Fangirl is a cute, fluffy book, exactly what i expect of a rainbow rowell novel. For me and i cant believe im admitting this it was at age 12, when i discovered good charlotte. Its about so much more than mental illness which is why i love it so much. And its not a book that just undermines the loyalty of any fandom, but its one that totally gets them. To ask other readers questions about fangirl, please sign up. Why do you think so much ya treats these issues as. A plea for fangirls everywhere to scale down their obsessions we all have that stage where we obsessively fangirl over something. Nami, the national alliance on mental illness, is the nations largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of americans affected by mental illness. I think the problem was that i went into it expecting for it to be a full book of those chapters and thats where it ended up falling flat for me. I dont know if i should recommend this book to you.
Azas mental illness just felt so real, and there were times where i felt sick to my stomach for her. The fourth theme woven throughout fangirl is family dysfunction. Though a bit late, i had a lot of thoughts i wanted to express about the latest in comic book movie ventures, todd phillips the joker. This is a fantasy duology and probably doesnt scream mental illness but it is so much more than just an epic fantasy tale. Rowells fangirl is not only a true rendition of an actual fangirl in real life, it is a book we finally get that so many of us relate to and its actually good. Im giving fangirl five stars and a huge high five to rainbow rowell. Rainbow rowells fangirl would be better if it had more to say. In rainbow rowells fangirl, cath is a simon snow fan. If the person has a treatable mental illness, that treatment can help clear the way for more effectively addressing spiritual issues. According to the most recent data from the national institute of mental health, one is six adults in the united states live with a mental illness. In fact, persistent, impulsive anger is a symptom of mental illness. If only one voice in fandom rose above all others this year, it was undoubtedly that of introverted dreamer cath, the protagonist of rainbow rowells novel fangirl.
A first rate madness, uncovering the links between leadership and mental illness. Read fangirl a novel by rainbow rowell available from rakuten kobo. Fangirl is a young adult novel by rainbow rowell, published in 20. This book will find a wide audience, especially among older fans of harry potter. Levi is just the most amazing character i have come across always happy and just there. Fangirls, stay away from tumblr the new school free press.
It is a story about cath, whose mother left when she was little, whose father suffers from mental illness, and who may not be quite ready for all the changes in her life that going off to college will bring. Jun 07, 2018 a quick apology for the length of this post. It as if the veil has been lifted and the blinders have been opened. Smith is a licensed therapist and a selfproclaimed fangirl whose book, the fangirl life, combines her knowledge of both areas. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section. Hunger games characters vs mental illness fangirl 101. I think you just have to get through the first part of fangirl, because there will come lovely parts that you just have to read. It might sound like your usual boymeetsgirl or typical love cures mental illness but trust me, its not. Its basically just me fangirling over fangirl, having a mental breakdown and then somehow turning it all around on sunday hope you enjoy and if you participated in the contemporaryathon too. I absolutely adored this book and now i really want to read carry on even though, you know, its about simon snow and not cath.
The content truly initiates a massive revolutionary paradigm shift in the way mental health is viewed. Mental health issues are more prevalent among the workforce than employers may realize, and, for many employees, work is a factor in the mental health symptoms they experience. Considering this book has links to mental health such as social anxiety it was not portrayed properly. A comingofage tale of fan fiction, family and first love. Her fangirl opinions can be heard on the podcasts hyperspace theories and fangirls going rogue. The characters in this book are so relatable and realistic, with cath and her social anxiety, daily worries and awkwardness, her fathers mental health and wren going off the rails. Fangirl is a story for anyone who prefers fictional worlds over the real one, who struggles with social anxiety, family troubles, and adjusting to new experiences. The end of mental illness has got to be the most powerfully enlightening book ever written by dr. To say i was a big fan of the band is to put it lightly. May 14, 2014 carlahockey04 leave a comment it is a wellknown fact that fangirling and the internet go hand in hand, as how could someone fangirl if they do not have anyone to do it with or enough information to have a wellrounded opinion. Mar 23, 2019 helping teens better understand their mental life, as well as better cultivating the language to openly communicate about it, are ya books about mental illness. The plot is multilayered and filled with complex subjects such as divorce, abandonment, and mental illness handled in a realistic manner, and the writing effortlessly and seamlessly weaves these threads together. The twins father is mentally unstable and this fact influences the majority of the events that happen in the novel.
Girl, interrupted, though one of the more wellknown books or movies about mental illness, is certainly not the only popular representation of mental illness out there, but it has, maybe more so than others, resonated deeply with young women. Physicians and other mental health professionals use the dsmiv to. Books can bring comfort to those suffering from mental illness and increase awareness among family, friends, and peers. But i dont recommend the simon snow parts to any harry potter fan. I felt for her and what she was going through throughout the story. Frustrated does not even begin to describe my current state of being. Cath and her father suffer from different neurosis, and it isnt simple, because illness isnt pretty. Now, i didnt go as far as fainting, but i was a little lost for words. But people who are receiving mental health treatment have. Smith spoke with inverse about how fandom and mental health. Does caths anxiety come from her dads nature, or her moms nurture or lack thereof. Mustread young adult books about mental health sheppard. Tricia barrs novel, wynde, won the 2014 independent publisher book award gold medal for best science fictionfantasyhorror ebook. Just before finals, caths father has a bipolar episode, and is involuntarily committed.
I felt it was right up my alley and so easy to read. If youre looking for books to help a teen whos struggling or to increase your own understanding of mental health issues, these books can get you started. Fangirl is so very well done and i cant recommend it more. Fangirl is a cute and poignant read for fangirls and fanboys of all ages. If someone likes something and is obsessed thats totally different from liking something and deciding to cut. I decided to work with that, since it is a big topic in the books and the movies. May 14, 2014 is fangirling and internet addiction a mental illness. Psychologists say that belonging to a fandom is amazing. Fandoms, as theyve grown to be called, are a group of people who all admire or support a particular entity in popular culture, usually in the case of television shows, book series, movies.
Rainbow rowells fangirl, published early last month, is a tender. Each of the main characters deals with their own demons and kaz brekker is particular tries to carry on with major ptsd. Davis may 23, 2016 may is mental health awareness month and a great time to explore the many writers who write on diverse topics related to mental health and mental illness. When fangirl was chosen as the inaugural book for the tumblr book club, a tumblr representative noted its themes of loving books and creating art, its appeal to readers of all ages, and rowells existing fan base on the social media platform as reasons for the choice.
These posts arent going to be this long every week, but since this is the first time i write about my mental health i really wanted to go ahead and give a bit of an overview to my mental illnesses and the journey ive been on. And what helped get me there was fangirl by rainbow rowell. Best mental illness and selfharm books this list is different from the other mental health books because it includes a variety of genres and mental health topics. But also read fangirl for the way rowell so respectfully portrayed characters with mental illness, without judging or stereotypes or harmful language or assumptions. Is it easier for twins to develop separate identities if they arent identical.
May 23, 2014 janey malooney, for a book thats trying to give sympathetic portrayals of mental illness, it sure takes every opportunity to do the opposite. I feel trapped, suffocated, dying on the inside, and all the while not wanting to upset anyone if i choose to perform some selfcare. The part of me that struggled through the other chapters will tell you this was a disappointing read. This channel has analyzations, predictions, timelines, theories, and always lots of discussions. This is a constant source of stress for cath, whether related to her mothers abandonment and return, wrens desire to strike out on her own and subsequent alcoholism, or her father, arts struggles with mental illness. Fangirl contains very nuanced portrayals of mental illness and also learning disabilities. Levi also shows that he is intending their relationship to be longterm by driving cath home and meeting her father. Fangirl akilah young adult lit february 10, 2014 february 17, 2014 2 minutes i just have to say up front that fangirl by rainbow rowell is the type of story i love to read, and the type of story i want to see more of in ya lit. While that is undoubtedly part of the narrative, in my opinion, it is not the focal. These are my complaints, or at least they would have been if fangirl had done us the courtesy of a structured and consistent plot. But i loved landline and was looking forward to exploring her other novels. Is fangirling and internet addiction a mental illness.
A lot of the book is influenced by cather and her relationship with her sister and dad and lack of relationship with her mom. Jun 27, 2018 the part of me that connected with those chapters on mental illness will tell you she loved this. I never read any of her ya books before although elenor and park has been on my tbr for months now. I had seen a story i think unlike any other white house reporter in history. Sep 12, 2017 what wound up pushing me to a better place was writing. Cath ditches her exams and her final paper to take care of her. Fangirl rainbow rowell macmillan macmillan publishers. Now go impress your friends with your fancy french words.
Fangirl is a study in how we carry all the members of our family with us, inside us, at all times, whether we like it or not. But then i discovered this week is mental health week. This kind of wordplay, in which a phrase has both an overt and covert meaning often a sexy one, is called a double entendre. National suicide prevention hotline phone and chat available. Fangirling for the most part is harmless, but in certain situations it has went as far as to cause mental and even physical pain. Apr 16, 2018 it was exciting to have another john green book in the world in 2017 and turtles all the way down is among my top three favorite john green books.
At the fangirl i do video essays on movies, shows, and anime. Jan 18, 2017 also i really appreciated the family aspects of this book. Rowells fangirl is not only a true rendition of an actual fangirl in real life, it is a book we finally get. Consider me a fangirl of this charming comingofage tale. There are a lot of references to love feeling like stomach and chest pain in fangirl, but this one has an alternate meaning. Janey malooney, for a book thats trying to give sympathetic portrayals of mental illness, it sure takes every opportunity to do the opposite.
Fangirls going rogue talk mental health fangirl blog. Amazon editors top 20 teen and young adult books of the year. The month of may is known as mental health awareness and the. Along that same line, i was really fascinated by the way this book mentions mental illness and serious issues. Fangirl ebook by rainbow rowell 9781250030962 rakuten kobo. Mar 25, 2017 another reason this book is important is the portrayal of mental illness. Her twin sister wren does not want to do all the same things as her sister anymore, so cath is left alone. He asks them all to read a book with this title and i want to make sure im going to get it right. Information about mental illness and the brain nih. George, i wrote this book because i had seen so much history unfold. Okay, the whole world is a simon snow fan, but for cath, being a fan is her lifeand shes really good at it.
The awareness that has been revealed in this book is mind blowing. When fangirl was a kindle deal, i bought it and started reading it. Although fangirl tackles the topic of mental illness, it is ultimately a book about young love, friendship, and sisterhood. It might sound like your usual boy meetsgirl or typical love cures mental illness but trust me, its not. From heartwrenching and honest to lighthearted and funny, these 12 books accurately portray mental illness and help break the stigma that envelops our world today.
Sep 25, 20 i didnt plan out how to write about mental illness or learning disabilities in fangirl, but i wrote from my own experience and from the experiences of people close to me. As a community, it is important to come together and fight stigma, provide support, educate the public, and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. She and her twin sister, wren, ensconced themselves in the simon snow series when they were just kids. My biggest problem with the book is centered around the relations between cath and her new boyfriend. The family all have varying degrees of emotional and mental illness and it governs their actions even when they do not intend it to. Mar 12, 2020 fangirl is every fangirl s dream come true. I did find that the second half dragged more than the first, but was still entertaining overall. Ya books featuring mental health awareness the nerd daily. Rowell has an uncanny ability to capture the swirling, confusing emotions of teenagers that will take you right back to that excitingbutawkward time in your life. Social anxiety and bipolar disorder, apparently, because both characters clearly identified as having mental health issues in the book are both. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edition dsmiv a book published by the american psychiatric association that gives general descriptions and characteristic symptoms of different mental illnesses. The cutter can like stuff while having some mental problem, while other people can like the same th. Apr 15, 2018 the first half of the book was a fun take on the life of an introvert geek. Fangirl by rainbow rowell i know that fangirl doesnt have the best portrayal of social anxiety, or mental illness in general, but when i read it back in 2014, it meant everything to me that cath was the first character i read about to have these same thoughts as me.