The Spectacular Now Book Review By Kevin Horton

Ever felt as if you're the only one that has failed miserably at school but is the King Of Partying? Well, there is a tale out there, that you can relate to. The Tale Of Sutter Keely starts off with normal teenage issues. He is in a world of drama until he meets Aimee, another troubled teen trying to figure it out.

Tim Tharp was one of the most underrated Authors of this time. In The Spectacular Now, He talks about the struggles a 17 year old high school senior faces. Girls, employment, family matters and figuring it all out is just some of the issues. Tharp uses sharp and dense descriptions to create a humorous image.

This book is recommended for any young adult or teenager. This book has a captivating perspective. The Spectacular Now has a very good sense of humor, realism and imagery.

Monologue For Creative Piece

Have you ever felt you might just be the biggest joke ever? Like you want to be rich, famous and remembered for something great but all you can do is hang up shirts and get paid and be known for being an alcoholic? Well I’ve been there many times before. Like, more than I can count. Well, on my hands at least. Never have I cared about anything but downing my daily alcohol, seeing my girlfriend,  and partying with Ricky, who was my wingman. I also find myself staring at my feet when walking. Its wierd. Whatever. Anyway, I thought i was on the right track when I thought that me and my now ex girlfriend was gonna move to St Louis while she chases her dreams through college. I was about to, but once I met my father, then it hit me. I'm suppose to be a drunken failure with social smarts. So here I go, cutting my co-supportive relationship with someone who mattered the most, pushing my family away because my mom refuses to get a new job and my sister is just another bratty sibiling. Of Course, school didnt work out so i got one less burden on my back. But here I am ready to disappear. My name, is Sutter Keely. Im from Oklahoma City, and Im living the spectacular now.

If you haven't had the pleasurable opportunity to read Maniac Magee by Jerry Spenelli grab a copy from you local library as soon as possible. Allow me to introduce a style of writing that engages you into a story of a young boy trying to figure out where he belongs in this world of “equality” and understanding the community we live in. Jerry Spenelli is a fantastic storyteller, and write for his audience of adolescents. He has won over eight awards for his amazing books and creative way of telling realistic stories covering taboo topics of society, for example racism, sexism, and homelessness. In his writing he also includes humorous content to keep his audience excited to read on.

Suzanne Collins produced a piece of pure fictional majesty in the thriller known as the Hunger Games. Also known for her two other books in the series, Catching Fire and The Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins created one of the most famous trilogies of our generation. She was born August 10th, 1962 and spent the majority of her childhood moving from city to city due to her father’s participation in the Vietnam War. She graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts in 1980 as a Theatre Arts major and got her Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University in 1985, thus kicking off her career. She helped produce several children’s shows such as Oswald and Little Bear, then she wrote her acclaimed trilogy known as the Hunger Games which really put an exclamation point on her career. Already with the Underland Chronicles under her belt, this trilogy only helped her fame increase in the most positive way. For not only is this trilogy a work of art, but a stern example of how freedom can be reached through constant perseverance. Along with the willingness of the heart to never quit, even during times of undoubtable trial and tribulation; Katniss Everdeen being the woman of example in this obsessive trilogy.

The once great region of North America, which is now known as Panem, has been separated into twelve districts. This districts rely on each other for whatever resources they need to survive. Then of course, there are the richer districts as the lower number ones, and the higher one goes in numbers, the poorer the district. Thus the 12th district, the home of the brave Katniss Everdeen and her family, along with best friend Gale, and her soon to be partner Peeta, is the poorest and least regarded district in the nation. These lower districts being tormented by the Capitol, a tyrannical presence in district 1 of the nation that controls all the districts along with what happens in them. Years ago, this authority was threatened by a revolution by the then 13 districts. However, the Capitol prevailed, and as a result the 13th district was said to be destroyed and the Capitol decided to make a cruel, and unusual punishment as a result to this revolution. The Hunger Games.

Games are played but people of all ages, and are usually enjoyed. Enjoyment by participants of the Hunger Games is not only a showing of one’s attitude, but a showing of one’s loyalty to the Capitol and their regulations regarding the 12 districts. For this games are made to kill, murders of all participants, except one, who then becomes a name written in stone, as a survivor and champion of the Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen and the volunteering Peeta Mellark are chosen from district 12 to participate, along with two other boys and girls from the rest of the districts to fight to the death. Only one will survive this heated, bloody battle. Everybody for themselves. Who will survive? Who will become the champion?

The Hunger Games book one is an adventure waiting to be adored and praised for its suspense along with the fighting spirit of those in the districts to overthrow the Capitol; a thrilling beginning to an unforgettable tale. Beyond that, the overall theme of never letting freedom flee one’s grasp is an imminent, throbbing reality as Katniss Everdeen refuses to let the Capitol control the games they created, through thoughtful revolution and rebellion. With the book starting out with the already seemingly rebellious Katniss Everdeen hunting outside the walls of district 12 regularly to find food for her family and the Black Market, a theme is already hinted at. Thus the appearance of Gale Hawthorne adds a romantic, caring side to this story, hooking the readers, making them ponder about what is to come next. As the book carries on, its gradual build up to these thrilling games is what the reader is yearning to analyze and devour. Even though in several parts this book fails to meet expectations, overlooking these minor distractions will make one love this book even more. Fortunately, if one is a lover of books regarding rebellion, action, and a fight for freedom, this book should hit the spot.

The overwhelming feeling of the need to rebel and start another, successful revolution pounds at Katniss’ heart throughout this thriller. Her desire to see her family again, to see her best friend Gale again, and her newly found desire to protect Peeta all play a role in her willingness to survive and participate in the Hunger Games. Throughout the entire book however, the hanging questions remains in one’s face like a group of flying gnats, will Katniss survive? Will all her efforts to rebel and free the districts from the Capitol’s strong grip come to no avail? Excitingly, the answer dwell in this exhilarating, compulsive book which is a must read, for Katniss Everdeen is a fighter.

“Author: Suzanne Collins; The Hunger Games; Publisher: Scholastics; Genre: Adventure/Science Fiction; Published September 14th, 2008; 374 pages long.”

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk Review

Humans are always touted as civilized creatures who transcend the social and ethical limitations of other animals. Quintessentially, we view ourselves as the epitome of current evolution. David Sedaris in Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk begs to differ. In a heartfelt comical way, Sedaris skillfully illustrates the shortcomings of human interaction and often makes, we, the reader think wistfully to ourselves “Did that really just happen?” Sedaris’ writing, which was seemingly intended to degrade and downplay human success and triumph, causes the reader to feel laughter, joy and a sense of precognition which will hopefully save them from the situations chronicled in his masterful piece of art.

The animals depicted in Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk aren’t really animals. The reader is keen to see this very early on in the book. Each animal represents a paradigm of everyday social life in America. We have the gullible sheep, the two-faced trash talking monkey and the self-absorbed condescending warbler. These stereotypes can easily make the reader laugh and look down upon these characters. However they also allow the reader to understand these characters. The questions we, as the reader, may come to ask are “Why is the sheep gullible? “Why does the monkey gossip about other animals?” “What makes the warblers such douchebags?”

The stories force the reader to have either positive or negative thoughts about the animals in the story. Each character is chiseled out with a unique mold that makes them stick out. Each animal has personal ambitions, wants and fears giving the character analysts in the audience plenty of material to tear into millions of little synthetic pieces.

In real life, most people never take the extra steps to understand fictitious characters. Because the characters in the short stories are animals, subconsciously, we are dotting the lines and making the connections which we wouldn’t normally make. The warbler for example didn’t one day just become condescending and arrogant. It was born into a world which nurtured it with that mentality. Experiences and influences in its life caused it to become what it is. In the end, we can come to the conclusion that we really can’t judge a person for something that was out of their control.

Expanding upon the idea that we can understand and sympathize with the animals in Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, the collection of short stories also makes the reader wonder what animal they are mostly closely related to. When we find the animal we can relate most to we become attached, hoping that everything works out for the animal. However, Sedaris simply won’t allow us this luxury and sometimes gives our characters grimm endings, which not everyone wants to see.

At the same time, we still want to see how everything turns out for the animals because we don’t know which roller coaster ending Sedaris will give us. Though most of the time we can expect the characters flaws to bite them in them in the hiney making them suffer immensely, there are happy endings which puts a smile on the readers face.

To this effect, the entire book is sculpted to have you wonder about how each animals story will end. The reader will want to see some animals succeed in triumph while wanting others to fail miserably. I know that while reading the story of the lazy and selfish bear I wanted him to meet a grimm ending. But the ending I received was a little too sadistic for me bringing to a sympathetic mindset. Sedaris masterfully strums the strings of the human mind making you want to see his characters reach certain resolutions. However, he also makes you question whether or not it was right to wish such harsh fates upon animals when they eventually meet their maker. Characters we may want to die horrible painful deaths because of their flaws, may also be the ones we may eventually come to sympathize with.  

I recommend this book to readers who are infatuated with deep complex characters. Readers who aren’t afraid to have metaphorical jabs taken at their species, should definitely pick up this book. Also, readers who are willing to look in between the lines and uncover hidden meanings. This book’s greatest asset which draws in its readers may also be its biggest flaw. For the reader to absorb as much as they can from each short story in Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, they must be the analytical satirical thinker. Its a double edged sword in that respect.

In spite of this, the several different dynamics rolled into each individual short story that allows the overall product to accumulate into greatness. Each story is chiseled out to incur different emotions and responses from the reader. Its almost as if sedaris expects to receive such a wide variety of responses ranging from fanfare to disdain. Quite simply put, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is the kind of book that everyone should pick up at one point in their lives because it does what most books today fail to do. It makes us think critically about who we are and what we do in relation to the stories we read about. This book is a must read.

Published by Little, Brown and Company

September 8th 2010

176 pages

Humorous Fiction

Creative Piece Link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3QVfBuz4UxCejVNOVp0elNUbXc/view?usp=sharing

Book Title: Paper Towns

Author: John Green

John Green is an American author who specializes in books for young adults. He has become very successful in the past few years and has the awards and titles to prove it. Two of his most popular books include his debut novel, Looking for Alaska and his most recent book, The Fault in Our Stars. Looking for Alaska won the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature in 2006. When The Fault in Our Stars was released in early 2012 it was at number 1 on The New York Times Bestseller List and was recently turned into a movie which became number 1 in the box office. To top it all off, in 2014 he made it on Time’s 100 Most Influential People List. Aside from all of his literary achievements, he has invented a charity called “Project for Awesome,” launched an event known as “Vidcon” and he and his brother, Hank Green, run a popular Youtube channel.

John’s third book is called Paper Towns and follows around a teenager named Quentin Jacobsen who has always been in love with his neighbor, the mysterious Margo Roth Spiegelman. Quentin, otherwise known as “Q,” has been infatuated with Margo since they were friends as children. But after they found the body of a man who committed suicide in a park they lost touch. Years later when Margo climbs through Q’s window and recruits him as an accomplice in her carefully laid out plan for revenge on her cheating boyfriend, he is shocked but agrees to help.

After a whole night of shenanigans, Quentin is excited to talk to his new friend Margo, but she is no where to be found. Q doubts that she left without an agenda and figures she had to have left some kind of clue. So once he breaks into Margo’s room, clues are exactly what he finds. Clues that give Quentin hope that he might be the one to solve the mystery of Margo Roth Spiegelman.

Something that Quentin finds himself struggling with throughout the whole book is trying to understand Margo and how she works. When Margo initially approaches him at his bedroom window in the middle of the night he is mesmerized. Over the next couple days following Q and Margo’s nighttime adventure and Margo’s disappearance, Q realizes that he knows absolutely nothing about the girl he'd fantasized about since his childhood. He’s only known Margo Roth Spieglman, the most popular, pretty, mysterious girl in school but that’s all anyone knows. Margo herself is an unsolved puzzle. But once Q starts finding all the secret clues she leaves behind he learns more about her which leads him to questioning himself.

Paper Towns has it all, humour, mystery, romance and concepts that many young adults will surely relate to. John Green is known for writing books that showcase a teenage boy who fantasizes over an unattainable, mysterious girl who somehow ends up changing their life. But he creates such interesting, outgoing characters and his writing style is so well thought out, clever, and sometimes even poetic that it doesn’t seem like a corny love story. Something that John Green does really well with is his use of language, he knows exactly how to word things to make everything as believable as possible. The conversations had in the book and the thoughts his characters express make complete sense with the mind of teeangers and that’s why his books are so popular. Teenagers and young adults understand and enjoy it. But don’t let that fool you, I’m sure almost any adult would really enjoy any book written by John Green. I would recommend Paper Towns in particular to anyone who is 13 or older, since it is a book written about a bunch of high school seniors there isn’t much of a filter and some of the things the characters say and/or think might not be what all parents want their kids to be reading about.

I have read two of John Green’s other books aswell, Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars. I finished each of the three books within a very short time period because I couldn’t put them down. I was never bored while reading them and was sucked into the character’s world quickly because John Green’s writing grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. I don’t really have anything bad to say about any of his books except for the fact that I was a little let down by the ending of Paper Towns, not that it was bad I was just left wanting more.

All in all, John Green is a very talented author and the popularity surrounding his books is for good reason. You should definitely give at least one of them a read because you won’t be disappointed.

Title: Paper Towns

Author: John Green

Publisher: Dutton Penguin

Date of publication: October 16, 2008

Number of pages: 305

Genres: Young adult fiction, Mystery

Every Day by David Levithan is a literary work that should not be underestimated. Levithan does an excellent job of opening the eyes of teens to a world unbeknownst to them. He is not afraid to step out of the social norms, thus creating a unique concept of equality, humanity, and love. He steps into the realm of LBGTQ through his book Boy Meets Boy which is about a gay-friendly town and a boy who is trying to win the love of another boy. He received the Best Fiction Award for Teens(Top 10) from the YALSA in 2013, Abraham Lincoln Award nominee(2014), as well as being a Lambda Award nominee (2013). He is also the publisher/director of Scholastic.

David Levithan was born in 1972 in Short Hills, New Jersey. His first book Boy Meets Boy was published in September 2003. On his website in the “about me” section, Levithan feels that he could talk more about himself through his books and that’s exactly what he does. He has written a total of 18 books so far and showing no signs of stopping. He has collaborated with many well known authors, one of them is John Green for their book Will Grayson, Will Grayson. He is currently writing a book called Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story which is set for release in March 2015.

A, the main character of the book, is 16 years old. A wakes up every day as someone different, not being limited by gender, race, or even language though the area geographically and age are pretty close. Never knowing the warmth and comfort of a family, A has been alone this whole time. A used to be afraid to go to sleep as a child knowing that nobody from that day would be there the next. No matter how much A wanted to stay, it wasn’t possible. One day, A wakes up as a teenage boy named Justin. Not wanting to interfere in Justin’s daily life, A chooses to go through it like a normal day for Justin, but when “he” encounters Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon, things begin to change. By digging through Justin’s memories, he sees that Justin isn’t the best boyfriend out there, but Rhiannon is just absolutely perfect. Rhiannon is pushing A’s limits. Love at first sight you could call it, but how is love possible for someone who is a different person each day?

Readers will get the most from this book if they are open minded and can adjust well to varying situations. This book shares so many different perspectives of women and men. With that being said, you must pay attention or else you will get lost from the very beginning. The general audience for this book is supposed to be adults, but this book has been proved to sway more towards teens. Some schools have even made this a summer reading assignment. Barnes & Nobles list the age range is 14-17 years for this book while others say it can go to even as young as 12. Every Day is perfectly executed that David Levithan is able to gain such a wide range for his audience. He is really active in the LGBTQ community with his books.

This book will have its readers thrown into another perspective of life. The need to read what happens the next day has readers gripping their seats. While reading, you are immersed in lives of many people. What is it like to be a woman? What is it like to be a man? What about a drug addict or maybe a twin? These questions are addressed throughout the book and that’s only a few of them. Levithan shows a new side of love and how it can play out. It does not always have to be how it is in the movies, it’s not always as cliché, it can be something completely different, but the feelings are the same.

“The moment you fall in love feels like it has centuries behind it, generations-all of them rearranging themselves so that this precise, remarkable intersection could happen. In your heart, in your bones, no matter how silly you know it is, you feel that everything has been leading to this, all the secret arrows were pointing here, the universe and time itself crafted this long ago, and you are just now realizing it, you are just now arriving at the place you were always meant to be,”(Levithan, Pg 23).

I am the Messenger — Markus Zusak

Review by Andrew Roberts

“The gunman is useless.” are the first words of this novel by Markus Zusak.  Ed Kennedy is an insignificant, boring person who drives taxis for a living and plays cards with his friends, Marv, Ritchie, and Audrey, every single night.  His siblings have all gone away to college, but Ed does not think about his life goals, but just lets it pass by like a breeze.  That is, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.  To be fair, he does not stop it in spectacular fashion: he starts arguing with Marv about Marv’s car (an old relic that is not worth anything) on the floor of the bank.  The burglar hears them and threatens to shoot, but Ed and Marv just do not care.  They infuriate the burglar to the point where he demands Marv’s car keys and runs out the door to make his getaway, leaving the gun on the floor of the bank.  He tries to make his getaway, but there is one issue: the car will not start.  Ed, Marv, Ritchie, and Audrey stand inside the bank, laughing, until (for some reason) Ed walks confidently out, picks up the gun, and shoots out the window of the car (with Marv wailing in the background) presumably injuring the burglar. Soon he is on the front page of every newspaper, but Ed does not enjoy it.  His fame slowly passes, and he goes on with his monotonous, everyday life.  One day, an envelope arrives on his doorstep, empty but for a lone Ace of Diamonds, listing three addresses and three times.  When Ed realizes that these addresses are his mission, the messages he has to send, his life is never the same.  

The book is divided into five sections: one for each ace (diamonds, clubs, spades, and hearts, respectively) and one joker.  Each ace has three messages, though these messages are written in different ways.  One ace has them carved in stone, while another makes Ed search for addresses in books.  The last card is the most important: the joker is the message when all is revealed and (thought I will not spoil it for you) it is very shocking.  With each message, Zusak sharpens the reader’s perspective of his main point: even the most insignificant person can make the world a better place.  The tasks Ed must do are not overly difficult or complicated, things that require nerves and things one would not do without being told,and things that change lives drastically.  As Ed sends these messages, he becomes more and more confident in himself, increasing his self-worth and making his life more purposed, which is evident in the writing.  The messages become much more personal in nature near the end, as Ed changes not only the lives of the strangers, but changes his life for the better.  He performs miracles, making lives that much better that much more purposeful. The story encourages the reader as the book goes on, with Zusak portraying Ed’s insignificance (at first) and later on his importance, showing the reader that anyone can do anything; even though someone may be the most dull soul one will ever meet, that person is still capable of miracles.  

This one by far one of the best books I have ever read.  I tend to like fictional stories that deal with important life questions, books that tend to be philosophical in nature.  This book definitely fits that category, as Ed goes on a journey of discovering meaning in his monotonous life.  Zusak does an amazing job of making the reader feel with Ed as he continues on his journey.  I have but one complaint: the ending is not explained well at all and is underwhelming.  When I came to the end, expecting a big reveal, I was disappointed, and left the book feeling so.  I could not put this book down, and I loved it.  I would recommend it to almost anyone.  People that are not into stories that make you think (I like to call them philosophical tales) might not like this as much as I did, but will enjoy it nevertheless.  You will not regret reading this book.

I am the Messenger is Zusak’s fifth book; his most famous work being the book The Book Thief which won several awards and is a motion picture of the same title.  He primarily writes books for young adults and resides in Australia.  

I am the Messenger - Markus Zusak

Knopf - 2002

Fiction

357 Pages

For the creative portion of this project, I chose to do an alternate book cover for this book.  It is shown below.  In the cover, I show all of the messages Ed must send: the four aces and joker.

The book I read was called The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov. It’s about a man named Biron Farrill who is the son of the Rancher of Widemos. When his father is killed the ones who killed him come after Biron who is attending a University on Earth. After escaping near death he travels to find out why his father was killed and what does it have to do with him.

The author Isaac Asimov was born in the Soviet Union. When his parents were immigrating to the U.S he was stowed away in their baggage at the age of 3 and became an American citizen at 8. When he was 9 he discovered his first science fiction magazine and started to write stories at 11 then submitted one at the age of 18. Although the book was rejected four months later he sold his first story. When he was 21 he wrote a short story called Nightfall and then started to write others shortly after. He now has published over 260 books doesn’t seem to be slowing up.

The book is structured in chronological order except maybe on a few occassions. At many parts of the book they use a lot of scientific terms to explain how things work and what is going on. However this can cause the book to be confusing to people at first but it eventually explains enough for them to understand. I think a major Idea in the book is that deep space travel is possible and there might be other habitable planets but that it is very complicated to do.

The book exceeded my expectations with the explanation of their technology. I was expecting it to describe how they are able to travel throughout space but I wasn’t expecting them to explain at all how it works or how they are able to find habitable planets. What fell short was that fact that I was expecting more action in the book. Instead most of the book was on a spaceship either going from place to place or it just staying still in the middle of space. And when the characters were on a planet they were there for like at most fifty pages and then back to the ship.

I would recommend this book to people are interested in science fiction and are interested in books that take place in space. This book is also kind of like a mystery because you don’t exactly know what is going to happen next and there is a real plot twist near the end of the book. However if you are interested in books that are science fiction and have a lot of action in them you might not like this book since it is lacking action, but has a lot of suspense. I thought the book was okay but that’s just me.

Title: The Stars, Like Dust

Author: Isaac Asimov

Publisher: Doubleday

Published: 1951

Pages: 231

Twin sisters Cath and Wren both loved Simon Snow. Like, they were obsessed. They related to Simon Snow, and this fan fiction got them through some major moments in their life including one with their mom. They weren’t  like any other old fan. When they were kids, their life was Simon Snow. But that was soon to change….

Cath is an obsessed Simon Smith fan. It’s still her life. Cath doesn’t want to let it go. Wren, not so much. Both sisters are going to the same college now and Wren believes that the whole Simon Snow thing was just a phase. Wren is over it. She is now in college, over the whole Simon Snow thing, and she thinks her sister should be too. Wren wants to be independent and in this well written story, she distances herself from her sister (Cath). She doesn't want to dorm with Cath, she wants to do things on her own and be independent.

When Cath and Wren don’t share a room, Cath is completely lost and isn’t in her own comfort zone. She doesn’t like it. Her new roommate isn’t what she is used to. She was pretty, had a hot boyfriend, and so many other things Cath didn’t have. Her new professor was different too. She didn’t really reside with him well because he HATED fan fiction, which is what she loved (Simon Snow). Then she met one of her peers in class. He was gorgeous to Cath. A God. This was hard. Meeting all these new people, who did things way differently than she had. She didn’t party, drink, or do well with boys.  It was all different for her, especially because she wasn’t experiencing any of it with her sister.

There were new people, new environments, new opportunities, and Cath didn’t care for any of it. She missed her life back at home where she did everything with her sister. Where she was with her loving father. Where it was okay to love Simon Snow. Where she didn’t have to be alone.

The main person/thing Cath thought about while she was miserable at her college in Nebraska was her father, and his well being. Her father hated to be alone, and he felt lonely because both of his daughters had to leave him for college. Though he was distraught, he didn’t want his kids to worry about him, so he tried to cover up his feelings, but Cath sensed them. No matter how many times her dad told her he was okay, Cath insisted that she would go back home and take care of him, leave her college and find somewhere else to go that was closer to him. Despite all the setbacks and emotions, she got into a groove. College got easier for Cath. She had a very loyal “friend”, got used to the environment, and learned a lot about herself as Cath, not as the twin or as Wren’s sister.

Rainbow Rowell, the amazing and talented author of Fangirl is a Nebraska girl herself, and chose to set this story in Nebraska as well. She lives in Omaha with her husband and two sons. Rainbow Rowell is a New York Times: Bestselling author, and this is only her second book! Her  first novel was Eleanor & Park and Attachments. Rowell writes this story beautifully, despite the swears and curses she wrote with! It is romantic and a bit sexual, full of adventure, and filled with life lessons throughout the whole novel.

I related to this book a lot. Though i’m not in college, I still went through and I am still going through many of the problems Cath (and Wren) encountered in this novel. Especially with the whole “fangirl” thing, because I myself am a fangirl. I was told a lot of the same things Cath was told about growing out of her fangirling and that she needed to get out of that “phase”. I understood Cath’s opinion on it, and also agreed. If you like something, you don’t just have to give it up. Yes, put your priorities first, but you don’t just have to give up on something you enjoy because others look down on it.

People who would enjoy this novel would be mature young adults, definitely above the age 14. People who love fiction, especially fiction set in the modern day. Fangirl is a fun, and  sexy (but not too sexy) relatable book for people who are “fangirls” and “fanboys” themselves. Even if you aren’t a “fangirl/boy”, you’ll still pick up this book and love it! It took me a little while to finish this novel because I am a slower reader, but it definitely isn’t a very easy/light read.

Fangirl

Rainbow Rowell

433 pages

September 10th, 2013