Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell, is a young adult novel about finding yourself. Cath and her twin sister Wren have been inseparable their entire lives. Cath is an introvert and would prefer to live in her book world rather than venture out into the real one. When moving to college, Cath expects that her sister will remain her best friend, but Wren forms her own friend circle. Cath faces struggles that many people, particularly fangirls, will face when moving to a new environment and having to adapt.
Fangirl's message is sentimental but not executed well. Rowell attempts to describe the life of a 'fangirl' through Cath, but Cath's character is extremely off-putting. She refuses to interact with anyone, and ends up being a caricature of an introvert rather than someone who is relatable. She also takes her part in the 'Simon Snow' fandom much too seriously, to the point where it is annoying instead of understandable. In addition, Cath's behavior is somewhat, if not outright, problematic and made the book difficult to get through. The best thing about this book, in my opinion, is that it is about the impact fanfiction can have on someone's life, and in that way, parts of the book are easy to connect to.