Fangirl

Story

Cath is an anxious introvert, but also a fan-fiction-writing whizz, who is off to college. Although she’s going with her twin sister and built-in best friend Wren, Wren is determined to live the college life and try new things, whereas Cath is very happy with how things are, thank you very much.

As Cath navigates life as a first year, is she ready to start her own path, open up to people and learn about love in real life?

Why we chose it

Fangirl was a favourite with many of the teenagers in our consultation group. A coming of age story about finding - and struggling with - independence, negotiating first love and finding your own voice.

Where it came from

Fangirl came about when Rainbow Rowell imagined what her own college life would have been like with the internet and fan fiction. She admits there’s a lot of her in the character of Cath - being socially anxious and preferring interactions that aren’t face-to-face. Many of the other characters, such as Levi and Art are also inspired by people from her life.

Where it went next

Fangirl topped many books of the year lists, including The New York Times Notable Books, Amazon Editor’s Top 20 Teen and YA Books of the Year, and winning Indigo Books Best Teen Book of the Year. It was well-received by critics.

Associated stories

Carry On, a full story related to the fan fiction that Cath writes in Fangirl, was released in 2015. This focuses on the adventures and romance of magical roommates Baz and Simon. A sequel to Carry On, Wayward Son, was released in 2019.

Rainbow Rowell has also written other successful YA books and short stories, including the award-winning Eleanor & Park, as well as the Runaways comics and books for adults.