Title: Secrets of a Fangirl
Author: Erin M. Dionne
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 28, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Sarah Anne loves lacrosse, and the MK Nightshade series that everyone was obsessed over in grade school. The problem is that she’s still obsessed, which is way too nerdy for a popular kid like her. So she hides her geekiness with a set of rules meant to keep her geek and jock selves separate.
Except when she’s offered a spot in a Nightshade fandom contest, where the winner gets to see the new movie premiere in LA. No one seems to think Sarah Anne can win, since she’s up against a pair of guys in high school–but the more she’s called a fake fan, the more determined she is to wipe the floor with her competition. As long as none of her friends or anyone at school knows what she’s doing.
Can she keep her geek identity a secret, win the contest, and manage to keep her friends even though she’s been living a lie? Sarah Anne is going to have to make some choices about what’s truly important to her and which rules she’s going to break to stay true to herself.
Review:
I loved this book!
I could really relate to Sarah Anne, the main character. She was a huge fan of a series called Nightshade, but she had to hide it from her friends. Her friends no longer thought it was “cool” to belong to a fandom, so Sarah Anne had to pretend that she didn’t like it anymore either. When she enters a contest online and wins, entering her into a fandom challenge, her secret “geeky” identity is put on display. I could relate to this because I remember in middle school and high school when liking geeky things, like fantasy book series or video games, was uncool. I didn’t even realize it at the time, but I chose to ignore the fandoms that I loved, so that I could fit in with the rest of my classmates and friends. Now that I’m older, I wear tons of fandom gear, and I’m not afraid for anyone to know what geeky things I love.
I kept cringing at Sarah Anne’s popular friends. They were mean to so many kids, just because they liked certain movies and fandoms. One boy even expected Sarah Anne to keep up her position on the lacrosse team, because he couldn’t be seen with her if she wasn’t the best. This was so sad to read about, but it is definitely a real part of school. There are always the mean kids who think they can control what everyone else does in the school. The important thing is to continue to stand up for what you believe in.
This was a great book!
Thank you to Scholastic for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Tournament Trouble by Sylv Chiang
The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne
About the Author:
Erin Dionne’s latest book for tweens is Lights, Camera, Disaster (Scholastic 2018). Her other novels are Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies, The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet, and Notes from an Accidental Band Geek.
Her novel Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking: A 14 Day Mystery, is based on the real-life Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist and was a 2014 Edgar Award finalist. The series continues with Ollie and the Science of Treasure Hunting. Her first picture book, Captain’s Log: Snowbound, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler, was released in 2018 and received a starred review from Kirkus.
A graduate of Boston College (BA English & Communications) and Emerson College (MFA), she teaches at Montserrat College of Art and lives outside of Boston with her husband, two children, and a very indignant dog.
Blog Tour Schedule:
May 20th
Dazzled by Books– Promo + Bookstagram
Struck by Stories– Review
The Book Dutchesses– Review
May 21st
Kayla Reads and Reviews– Review
Musings of a (Book) Girl– Interview + Bookstagram
The Reading Corner for All– Review + Bookstagram
May 22nd
onemused– Bookstagram + Review
Kait Plus Books– Guest Post + Bookstagram
Rhythmicbooktrovert– Review + Favorite Quotes
May 23rd
The Clever Reader– Interview
Jill’s Book Blog– Review
Moonlight Rendezvous– Review + Favorite Quotes
May 24th
L.M. Durand– Promo & Bookstagram
Vicarious Bookworm– Review + Playlist
Bookwyrming Thoughts– Review
Thank you The Fantastic Flying Book Club and Scholastic for letting me participate in this blog tour.
Have you read Secrets of a Fangirl? What did you think of it?
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