Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover)

Cath and Wren are identical twins and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not easy for Cath. She would rather bury herself in the fanfiction she writes where there's romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life. 

Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realising that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible...

Review

I think that pretty much sums up how I'm feeling right now! Holey Moley that was a good book - yes I said Holey Moley! In fact I think it was one of my favourite contemporary reads ever. Fangirling for Fangirl, seems to be the common tag line for this book, although I think I'm fangirling for Levi! Yes that's what's happening... I'm fangirling for Levi. I'm also going to stop saying fangirling now as it's starting to sound really weird.

The story is about Cather, and it's a true coming of age story, where she has to figure out who she is and how she fits into college life, away from all the comforts of home. And she has to do all this without her other half, her twin, Wren. She has to find a place where she can be happy, but with so many tangled ties to her past can she really move forward into the adult world alone?

"Underneath this veneer of slightly crazy and mildly socially retarded, I'm a complete disaster."

I adore Cather! Full stop, end of story. She has her moments where you kind of want to shake her into doing something, but at the same time you always understand where she's coming from. Why she makes the decisions she does. I'm not a huge lover of fanfic but throughout this story you start - if you didn't already - to develop an admiration for these writers. I also found the way in which Rowell uses Cath's Simon and Baz tales to emphasise the struggles that parallel in the twins lives a really nice touch. Especially the idea that the end of a story doesn't actually mean the end. There's never an end if you keep believing in something, or maybe, someone.

I think that one of the biggest story plots of this book is the twins mother - or lack of one as the case may be. They both deal with the whole 'mum' situation in different ways which pulls them apart, leading them down two very different paths. I found that even when they weren't specifically referring to her, the fact that she abandoned Cath and Wren seemed to seep into every inch of this book. I couldn't say what I would do in that situation, but I think I would be team Cather.

SWOON ALERT! Levi... he's our obvious fictional crush, he has a couple of layers to him but in the end he is what he is. Which in my opinion? Makes a refreshing change from all the male leads where you spend half the book figuring out if they're a decent human being or not. And apart from a dodgy middle section, I really like the way he treats Cath! But to be fair was that really his fault?

Character to look out for... I think it has to be Reagan! She's blunt and honest and real and I love her. Simple as.

Overall this is a really interesting read. It had my attention from the first chapter. It's real and gritty at times, not shying away from reality or sugar coating it. But at the same time it doesn't ever take it too far, it's still a sweet and enjoyable story that will have you pestering all you friends to read it just so you can talk about it! Or maybe that's just me... Either way, if you haven't read this then you need to! It's the perfect YA Contemporary Romance.

So, before you lovely people rush out to buy a copy of Fangirl I wanted to leave you with one of my favourite quotes of the book, and a little something that I think this story deserves!

"To really be a nerd, she's decided, you had to prefer fictional worlds to the real one."

& 

These are a few notes I made while reading Fangirl. All comments were made on my GoodReads page.

My Fangirl Dream Cast

Jane Levy as Cather & Bradley James as Levi

Billy and Me

Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover)

Sophie May has a secret. 

One that she's successfully kept for years. It's meant that she's had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.

But then she meets the gorgeous Billy - and actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy's glamorous - but ruthless - world. 

Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?

Review

I'm going to start off by saying sorry, because this is going to be nothing but a gush-fest. I love this book, it's not strictly YA but every girl at one point or another imagined what it would be like to fall in love with a hansom movie star. Not to mention having him fall in love with you. It's chick-lit at it's best and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a love story. 

The story's pretty much been covered on the back cover, Sophie May falls in love with Billy. Billy falls in love with Sophie May. Their whirlwind romance takes Sophie from her little village and drops her into the middle of Billy's celebrity bubble, and she's faced with the - sometimes harsh - realities that come with dating a movie star. 

The concept of a movie star falling in love with you may not happen to everyone, although the fight within Sophie is something I think most people will relate to. Her secret - which I wont give away - is something that's plagued her life and stripped her confidence, giving her nasty anxiety issues and a quite life she may not have always wanted. But when she moves to London to be with Billy she has to find a way to stay true to herself amongst all the chaos in his life. She doesn't want London to change who she is as a person. She doesn't want to get lost in Billy's life and not have one of her own.  

Now I'm no expert on dating an actor, although I like how Fletcher doesn't keep to the rose-tinted ideals we have of falling in love with someone famous. It's hard, not just because Billy's flipped Sophie's world upside down but also because the insecurities you have in a relationship are heightened. For example I have way too many friends who are constantly worried about their other half cheating, but what happens when those lines are blurred? It's Billy's job to kiss someone else, to act like he loves someone else, and even if you know it's not real it's going to drag on a relationship. Especially if your not used to it and if that someone else just happens to be the love of your life's ex! 

Billy. Can you buy him on amazon? Because I'd really like one of my own please! At times he's a bit of a idiot, but what boys aren't (at times)? But in all honesty I don't care, Fletcher's written my perfect man! That's all I have to say on my fictional crush really.

Overall it's a great book, well worth the read. It's not YA but I think any young adult reader will love this book as much as any classic YA's because the love story is so current and sweet. A great book to take on holiday with you, or just snuggle up in bed and read. 5 out of 5. Pretty impressive for a debt.

Giovanna Fletcher talks Billy and Me...