Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
It's 4 am.
I read the last 230 pages in one fell swoop.
I cried about 4 times over the course of those pages because shit got too real and I wasn't ready.
Its weird. But please read it.
I read the last 230 pages in one fell swoop.
I cried about 4 times over the course of those pages because shit got too real and I wasn't ready.
Its weird. But please read it.
Albeit a bit hesitant at first, I was excited to delve into the fangirl world of Gena/Finn and was certainly not disappointed. This story follows high school senior Gena and twenty-something Finn as they connect on an online fan-fiction forum for their favorite telephone show, Up Below. I was immediately drawn in by the very realistic relationship created between the two-- the honesty they shared and the unique nature of an online friendship.
That being said, I was a bit thrown off by a curveball thrown into the plot. I will not go too in-depth because of spoilers, but I was not a fan of the sudden shift as a whole. That being said, I found the writing to be consistently stellar, tackling the truths of identity and trauma in a beautiful light.
3.5 STARS!
That being said, I was a bit thrown off by a curveball thrown into the plot. I will not go too in-depth because of spoilers, but I was not a fan of the sudden shift as a whole. That being said, I found the writing to be consistently stellar, tackling the truths of identity and trauma in a beautiful light.
3.5 STARS!
In the beginning this book felt like it was trying to copy Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl. I don't still feel that, but still gave only three stars. The build up to the meaningful portion was slow for me. Then it ended without resolving some of the relationships I wanted resolved. So, perhaps it is selfishness that drives this review.
Quick read, and ended up being much more than it seemed so I was pleasantly surprised. If you can get past the first 50-60 pages of slow and boring nonsense (admittedly I just about gave up and was going to pick up something else instead), the middle and ending are worth it.
This was a surprise! I actually had very little idea of what it was about going in.
This book definitely has strengths. The epistolary style is well applied to an online/fandom friendship and the authors definitely understand fan experiences. Honestly, finding someone who sails your ship? The incredible toxicity of a Big Name Fan? Valid. So valid. The last quarter or so of the book, though, is just a mess. Everything feels unresolved. I disliked Gena's poetry so it felt like her voice disappeared from that part of the story when it was most needed.
Overall a solid beginning that fumbled when it attempted to tackle too many major issues and ended up feeling rushed and incomplete. That said, I adore epistolary novels and appreciated the good representation of fandom experiences, so I'm biased and giving it three stars.
Overall a solid beginning that fumbled when it attempted to tackle too many major issues and ended up feeling rushed and incomplete. That said, I adore epistolary novels and appreciated the good representation of fandom experiences, so I'm biased and giving it three stars.
This was a wonderful story about fandoms, friendships, trauma, and love. Honestly, this is nothing like Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. The mixed media way of telling the story was great. The connection of Finn and Gena was superb I appreciate that while most of the premise revolves around the fandom of a show, it also addressed how some fans take things too far. But most importantly, internet relationships are real relationships. Don't discredit them.
Spoiler
although I was a bit torn up about them not ending up together. I liked Charlie, and polyamory is definitely a thing.
The first thing I want to say about "Gena/Finn" is that, in my opinion, the marketing and title did not match the book and that I was set up for an outcome that did not happen and it left me feeling angry and betrayed. If you are a lesbian and/or looking for a wlw story, I strongly encourage you to check out the spoiler a few paragraphs down.
The second is that if you are looking for a light, fluffy read DO NOT, under any circumstances, read this book.
None of this is to say that the book isn't good. It is intense and emotional and honestly real about fangirl experiences though perhaps a little more extreme and complicated than most of us will go through.
It uses blog posts, Tumblr, (sent and unsent) emails, journal entries, poems written by the characters, and text conversations to tell the story and it is one of the best examples I've seen of that kind of storytelling. I've read several books that use those types of vehicles to tell a story, and I don't think I've experienced anyone better able to pull the reader into the story when doing so.
do not end up together romantically . Their friendship is one of the most amazing I've seen displayed in fiction, but they don't end up together nor do either of them end up with a woman . Because of that, I felt disappointed in the book and angry for being misled, and it left a bad taste in my mouth, personally. Further, I'm not likely to read more from these authors.
This is a solid book plot, character development, and style wise, but I'm still mad about how I was set up to expect a very different book.
The second is that if you are looking for a light, fluffy read DO NOT, under any circumstances, read this book.
None of this is to say that the book isn't good. It is intense and emotional and honestly real about fangirl experiences though perhaps a little more extreme and complicated than most of us will go through.
It uses blog posts, Tumblr, (sent and unsent) emails, journal entries, poems written by the characters, and text conversations to tell the story and it is one of the best examples I've seen of that kind of storytelling. I've read several books that use those types of vehicles to tell a story, and I don't think I've experienced anyone better able to pull the reader into the story when doing so.
Spoiler
Now, this story does have elements characters of questioning sexuality, etcetera, so it is an LGBT story. One of the girls admits that she does sometimes feel attraction to other ladies. However, these girlsThis is a solid book plot, character development, and style wise, but I'm still mad about how I was set up to expect a very different book.
Gena/Finn is another case study of "great idea, somewhat disappointing narrative". While I commend its attempts to capture the complexity of sexuality (particularly bisexuality), I again felt somewhat disappointed, though I could not pinpoint my main issues. If I had to hazard a guess, it would be that I felt like I was reading yet another novel about a woman who loves a woman end poorly--something that is relatively common in YA and middle grade reads. I loved the concept of a 21st century epistolary novel, and felt the characters were authentic and lovable. The inclusion of fan culture was genius. All in all, a relatively fantastic novel.