The first in a Manga series, based on the very popular Fangirl novel.

I think this is a fantastic introduction to Manga and graphic novels for young adults. And I will be highly recommending this to my pupils.

Yes! What a gorgeous addition to a wonderful series of novels! I read Fangirl at exactly the right time, in college myself, writing fanfiction, obsessed with a magical boy wizard of my own. This novel is near and dear to my heart even as I've grown past that stage of my life, and this manga is a beautiful tribute to the emotions that novel evokes. The art is on point - Cath, Wren, Levi, even Simon and Baz - all look just as I saw them in my head, and the plot stays faithful to the novel even with this change of format. I love it. I'm very excited for the next volumes, to relive this wonderful story all over again.

Yes yes, I know. Rainbow Rowell isn't the greatest. But, I did love Fangirl, and I wish so hard that that book existed when I was a dorm troll writing fanfic and socially isolated from everyone and everything, suffering from undiagnosed anxiety and depression.

This is a pretty solid adaptation (and Levi was drawn so adorably), and I guess I'll be tuning in for volumes...however many else.

I wont lie, when picking up this manga a few hours ago, I was worried I had misremembered how much I loved the novel. Worried that I had built it up too much in my head. I'm happy to know that I was wrong, this reminded me just how much I loved this story from the beginning. I can't wait for subsequent volumes to come out. The animation is on point for all of the characters, and feels like such a fresh way to dive back into a beloved novel. Although I had forgotten how much I hated Wren....

Despite ending on a major cliffhanger I really enjoyed this graphic novel adaptation of Rowell's Fangirl. I'm interested in seeing more of the fake Harry Potter universe (and I think Rowell has gone on to write stories in that universe), but even more so I'm interested to see where the characters go. The themes of identity, family, caring, introversion, mental health, love, and creativity are intertwined really well together, and the art is clean and strikes a nice balance between realism and cartoon. Looking forward to the second part.

When a favorite novel is turned in to a graphic novel, it is always an exciting day! Fangirl is a favorite and by publishing it as a graphic, there is an entirely new set of readers reaching for it now. The already amazing novel is enhanced with the illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy of the graphic novel version of Fangirl.

I love Rainbow Rowell. I know that's a bit of a controversial statement, as Rowell has had some issues with Park's portrayal in Eleanor & Park, which is one of my favorite books. I understand that it is a problem, I recognize that, and I have been trying to shift some of my focus to reading more books by and about Korean and other Asian cultures.

A big part of that for me is that I got into Manga in a big way. Like, annoyingly huge. I read one volume of My Hero Academia and was hooked.

So, Rainbow Rowell + Manga = Great! Right?

Well....

Here's the thing, I love Fangirl. It is such a love letter to those who write fan fiction and to those involved in fandoms. I read that back in college when I was really starting to accept who I was, a big freaking nerd.

When this was announced, I was so excited. The cover is absolutely GORGEOUS. It was something I didn't know I had been waiting for and I needed it. Luckily, NetGalley was able to fix me up with a digital copy for me to review (Sorry it's over a week late). I tore into it.

Fangirl focuses on Cath. She's has an identical twin named Wren and they are going to the same college! How fun! The problem is, Wren is taking a very different path than Cath. Wren wants to go out and drink and make friends, Cath wants to stay in her dorm and write fan fiction for her favorite book series Simon Snow (think Harry Potter). Cath is in the process of writing her version of what the 8th and final book in the series will be. Her roommate, Reagan, is feisty and, while a little rude, takes Cath under her wing and helps her through her first semester.
Enter Levi.

Levi is Reagan's boyfriend (?) who is tall, blonde, and always smells like coffee. He's nice, funny, and "has a smile for everyone." He, like Reagan, tries to help Cath break out of her shell. He's also really cute.

A few things right off the bat: It is definitely a Shojo manga, something that I was not used to as I read a lot of Shonen. The art style of Shojo is much softer than Shonen which is evident from the first page. It's not a bad thing. I thought the art was beautifully done.

When you bill something as a Manga, you kind of expect it to be read a certain way (right to left). As I had a digital copy, I couldn't use the book as a guide (starting from the back, reading to the front). The first few pages could have been read R-L or L-R. I was EXTREMELY confused starting out. It IS supposed to be read left to right like an Western book. So why bill this as a Manga? It's a graphic novel drawn in the Shojo style. That's all. I dunno, I'm not a book publisher.

The adaptation itself was excellently done. Granted it's been a few years since I read Fangirl, but it did fit in pretty well with my memories of it. The dialogue was excellent. The narration was very well done and captured Cath's style perfectly.

It was going all well and good, until it just stopped. It was like "Okay, the end, see you in book 2 of 4!" What?! This is a four volume series? How are they going to stretch this out to four books? They were already at the halfway point!

Ultimately, I was underwhelmed by this book. If you are a fan of Rowell, definitely pick it up, but Pumpkinheads this is not. I'm giving this a 7/10 or 3/5 for Goodreads sake.

Thanks again, Netgalley!

I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl story. I read it a few years ago and the story really resonated. I love when a character has to grow and Cath has quite a bit of growing to do. The art style is perfect. It’s is so clear and easy to read. The feelings are so well represented and really add to the mood and flow of the plot. I would highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next installment.

I love rainbow rowell but unfortunately this one didn't do it for me. I need her to come out with another novel already

Fangirl Vol. 1 is fantastic! I loved the original book and seeing it drawn out like it was in the manga, it is absolutely mind-blowing. I love that when she is "writing" the Simon Snow bits, the manga displays for those as well. I have read Carry On and Simon and Baz are my favorites. It's the best of both worlds!

Just like the original this book speaks really well to the young adult journey through University. While it starts as a tale of isolation the beautiful illustrations do help to keep you on track for the warm conclusion of the story.

A well done adaptation of the original novel! Focusing on key points of the novel to drive the story along with talented artwork and interesting characters.

Fangirl is one of my all time favorite YA books, and as a fan of both Rowell and Maggs, I was so excited to see this collaboration. The illustrations are fantastic and the story shines through just as well in Manga as it does in a novel.

I think this was a really solid adaptation of the book! I had the same feelings I had when I first read the text book, of frustration with Cath but also remembering how I felt in that weird transitional time of college.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl is one of my favorite young adult books, partially because of my college experience and the impact of fanfiction on my life. Now, did I have a twin sister that abandoned me and a cool, much older roommate who took me under her wing? Nope. But did I have to learn some new things, branch out, make some new friends-of course. And as someone who was in middle school when the first Harry Potter book was published and happened to be friends with a prolific writer-the fanfiction element in this novel was parallel with those experiences in high school.
Though I'll be incredibly excited to read this when it comes out in physical form, the digital form of this first portion of the novel was excellent. It captured Cath perfectly-as well as Levi and Reagan and Wren. I loved this and cannot wait to read the next volume.

I *loved* the original _Fangirl_, so I enjoyed reading it in graphic-novel form. But personally, I think Rainbow Rowell's original book is far better than this adaptation. The characters are much more vivid in the original book, and there's more room for the reader to imagine the world of Simon Snow. Meh.

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.