Synopsis
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?
Review
“No,” Cath said, “seriously. Look at you. You’ve got your shit together, you’re not scared of anything. I’m scared of everything. And I’m crazy. Like maybe you think I’m a little crazy, but I only ever let people see the tip of my crazy iceberg. Underneath this veneer of slightly crazy and socially inept, I’m a complete disaster.”
I loved this book SO much. I felt so many emotions. I was Cath. I was SO like her. She reminds me so much of my own insecurities, worries and my writing. Reminded me of my days of reading fan fiction. I have read a few that were SO FREAKING good. I have never written one but I would have. If only I didn't just keep reading them! LOL.
“That was the beauty in stacking up words--they got cheaper, the more you had of them.”
I FREAKING LOVE RAINBOW ROWELL. I am officially a diehard fan of hers. I'll read ANYTHING she writes. Her writing, her characters, her emotions and her guys -sigh- I LOVE LEVI sooooooooo much. I loved him right from the beginning. His presence, his voice and his attitude is so endearing. I just LOVE him so very much.
“It's okay if you're crazy," he said softly.
"You don't even know-"
"I don't have to know," he said. "I'm rooting for you.”
There's this quality in Ms. Rowell's writing and pulls me in so deep that I keep falling. My mind, my heart and my feelings aren't my own anymore. I'm just sucked in. These invisible hands pulling me under and I want to go. I want to be there. It's beautiful. It's home. It's also so very poetic. I start to see things so differently. The little things that we all take for granted mean so much more.
“She didn't have words for what Levi was. He was a cave painting. He was The Red Ballon. She lifted her heels and pulled him forward until his face was so close, she could look at only one of his eyes at a time. "You're magic," she said.”
Remembering my first year of college/university. Getting use to the campus. I never lived in dorms but I saw my friend's dorm room and it wasn't how I pictured or saw pictures of. It was different, good type of different but it wasn't so scary, however, living with a stranger can be scary not knowing their habits and their lifestyle, being stuck with that the whole year is frightening. Reagan is very good for Cath it might not seem that way at first but she is. The way she was made it easier for Cath. She had a hand in getting her out of her dorm besides for going to classes. She slowly got her out of her shell. Cause of Reagan we get to know Levi and that makes it even more special. Knowing Levi is a treat he can brighten anyone's day. (Mine especially ;) lol) He made me smile so huge. I wanted to jump in the book and hug him so tight!
“I feel sorry for you, and I'm going to be your friend.""I don't want to be your friend," Cath said as sternly as she could. "I like that we're not friends.""Me, too. I'm sorry you ruined it by being so pathetic.”
Cath's relationship with her twin sister Wren is a piece of puzzle but they fit and I can't see them without one another. In the beginning Wren told her that being separate will allow them to live life. This book is about Cath's journey from writing fan fiction to writing her own. Her journey to trust others. To let people in. For Cath to let her family do what they need to but watch them to make sure they don't slip again. It's about allowing herself to love someone that isn't like her and give a piece of herself away. It's the perfect representation of how from being a teenager to being thrown to the wolves in trying find their feet as adults.
“I don’t trust anybody. Not anybody. And the more that I care about someone, the more sure I am they’re going to get tired of me and take off.”
There is this growing period where a teenager finds themselves alone and trying to find their way out of the maze to their destination. That's Cath's story, that's her journey.
“I'd rather pour myself into a world I love and understand than try to make something up out of nothing.”
Even after finishing this book I'm still reeling with emotions. I didn't want it to end. I want more Levi. I want to more Cath and Wren. I want more of Reagan being herself. I want more of Cath's dad. They are imprinted in my soul. I don't want to let go.
“Cath couldn't stop thinking about Levi and his ten thousand smiles.”
I will never let go because this book is hidden in my soul, a treasure that's mine only.
“She smiled, and her eyes started to drift downward.
"Cather..."
Back up to his eyes.
"You know that I'm falling in love with you, right?”
★★★★★★
6 LEVI AND CATH STARS.
MEET RAINBOW
Rainbow Rowell is the author of ATTACHMENTS. She has two novels coming out in 2013 -- ELEANOR & PARK in February and FANGIRL in the fall.
Rainbow lives with her husband and two sons in Omaha, Nebraska. Right at this moment, she is probably arguing with someone about something that doesn't really matter in the big scheme of things -- or trying to figure out how Sherlock faked his death.
Blog and other stuff at rainbowrowell.com.
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