Fangirl, Vol. 2:The Manga by Sam Maggs

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first volume in the series, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Cath just wants to hang out with her twin sister and write fanfiction. But now that they’re at college, her sister doesn’t have time for her. And life keeps pulling Cath further and further out of her shell. For the first time ever, Cath has her own social circle. There’s Nick, her handsome classmate who wants her to write short stories with him… And then Levi, who keeps showing up when she isn’t looking for him … Actually … maybe Cath’s circle is more of a triangle?” - taken from Goodreads.

So I discovered at the cliffhanger ending of volume 2 that readers are being treated to four volumes in total. Now to wait.

To be continued with volume 3 due out on August 8, 2023.

Fangirl, Vol. 1:The Manga by Sam Maggs

 

“The manga adaptation of the beloved novel by #1 Bestselling author Rainbow Rowell!

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, everybody is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life. Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath just can't let go. Now that they’re in college, Cath must decide if she’s ready to start living her own life. But does she even want to if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Cath doesn’t need friends IRL. She has her twin sister, Wren, and she’s a popular fanfic writer in the Simon Snow community with thousands of fans online.  But now that she’s in college, Cath is completely outside of her comfort zone. There are suddenly all these new people in her life. She's got a surly roommate with a charming boyfriend, a writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome new writing partner ... And she's barely heard from Wren all semester!” - taken from Goodreads.com

This graphic novel adaptation of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl novel and spot-on. Only the first half of the book is portrayed, so fans will be left eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

“A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan.

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?” - taken from Goodreads.com

Okay, here's another book that I'm late to the party for. Fangirl has been on my TBR pile forever so I finally took a chance on the audio version. I loved Cath’s journey of self-discovery and independence during her freshman year at college. Cath’s anxieties begin when her twin sister Wren decides she needs her own space and doesn't want to share a dorm room with her. Cath stretches, not always willing, her wings and comes into her own. Cath’s story is interspersed with her popular fanfiction stories based on a Harry Potter-like book series. I adored Cath’s story and hated for it to end, but the ending was truly awesome. 

Visit Rainbow Rowell’s website.

 

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

“Anything can happen once upon a con…

When geek girl Elle Wittimer sees a cosplay contest sponsored by the producers of Starfield, she has to enter. First prize is an invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. Elle’s been scraping together tips from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck behind her stepmother’s back, and winning this contest could be her ticket out once and for all—not to mention a fangirl’s dream come true.

Teen actor Darien Freeman is less than thrilled about this year’s ExcelsiCon. He used to live for conventions, but now they’re nothing but jaw-aching photo sessions and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Federation Prince Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the diehard Starfield fandom has already dismissed him as just another heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, closet nerd Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I don’t think there was anything that I didn’t love about this book. An interesting twist on the fairy tale of Cinderella, Danielle Wittimer is left with a cruel stepmother and two stepsisters who really never take the time to understand her. A lover of all things Starfield, a defunct television series that resembles Star Wars and Star Trek, it is the one connection she still has with her deceased parents. With a reboot of the Starfield world set to take place on the silver screen, Elle’s voice of her displeasure over the casting of the lead character to a popular teenage actor takes off. With a grand prize of attending the red carpet premiere of the movie at stake, Elle dreams of being in the cosplay contest at the con her father started.

Darien Freeman is a closet Starfield fan and playing Federation Prince Carmindor is a dream come true. When backlash over his casting by fans of the old TV program hit the Internet, he is driven to play the character that diehard fans want to see. Overwhelmed by the all the commitments his father/manager have placed before him, he tries to back out of several events at ExcelsiCon so that he can participate as a fan. Trying to reach the person in charge and failing, he begins to have text conversations with an unknown fan, who turns out to be his biggest critic, Elle.

Told in alternating voices between Elle and Darien, readers will race to the end not only to see how the story plays out but how the author will seamlessly insert her version of the beloved fairy tale. A definite read!

Visit Ashley Poston’s website.