Review: Fangirl, Vol. 1: The Manga

Title: Fangirl, Vol. 1: The Manga
Author: Sam Maggs, Rainbow Rowell, Gabi Nam (illustrator)
Genre: Manga, Young Adult
Publisher: VIZ Media
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 13, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The manga adaptation of the beloved novel by #1 Bestselling author Rainbow Rowell!
New York Journal of Books

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, everybody is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath just can’t let go. Now that they’re in college, Cath must decide if she’s ready to start living her own life. But does she even want to if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Cath doesn’t need friends IRL. She has her twin sister, Wren, and she’s a popular fanfic writer in the Simon Snow community with thousands of fans online.  But now that she’s in college, Cath is completely outside of her comfort zone. There are suddenly all these new people in her life. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming boyfriend, a writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome new writing partner … And she’s barely heard from Wren all semester!

Review:

Cath writes fanfiction for her favourite fantasy series about Simon Snow. When she goes to university, she brings her favourite Simon Snow memorabilia. Her twin sister also started at the same university, but she wants them to have some distance and meet new people at school. Cath misses her sister and she lives with a grumpy roommate. Her roommate doesn’t understand her obsession with Simon Snow and has a boyfriend who is always around. Cath starts to feel settled in her writing classes when she gets a writing partner. Though Cath loves writing fanfiction, she soon finds out that that kind of story won’t work in her creative writing class.

I loved Fangirl when I read the novel a few years ago. Anyone who has been involved in any kind of fandom can relate to Cath’s obsession with Simon Snow. She uses her Simon Snow fanfiction as a way to express herself. She even has a fan base of her own, with thousands of people reading each of her chapter updates.

This is a great adaptation. At the end of the book, it said that it was part one of four, so I’m hoping there will be three more parts in this series. Since this was a manga adaptation of Fangirl, it was almost like a kind of fanfiction, even though it’s an official adaptation.

I really enjoyed this manga!

What to read next:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Have you read Fangirl, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – November 23

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

This weekend I finished Fangirl, Vol. 1: The Manga by Sam Maggs, Rainbow Rowell, Gabi Nam (illustrator).

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading The Woman Outside My Door by Rachel Ryan.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – November 22

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 9 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… Fangirl, Vol. 1: The Manga

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I’m reading Fangirl, Vol. 1: The Manga by Sam Maggs, Rainbow Rowell, Gabi Nam (illustrator).

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The manga adaptation of the beloved novel by #1 Bestselling author Rainbow Rowell!
New York Journal of Books

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, everybody is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath just can’t let go. Now that they’re in college, Cath must decide if she’s ready to start living her own life. But does she even want to if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Cath doesn’t need friends IRL. She has her twin sister, Wren, and she’s a popular fanfic writer in the Simon Snow community with thousands of fans online.  But now that she’s in college, Cath is completely outside of her comfort zone. There are suddenly all these new people in her life. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming boyfriend, a writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome new writing partner … And she’s barely heard from Wren all semester!

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Children’s Books I’d Love to Read

This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Children’s Books I’d Love to Read. Here’s my list:

1. Keeper of the Lost Cities (Keeper of the Lost Cities #1) by Shannon Messenger

2. The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories #1) by Chris Colfer

3. Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel by Megan Morrison

4. Charmed (Fairy Tale Reform School #2) by Jen Calonita

5. Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly

6. Fairest of All (Villains #1) by Serena Valentino

(All book covers from Goodreads)

Did you make a Six for Sunday list?

Review: Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite

Title: Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite
Author: Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker (editors)
Genre: Young Adult, Short Stories, Fantasy
Publisher: Imprint
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 22, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Eleven fresh vampire stories from young adult fiction’s leading voices!

In this delicious new collection, you’ll find stories about lurking vampires of social media, rebellious vampires hungry for more than just blood, eager vampires coming out―and going out for their first kill―and other bold, breathtaking, dangerous, dreamy, eerie, iconic, powerful creatures of the night.

Welcome to the evolution of the vampire―and a revolution on the page.

Vampires Never Get Old includes stories by authors both bestselling and acclaimed, including Samira Ahmed, Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Tessa Gratton, Heidi Heilig, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Rebecca Roanhorse, Laura Ruby, Victoria “V. E.” Schwab, and Kayla Whaley. 

Review:

This is an amazing collection of modern vampire stories. Vampire stories have gone out of style in recent years, after the popularity of Twilight. People had said they had been overdone, but there are so many more vampire stories to tell. The white, heterosexual, privileged vampire story has been told many times, but this collection has a diverse range of characters, with queer and disabled characters from a variety of nationalities.

These stories were so original. I would have loved to see any of them turned into a full novel. They had rich settings and diverse characters. There was a Desi story and a Latinx story, and even a story about a vampire in a wheelchair. I’ve never read anything like these stories before, and I loved them! After each story, the editors wrote a paragraph about the vampire trope that was being flipped in the story. These sections showed how much thought went into each story and their placement in the collection.

Each story had a different origin story for vampires and different rules that vampires had to follow. In some, they couldn’t see their reflection in mirrors, while they couldn’t in others. Some vampires turned their victims into vampires against their will, and in others the victim had the choice to be turned into a vampire or not. There were also a couple of stories about vampire slayers, including First Kill by Victoria Schwab, which is being turned into a TV show.

This is one of my favourite books of 2020! I’ll definitely be recommending it for a long time.

What to read next:

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tuchloke (editor)

His Hideous Heart by Dahlia Adler (editor)

Have you read Vampires Never Get Old? What did you think of it?

Top 5 Saturday – Books with 2 Authors

This is a weekly meme hosted Devouring Books. This week’s prompt is Books with 2 Authors. Here’s my list:

1. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

2. The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige

3. All This Time by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott

4. Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore

5. Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

(All book covers from Goodreads)

If you’d like to do this list too, consider yourself tagged!

Did you make a Top 5 Saturday list?

Review: Heartstopper: Vol. 1

Title: Heartstopper: Vol. 1
Author: Alice Oseman
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Romance, LGBT
Publisher: Graphix
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 7, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more…?

Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn’t been too great, but at least he’s not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He’s heard a little about Charlie – the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months – but he’s never had the opportunity to talk to him.
They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner…

Review:

Charlie is an openly gay student at an all-boys school. He has a secret relationship with another boy at school, who is not openly gay. When the new school year begins, Charlie meets Nick, a boy who’s a year older than him. Charlie and Nick get closer and closer, with Charlie developing feelings for him. Charlie worries that he has a crush on a straight boy, but is Nick really straight?

This was such a sweet love story. There weren’t a lot of words on the pages, which let the actions speak for themselves. Their body language was shown in the illustrations, which told most of the story. My only critique of the illustrations is that Ben, the boy Charlie was with at the beginning of the story, and Nick looked alike. They were both tall, with blonde hair and a similar body structure. This shows that Charlie has a type, but it made it a little confusing to tell them apart at the beginning of the story.

There were scenes of bullying and a sexual assault. Charlie was bullied for being openly gay. He was even bullied by Ben, the boy he kissed at the beginning. For some reason, since Charlie was open with his sexuality, the other students thought they could treat him any way they wanted. These were disturbing and upsetting scenes, but they told an honest side to Charlie’s story.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! I’m excited to read the next one.

What to read next:

Heartstopper: Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell, Faith Erin Hicks (illustrator)

Other books in the series:

  • Heartstopper: Vol. 2
  • Heartstopper: Vol. 3

Have you read Heartstopper: Vol. 1? What did you think of it?

First Lines Friday – November 20

This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.

Here are my first lines:

“You already know the story of the American Revolution, and the birth of the American monarchy.”

Do you recognize these first lines?

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And the book is… American Royals (American Royals #1) by Katharine McGee.

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Goodreads synopsis:

What if America had a royal family? 

When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne.

As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America’s first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling.

Nobody cares about the spare except when she’s breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn’t care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her.

And then there’s Samantha’s twin, Prince Jefferson. If he’d been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart. 

Check out my review for American Royals here.

Have you read American Royals? What did you think of it?

Review: Majesty (American Royals #2)

Title: Majesty (American Royals #2)
Author: Katharine McGee
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Random House
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Is America ready for its first queen?

Power is intoxicating. Like first love, it can leave you breathless. Princess Beatrice was born with it. Princess Samantha was born with less. Some, like Nina Gonzalez, are pulled into it. And a few will claw their way in. Ahem, we’re looking at you Daphne Deighton.

As America adjusts to the idea of a queen on the throne, Beatrice grapples with everything she lost when she gained the ultimate crown. Samantha is busy living up to her “party princess” persona…and maybe adding a party prince by her side. Nina is trying to avoid the palace–and Prince Jefferson–at all costs. And a dangerous secret threatens to undo all of Daphne’s carefully laid “marry Prince Jefferson” plans.

A new reign has begun….

Review:

Princess Beatrice has become the first Queen in American history following the death of her father. She has to take a stand to prove that she will be a good Queen for the people. Her first task is to get married. Meanwhile, her sister and heir, Samantha, is making a splash as a party princess, which leads to an unexpected relationship. Their brother, Jefferson’s ex-girlfriends plot against each other to try to win him back. There was lots of drama and romance to start off Queen Beatrice’s reign.

American Royals was my favourite book of 2019. I was a little hesitant to read Majesty because I worried it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I loved this sequel and I found it so inspiring. American Royals actually inspired my own writing, so I loved seeing the story continue in this sequel.

This story touched on so many important issues in the lives of royalty. Beatrice had to make a statement as a strong Queen, but she was ruled by the men in her life and told to submit to a marriage. The press was also an important part of their lives. Jeff’s girlfriends Daphne and Nina had to be careful with how they behaved because it could make front page news. Samantha did create a bit of a scandal by making a headline that affected her love life. They even had to deal with racial issues, when one character started dating a black man and that was commented on by the press. These were all contemporary issues that royalty has to deal with in real life, so it made the story feel more real.

This is an amazing sequel! I was happy with the ending, but I would also love to revisit these characters in more books.

What to read next:

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Other books in the series:

Have you read Majesty? What did you think of it?