moments that make life worth living. I can't wait till my next reread - maybe I will reflect on something new next time... 

Really loved this book. It was highly recommended which is usually a bad thing for my expectations. 

Cath was really well written, I loved the book in a book of the fanfic/Simon Snow books.