I enjoyed Rainbow Rowell's Attachments so I decided I would read her other works.
I have an ebook copy of Fangirl and Carry On. I decided to read Fangirl first.
The story is about identical girl twins who are fans of the fictional series Simon Snow by Gemma T. Leslie. They love the series so much that they have made their own fanfic. Fan fiction is spinning your own story from original characters created by published authors. In Wattpad, a lot of fanfic stories are available like Lord of the Rings, some fans made their own story of Legolas. In fact, the book Fifty Shades of Grey started as a fanfic of Twilight. Anyway, Cather and Wren started to create their own Simon and Baz stories. In their story, Simon and Baz (two of the main characters in the series and are archenemies) are in love with each other (gay relationship). Their stories have made a wide following. Each post has reached a thousand followers and readers were always anticipating for their next posts. The eight book of the Simon Snow series is going to be out in the next few months. Cath needs to make sure that she finishes her Carry on, Simon story before the last book is out and the whole series ends. The challenge is in getting it done along with surviving College and its subject requirements such as fiction writing, boy drama, his dad's relapse into manic overworking, her sister's excessive drinking and partying and their absent mother's trying to go back into their lives.
I did not love the book. Rowell's writing is good and there were a lot of very good and very smart lines. I just felt there was something lacking and I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it failed to draw more emotion from me or I felt I was not so engaged in the story. I was not transported to another place which is what makes me love to read. I was left sitting in my bedroom. Again, I am not sure what the book felt wanting. I felt bored reading through the excerpts from the Simon Snow series. I think they need not be there though I understand the purpose they served. I think the chapters could be understood without the excerpts. That's just what I think. I did enjoy the Levi and Cath chapters. Sometimes I feel sorry for Cath, irritated at times and sometimes I wished her character were a bit stronger but I came to like her more as her character evolved. I did not like the ending also. I think it was so abrupt. Like the author run out of things to say and just left it there. It left the readers to think what really happened next, though it could be understood from the last parts. I like that Cath was able to finish her fiction writing requirement and her Simon story ending too. But I really wish there was more to the last chapter. It felt like it was purposely left that way so some fans or readers can continue it in their own fan fiction.
I give the book two stars. I just did not enjoy all of it. There were times I was tempted to put it down and do away with it but I always felt as a lover of books that I need to respect each writer and each work. I need to finish each book I started, though sometimes I had to stop and it would sometimes take me months to go back to them. My rule is always to finish the book. I understand that a lot of effort is put into getting the book out and the fact that it got published means that there was some merit to it though it's always the readers prerogative to see it or not.
I may have to read other of Rowell's books. I started reading Carry on and it was so-so so far. It still remains to be seen if I will like it. I am going through the pages in search for something, I don't know what it is yet. I will try to read some of her other books but so far, Attachments may have been her best work yet.
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