Fangirl, Vol. 1

For anyone that used to obsess over Rowell's Fangirl back in the day, which um guilty, this manga adaptation is the perfect way to reinvent the novel. The graphic novel features all sorts of detailed pictures that really bring the story to life.  It tells the vivid story we all know well by now, and this way you can actually see these characters face to face and not just in your head! This read is definitely for fans of the original novel and not newbies to the book. But that being said, it's definitely fun to see Cath's story and her fanfics with my own eyes and not just in my mind. It reads very quickly, and you can definitely finish this edition in a single setting slash day. It just fun and enjoyable! This Vol. 1 does end on such a cliffhanger, and I just want the next editions like now!

Fangirl is easily one of my favorite books of all time and I re-read it once or twice a year, so I was super excited to see a new graphic adaptation of it. I am not a manga reader, so the art style here is not really to my taste (I would have loved to see Faith Erin Hicks adapt Fangirl, as I loved her art for Pumpkinheads with Rowell) but I know so many readers love manga and certainly won't be disappointed by that. Beyond the art, I think this stayed really faithful to the story and characters, and will be ideal for those who are interested in the plot but can't/don't usually read full-length novels. I probably won't return to this, preferring instead the original, but I will recommend it far and wide to anyone who loves manga, mostly reads graphic novels, and wants to experience Fangirl for the first time.

This is a really fantastic adaptation of one of my favorite books! It sticks to the FANGIRL story and dialogue pretty closely, but there are some changes for the general flow of the story. I love the way the illustrator shows differences between Simon and Baz in the fictional Simon Snow books versus the Simon and Baz in Cath's head--that's an incredibly relatable feeling as a fan. I can't wait to read the next part!