You’ve probably heard of Rainbow Rowell, even if you haven’t had the pleasure of encountering her writing. She is the author of three other novels, but Fangirl is something special.

Rowell writes dynamic, fluid characters who don’t conform to archetypes. A good writer can make you love a character, but a great one can make you identify just a bit with each one. Refreshingly, the main focus is on Cath and her twin sister Wren, not their romantic subplots. Fangirl explores the complexity of sisterhood, jealousy, feelings of inferiority, and emotional isolation. Their differences are explored throughout the novel, as we see them starting at the same university and living separately for the first time.

Fangirl emotionally impacted me because parts of the story felt so true to my life. I struggled through my first year of college, and it was reassuring to read about someone similar. Cath didn’t always feel like me, but her experiences felt like mine. Cath has realistic burdens, from troubled relationships with her family to her desire to escape into a fictional world. As in reality, conflicts go unresolved. Not everyone is unscathed, but life goes on.

Another reason this book is important is the portrayal of mental illness. Cath and her father suffer from different neurosis, and it isn’t simple, because illness isn’t pretty. Chiefly, Cath is loved, despite this. She still deserves love. That’s crucial, because people think that if they show the part of them that is vulnerable and imperfect, they won’t be worthy of being loved. Cath learns that emotional intimacy can be painful, but rewarding.

Cath will make you laugh and cry in the same paragraph, in the same sentence. I was hesitant to read Fangirl, but I’m so happy I did. I promise, if you pick it up, you will be too.

This book review was selected as a winner of the DC Public Library’s 2015 Teen Book Review Contest. It can also be read here, on the DC Public Library website.