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Kaysee Hood (83 KP) rated Fangirl in Books

Nov 16, 2017  
Fangirl
Fangirl
Rainbow Rowell | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)
10
8.9 (46 Ratings)
Book Rating
Twin Life (4 more)
College Life
Mental Illness
Carry On
Fan Fic
Fangirl speaks to the hearts of the current generation of teenagers and young adults who have found love in fandoms but cannot seem to figure it out in the real world when their heads are in the clouds full of fanfics and theories.

As we grow to become adults we must venture through events of many firsts like kissing, love, heartbreak, and more. It is how we figure out who we are, who we want to be, and where we want to go even if sometimes the road is not easy to travel; however, for Cath she was never alone with her twin sister and she never experienced much other than living through Wren. This was until Freshmen year of college because Wren wants to separate herself from Cath. They've done everything together since birth. Cath does not want this. Cath does not want the space. She's scared not to have Wren feet away. She's fearful of the strangeness college will offer. She's terrified she's crazy and people will find her weird for the Simon and Baz fanfics she's written.


Wren does not give in. She moves in with her roommate, Coutrny, and spends her free time getting drunk at parties. She distances herself from Cath to the point they do not even speak. Thus Cath finds out who she is under the layers she’s wrapped around herself since her mom left without Wren to hold her hand and keep her steady. Oh boy, does this journey give her more adventures she has ever had in the last eighteen years of life all because of Nick (writing partner), Reagan (her roommate), and most importantly Levi (the boy who is always waiting outside her dorm for Reagan). There are other important characters at play in Cath’s life. Miniature quests wrapped around the biggest one of all: Cath learning to be her own person.

Rowell’s style is very pleasing when it comes to the flow between Cath around people in real life and how Cath is when she is logged in FanFixx posting Carry On, Simon chapters. We can relate to the girl who has hidden in her room relying on Wren to give little breathes of life from the one she is not living. She is realistic and not a carbon copy twisted to fit into a new plot to gain readers. In general Rowell writes her characters exquisitely as they stand out being not only realistic versions of possibly real people we could run into on the street, but all have their own lives not pieced together solely to further the plot for Cath alone shown with each word written through their actions or when they speak. Each could stand alone as interesting additions instead of misplaced messes. Even the subplots do not feel tacked on and further the story until the final page is done where it is easy to see how each line led to the end.

By the end of it all none of it felt overdone or predictable and I personally stood behind Cath cheering for her. Anyone could read Fangirl and enjoy Cath’s voyage alone as a Freshmen in college, but I think the fangirls and fanboys might enjoy it a bit more. Pick up a copy as soon as possible to learn how Cath’s story ends.
  
The Baggage Handler
The Baggage Handler
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
n a similar vein to The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews or Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory, The Baggage Handler is a contemporary story that explores one question: What baggage are you carrying?



Three people take a flight that will change their lives forever. Fresh off a run-in with his wife, harried businessman David disembarks the plane angry and impatient. Gillian thought she would be more excited about coming to her niece’s wedding, but she is just hoping to survive. Malcolm has gambled everything on this trip to start his fledgling artistic career. To him, failure means working in hardware in what his father calls “a real job.” After each picks up the wrong suitcase, they make their way to a mysterious baggage depot in a deserted part of the city. There they meet the Baggage Handler, who shows them there is more in their baggage than what they have packed. A simple baggage mix-up at the airport is more than an inconvenience when it forces three people to face the baggage they are unknowingly carrying around.



My Thoughts: This was an eye-opening story about how we carry our troubles or "baggage" with us every day. This becomes such a habit that we can be so unaware that we are in truth carrying so much with us that we don't have to. Why not feel free and give it all to the one who says He will carry all our troubles and burdens?


This is a wonderful reminder from the author that we need not burden ourselves, that we can live the life we want. I really enjoyed this novel, it brought to my attention that we all need to look inside and take inventory and just let go anything that is bringing us down. I could completely relate to Michael and Gillian with the baggage they were carrying. This is a book that catches the readers' attention from beginning to end and can totally relate to in many aspects. The reader can identify with any of the characters in this novel. This is a novel I truly enjoyed and highly recommend it to others.
  
A Secret History of Witches
A Secret History of Witches
Louisa Morgan | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A whirlwind through time
If you are a lover of historical books and fantasy novels then you might like this. Set in a wide range of time periods, ending just after the second world war, this story follows the life of generations of Romani witches in their struggles to survive.
Even though it took me a while to get into the book (hence the 6 rating) it was really interesting following the lives and struggles of each orchire woman from when they first discover their gift until they have their own daughter to carry on the line. it is amazing to see the development of so many generations of women and you end up feeling part of their story as you watch, sometimes with horror, the trials that they go through just for having the gift of magic.
It is a perfect story that shows how actions have consiquences and how much they were willing to fight for what they love.
I will not go into too much detail but surfice to say it gets more interesting the further you read and the last section of the book was by far the best.
It took me a long time to get into it however i persisted and it was totally worth it.