Fangirl, Vol 1 has been eagerly anticipated in my house, as the non-manga version is one of my favorite books and also well-loved by my 12-year-old daughter (she is a huge Simon and Baz fan); the only thing disappointing about Fangirl, Vol 1 was that it was only Vol 1. . .

It is usually painful to read a modified version of a well-loved book, however Sam Maggs and Rainbow Rowell did a terrific job doing justice to the book and left in great parts that might not be central to the main plot (I am happy they kept in the cafeteria scene between Cath and Reagan). The graphics are terrific; I especially love the portrayal of Reagan, and actually love her more after getting to know her manga counterpart.

I highly recommend Fangirl Vol 1 to any fans of Rainbow Rowell, Nebraska, bison, friendship, and _____________ (I can't tell you yet, it would be a spoiler).

Rating 5

I loved the novel Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell so when I learned they were making an illustrated version I was so excited. I am happy to say that this book did not disappoint. Everything I loved about the full version was in this illustrated one. It was so much fun reading and seeing the characters come to life. The art style was perfect and fit this story so well. This story is full of emotion so I was glad to see the art showcasing that. Honestly, after reading this I now want to go back and reread the full book while I wait for Vol 2 to be released.

Should you read "Fangirl Vol 1"?
YES!! Personally, I do not feel as though you have to read the full novel first. This version explains everything and if you enjoy it then I recommend reading the main book for more, 


**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

Fangirl is one of my favorite books of all time; reading it as a manga adaptation was just as lovely as I expected.

The first volume of a four-part Manga series on the 2013 YA novel of the same name. Rainbow Rowell stated on her website that she was going to add some scenes and change some of the dialogue, but this first volume stays true to the original Cath a fan fiction writer starts her freshman year with her twin sister Wren, but Wren wants to go her own way and become her own person and not have her identity tied to being a twin sister. Cath struggles with making friends and worry about her father who may have mental health issues, and at this volume's end Cath and Wren's mother wants to re-establish contact after being out of their lives for several years. What bothered me about the original novel was the Simon and Baz fan fiction storyline, which I thought distracted from the primary story, but that occurs in only small increments in this volume.

I loved this!
The artwork is gorgeous! Everyone has their own distinct look.
The story is fabulous! Reading the novel was great but seeing it made into manga has just elevated it to another level.
I can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

This manga is my first experience with Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I've read some of her other work - the Simon Snow series and Pumpkinheads - but this is my first experience with Fangirl's story and characters.

With that in mind, this manga was cute. The art is lovely! I really enjoyed the character designs overall; one of my usual complaints about mangas is that characters too often look like one another so keeping track of whose who can be a challenge, but even Cath and Wren who are twins have their own distinct styles and personalities that shine through Nam's artwork.

The story itself is, again, cute. Cath clearly has some anxiety problems that go beyond the usual fears of being a freshman in college. She's clinging to a piece of her childhood that seems to bring her peace, though the world is starting to show her that she can't hide in her fanfiction forever. The story hints at greater family problems and trauma, but as this is volume 1 I expect more will be revealed as the story progresses. Though based on first impressions I absolutely love Levi! Regan is the roommate I wish I would have had as a college freshman. And as for Nick, I know he is up to something and I don't like it.

My big complaint is the story can feel a little disjointed at times. It almost feels like I should have read the book before the manga which doesn't feel right if it's releasing as its own separate thing. I can't say if this is an issue with the adaption process or the story itself since I have not read Rowell's original book, but just having the manga as a base I feel like there are chunks of time missing. Maybe some transition panels to set to tone or give some indication of what is occurring between scenes could help with this.

The final rating is 3.7.

It was like reading this book for the first time thanks to these incredible illustrations. LOVED this version of Fangirl. Sam Maggs does Rainbow Rowell's beautiful story justice with breathtaking illustrations of some beloved (at least for me!) characters.

I read Fangirl while I was in college, and I remember loving Levi and really empathizing with Cath. The manga version is excellent. The illustrations are great, and I feel like it capture the mood of the book very well. I would definitely read the rest of the books!

Fangirl is my favorite book of all time, so I was really excited to see it being adapted to the manga format. This was great! It really captures the feeling of the original work, and I loved the way that the Simon/Baz fanfic interludes were translated to the manga format.

I loved reading Fangirl as a novel, but I think I enjoyed it even more as a graphic novel! The illustrations really added to the story, and the body language of the characters was really interesting to me. I felt like I actually related with Cath more during this read and I'm not sure if it was because of visual cues or where I am in life now compared to my first time reading. Regardless, I'm a huge fan of this adaptation!

An excellent adaptation of my personal favorite of Rowell's novels. Sam Maggs has done a great job with the adaptation and Gabi Nam's art is just perfect! Highly suggested for all libraries with teen populations.

What an absolutely wonderful and charming adaptation of Rainbow Rowell's novel! It is so fun to see each of her characters come to life and the artwork is absolutely lovely! I think readers of the original novel will be thrilled to see how loyal it is to the novel and manga/graphic novel readers will be inspired to check out the original source material. Definitely a worthy purchase and I can't wait for Volume 2!

The manga adaptation of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl reads more of a graphic novel as opposed to traditional manga. This change of pace is refreshing given its publication to a manga licensing company and most importantly the coming-of-age plot and character development. There are no stereotypical “anime” tropes nor story beats, rather we are immersed in the collegiate life of Cath, a shy college freshman who writes fanfiction as her respite from the world; most of which is her yearning for the good old days of collaborating on the aforementioned fanfiction with her identical twin, Wren. Now Cath must be able to make friends and a living – a plot told many times and ways, yet here feels anxiously snug. Cath is an engaging protagonist given her timid, yet immature demeanor – never admitting her angst, yet confronting the social and physiological repercussions brought upon her decisions whether it be eating protein bars alone in her dorm room out of fear of the crowded cafeteria, or responding with “I’m fine” to her sister on the phone post break up. To sum it up, she has an ‘adorkable’ charm that any introvert can fawn over. And her cavalcade of colleagues is as memorable as they are familiar. Levi and Reagan are a great pair/foil to the reluctant Cath – always inviting her to their antics; Nick provides the space the fills in the creative gap Wren leftover; Wren, much like the pair, provides a great contrast to her sister – extroverted, loose, and direct.

Gabi Nam’s depictions and designs are a great complement to the story. All of these characters are drawn with slightly mature frames and proportions, a quality not often seen in manga, yet more in graphic novels. Her designs make it easily digestible for any anime/manga fan to enjoy.

This may have an anime aesthetic, yet I can see this branching forth to a graphic novel crowd, particularly those who love publications such as First Second. It is a work that is pleasing to the eye while evoking something wholly unique in both worlds. This is an adaptation brimming with potential, not only incentivizing me to look forward to the next volume, but also to look into the original work.

Amazing art work and a great opportunity to revisit some of my favourite characters - the pacing is fantastic, and the segments from the Simon Snow series are well ingrained into the narrative.

I really loved the original version of the book and was very excited to see it is now also a manga.
The illustrations are so beautiful and adds so much to the text.

A phenomenal manga interpretation of Rowell’s original YA novel. While the characters looked nothing like I imagined them from the book, I loved this version, and the illustrations perfectly captured the mood and tone of the original. I can’t wait to pick up the next volume, even though I already know where the story is heading! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I never knew how much I needed a manga adaptation of this novel. Cath and her twin sister Wren are going to college, but they won't be living together anymore. Outgoing Wren is down for anything while shy and reserved Cath wishes she could still be with her sister. This volume covers the beginning of college for the sisters and their developing relationships with each other and their new friends. I am so excited for Volume 2, the artwork is fantastic and I really think the manga is doing the original novel justice. Keep going!

I was very excited to receive this ARC! I'm a huge fan of the Simon Snow series and I still hadn't read Rowell's "Fangirl" so I like that I can now in a different and more accessible way. They art is clean and crisp and unique and the story is well told throughout. I'm hoping to see more of Cath in the next volume as well as Simon and Baz! I recommend this to any Simon Snow fan as well as anyone who wants a manga with a focus on YA experiences!

I was excited to receive a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This manga was very faithful to the original story and does an excellent job adapting to the format. The story was appropriately pared down without losing any crucial elements. I actually enjoyed the manga more than the original format.

The art is lovely and enhances the characters. The characters stay fairly true to their personalities; although, Reagan is a bit more likable in the manga. She comes across more sassy and less rude.

I am definitely looking forward to reading the next volume!

With many graphic adaptations of novels, I believe you need to read both versions to get the full depth of the plot and story. But, with Fangirl Vol. 1 the manga I really think you can just read this version if you want and still get the same full story of the original novel.

The only thing that I noticed was “lacking” were the Carry On parts from the original book. We are still given pages where Cath is writing and those were very cool to see. I honestly preferred these shortened Simon and Baz sections because we now have Carry On as an actual book and I think including longer sections would’ve dragged the manga on.

The images in this manga are amazing! Each character is exactly as they are described in the original book and the images are able to really show them for who they are. Levi was my favorite character to see in the manga because they captured his quirky and caring demeanor so well.

I think Fangirl Vol. 1 is great for readers who want to read the story for the first time and perfect for fans of the original novel who are looking to reread it. As I said before, this adaptation reflects the original story so well and I’m so excited for the next one!