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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
This book had so much potential. I was so in love with all of it for the first 2/3 and then the big event that changes everything happens and I don’t understand why it was necessary and I don’t understand half of what happened after since the entire writing style changed. I loved so much and was just so disappointed in the end.
cw: trauma, grief
(Full review to come on my book blog.)
Super cute story! Probably easier to read in a physical form, the kindle format just didn't do it justice. I felt like it ended kind of abruptly and I did roll my eyes a few times at the characters, but it was mostly good!
(Full review to come on my book blog.)
Super cute story! Probably easier to read in a physical form, the kindle format just didn't do it justice. I felt like it ended kind of abruptly and I did roll my eyes a few times at the characters, but it was mostly good!
can I be simultaneously disappointed and so so full? because that’s what this is
Gena/Finn is about two young women from very different backgrounds who forge a powerful friendship through fandom. As their lives seem to unravel, they find shelter in each other. The book is quite cleverly crafted in the way it is told entirely in texts, chats, blog posts, and journal entries. The form is effortless and engaging and will surely inspire readers.
Pretty good. I think the book represented the weridness and comforting aspects of online friendships forged from common fandom interests. I would argue that Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl is perhaps a more realistic take on fandom, and why people find comfort.
This book was really good in the beginning and I liked the online friendship. However, the "the incident" happened and it became super intense and not in a good way.
This was a celebration of fandom, which I really appreciated. I liked the way it was told - through messages and emails and blog posts. I've been in fandom for several years and I recognize the style of how fic is written, I recognize the slang used - it's all very authentic. It's clear that the authors have had the same experience in fandom and it made me very happy to see fandom and the good - and the bad - that comes with it.
Gena and Finn were very real characters in the way that they communicated with each other. The messages felt like they'd been ripped out of actual chat logs and they were both well-rounded characters. It validates internet friendships, which is nice, and problems show up that don't consume the story - the book revolves around the relationship between Gena and Finn.
It's so cool, in fact, that you get a sense of all these characters from just online correspondences. I didn't like Charlie at first, but he got better and I became more sympathetic towards him. It was funny how they always talked about TylerGirl93 because, yeah, that happens in fandom too. I just wish we got more of the backstory about Zack because it seemed really shallow.
A lot of other things could have been cleared up - why didn't Gena's parents care more about her, why exactly was Charlie so jealous of Gena. I feel like this book could have gone another way or been longer, because I feel like I was left hanging. I also wish that we got more about the fandom itself - look, I don't dabble in TV fandom but Fangirl had a fandom that was clearly based off something and I think how a fictional fandom was shown could have been dealt with better.
Gena and Finn were very real characters in the way that they communicated with each other. The messages felt like they'd been ripped out of actual chat logs and they were both well-rounded characters. It validates internet friendships, which is nice, and problems show up that don't consume the story - the book revolves around the relationship between Gena and Finn.
Spoiler
Finn and her relationship with Charlie was nice to see because it's a struggle I guess a lot of young adults have, and so is Gena's mental illness. It felt very much like two people with hectic lives trying to live it out the best they could.It's so cool, in fact, that you get a sense of all these characters from just online correspondences. I didn't like Charlie at first, but he got better and I became more sympathetic towards him. It was funny how they always talked about TylerGirl93 because, yeah, that happens in fandom too. I just wish we got more of the backstory about Zack because it seemed really shallow.
Spoiler
I also didn't like how sudden it was that the accident happened and Zack died. I felt like that was a totally unprecedented plot twist and I really wish that it went on with a happy ending to fandom because that was really kind of disappointing. I enjoyed the book up until then; after that, it got fuzzy about Gena and Finn's relationship.A lot of other things could have been cleared up - why didn't Gena's parents care more about her, why exactly was Charlie so jealous of Gena. I feel like this book could have gone another way or been longer, because I feel like I was left hanging. I also wish that we got more about the fandom itself - look, I don't dabble in TV fandom but Fangirl had a fandom that was clearly based off something and I think how a fictional fandom was shown could have been dealt with better.
Really, this is a 3.5. There is a weird inconsistency in terms of the authenticity of the characters' dynamics here, which shift from being super, painfully believable to not so much, and not always in ways that seem intentional. I do think the representation of fandom is really, really heartfelt and true.
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ehhh. I liked things about it but the tonal shift was very strange and the editing was kinda subpar, like email headers that were incorrect and such, and other weird formatting things that made it hard to follow in spots.
I really really liked this book. Didn't actually think I would, with the mix of Chats and Mails and Letters and everything like that but no "actual" scenes but only reading about what happened, but the characters were really likable and felt very alive, and I could absolutely understand how everyone acted and why. I also liked how even though it was "just" an internet friendship, there were very real problems and issues, even from the beginning, and I just really liked it a lot. The first 200 pages I laughed a lot, and then the last 100 I did the exact opposite. It's not really just a feel good book, because of what happens and then there's a lot of drama and sadness and stuff, so it really doesn't end the way it starts, but I personally liked how it was handled and where everything ended up. (And funnily enough, just a few days before I was talking to a friend about what kind of relationship I would love to see more in books, and then this book had exactly that, so that was pretty great.)
Could it have been better? Yes, probably, and also the change in tone could have gotten more warning, so it didn't come out of nowhere if you didn't expect it, but also I still enjoyed it so much, and was really in love with the story.
Could it have been better? Yes, probably, and also the change in tone could have gotten more warning, so it didn't come out of nowhere if you didn't expect it, but also I still enjoyed it so much, and was really in love with the story.