For the longest time “Fangirl” has been on my To-Read list because the title caught my attention when browsing through Goodreads. While browsing through one of London’s many bookstores, I found a copy and decided to buy it on a whim. Best decision I have made in the longest time.

I forgot how scared I was when starting here at Millikin. The changes, the lack of friends, the higher expectations all seem like old fears to a senior like me. So when reading “Fangirl” I was pleasantly comforted to know I wasn’t the only freshman struggling to find friends and balance that nerd rocker life of fandoms. Cath, the narrator of “Fangirl,” is one of the most relatable YA fictional characters I have experienced.

Starting college and trying to find her place after twin sister Wren decides she would rather ride solo on campus than be known as the Campus Twins, Cath Avery is having a hard time. “Fangirl” has the typical beginning of any YA novel because you have the awkward teen girl trying to figure out her life, two guys—one mysterious and aloof and the other charming and funny—pining over Cath and pivotal moments of self-discovery throughout the entire novel. The reason “Fangirl” stands out compared to other YA novels is that Rainbow Rowell touches upon a part of the Internet everyone knows about but does not want to talk about: fan fiction.

To the few who do not know what fan fiction is, it’s a piece of writing that uses characters from movies, books, TV shows, video games, musicals… You name it and there is a fanfic about it. Never before have I found a book that unabashedly touches upon fandom life and everything nerdy. Cath is a fanfic writer for the story’s popular series Simon Snow (think Harry Potter phenomenon). And while anxiously waiting for the final book of the series, Cath is forced to write her own original story and face all the anxiety original writing brings along.

One of the most relatable scenes in the book is when Cath’s writing professor asks, “Why do we write fiction?” It was Cath’s response that made me realize how relatable Cath is: “To disappear.” The scene was so strongly written that it stood out to me after all these weeks since I have read it.

And not only is “Fangirl” an awesome story any person dealing with great change should read, but Rainbow Rowell is an incredible author that leaves no scene unsatisfying. Her characters are flawed in every wonderful way possible, her writing flows off the page and she has created a whole other world within her world! I fell in love with her writing style after the first page of “Fangirl” and continue going back to her books when I am in the writing slumps.

So if you are looking for a great story, relatable characters, and an exploration of fandom life (i.e. fanfiction) then “Fangirl” is your book. I highly recommend it!