Rainbow Rowell is back with a vengeance.  Her newest novel, Fangirl, hit the shelves on September 10 and is better than ever.

The novel is about an introverted college student, Cath, who is a social outcast.  Set in a Nebraskan university, Cath struggles to make friends and her Fiction Writing class is her greatest challenge.  She and her professor often clash over Cath’s growing obsession with fan fiction.  She has a twin sister, Wren, who is the complete opposite of her: pretty, endearing, and popular.  She spends her evenings writing fan fiction about her favorite book series instead of going to parties or socializing.  The fan fiction acts as a recurring motif in the novel: it precedes each chapter, and provides insight on the characters.  One of Rowell’s strengths is character development.  The characters are described intricately, and the fan fiction channels Cath’s feelings.

Another highlight to the novel is Cath’s roommate, Reagan.  Reagan is a catty friend of Cath’s who is a strong woman in spite of her loose morals.  Reagan spends too much of her time partying or focusing on guys.  Essentially, Reagan is Cath’s foil: she convinces Cath to be more outgoing, and to fall for the guy of her dreams.

Levi is Reagan’s ex, which brews some of the story’s conflict.  Structurally speaking, Fangirl is breathtakingly original, and readers will constantly ask, “Will Cath and Levi get together?”

Rowell’s writing style is very unique. The premise of Fangirl is original and serves as an outlook on the growing popularity of fan fiction.

“I think [Fangirl] taps into society’s fascination with fan culture,” said Sarah Clayville, junior English teacher.  Fangirl has received many positive reviews.

According to Goodreads.com, the novel has scored a 4.4 out of 5 stars.  This is a remarkably high rating, and various readers have praised Rowell’s storytelling.

This is not the first time that Rainbow Rowell’s novels have been critically acclaimed.  In March 2013, the New York Times published a review on her second novel, Eleanor & Park, her first novel in the Young Adult genre, a New York Times bestseller, giving it critical praise.  “Eleanor & Park reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it’s like to be young and in love with a book,” praised author John Green in his New York Times review.

Rowell’s novels cater to a teenage audience, and junior Deboragh Pickard said that “the characters and plots make [Eleanor & Park] awesome.”

Fangirl is no different.  The novel plays with the role of fan fiction in today’s society, and it is an atypical love story.  The characters are articulately described, the setting is strengthened with imagery, and the love is intense.

 Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Published: Sept 10, 2013

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Amazon.com)