ARC was provided by NetGalley and Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review.

This review is being published after the release date (October 27th, 2020)


Content/Trigger Warnings: Talk of harassment, talk of sexual harassment, talk of cyber bullying, talk of misogyn, themes of misandry


I’ll be honest, I’ve been dreading writing this review and have been putting this off for far too long. I really wanted to love this book and there were some things that I found really helpful, informative even, especially because I’ve been in various nerdy communities for such a long time, but I find that my opinion is going to be of the minority when it comes to this book. So take my review with a grain of salt. However, if you’re a reader who’s looking for some opposing thoughts on a lot of the content that’s talked about in this book then I can’t recommend enough checking out these following videos: HERE, HERE, and if you’re looking for statics about online harassment then I recommend checking this article out!

Let me take a moment to talk about the good of this book. This book is true to what it is; a guide book, a self-help book, however you want to view it. I really loved how this book talked about the different types of conventions, navigating the conventions, budgeting and expenses, and even things to pack. Despite the fact that I’ve gone to various conventions, events, etc… for almost fourteen years, I still find this kind of information helpful and good for referencing. There’s even an ‘after the convention’ list that I would’ve loved to have had after all of these years. There’s also interviews in this book with various women in the industry who have worked on a plethora of nerdy, geeky things such as anime, DC and Marvel, etc… that I enjoyed reading, despite the repetitiveness and the awkwardness of some of the interviews. Also, this is a super quick read and most sections are very brief, easy to fly through.

Despite the few good things I found within this book, they weren’t enough to prevent the issues I had with a lot of the content within this book. One of the biggest things being the continued theme of misandry throughout this book. This is a huge issue for me especially when no one wants to talk about how this book is set up to convince you men are terrible and do nothing but terrible things. Throughout this book, the author continuously references how we’re all in this community together, how we’re supposed to be supportive of one another, no matter the gender, for about one to two pages, and then will spend the next three or four pages talking about how horrible men are and how their actions are always terrible towards women in nerdy communities. There’s actually a whole entire section based around ‘internet trolls’ that’s based in the context of assuming they’re all male. Even when the author talks about sexual harassment and assault in the cosplaying community, it’s always in the context of a man doing these actions. I can’t speak for everyone in the community, but basing my opinion on my own experiences and things I have witnessed as a cosplayer and LARPer, I’ve experienced and witnessed more female/female and male/male harassment and sexual assault than I have any situations that are male/female related. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but what I’m saying is we need to make sure we’re accurately talking about what really happens instead of assuming/creating a certain narrative to fit our own views. And when you continuously place these narratives of one side being innocent/good and the other being guilty/evil, then you’re continuing to cause rifts and issues within communities instead of helping it grow and make it a more positive community to be in.

Overall, this book was exhausting to read and writing this review has been something I’ve been dreading for a long time now, for a plethora of reasons. I don’t have the energy or time to list the multiple references to a lot of the things that were inaccurately talked about throughout this book (do your own research, listen to those who talk about the facts), point out everything little thing that was wrong with this book, or even try to continuously explain to people how misandry is just as bad an misogyny no matter what community it is. If you can’t see the problematic issues within this book then I don’t know what else to say expect to check out the links I provided up above if you want to hear opposing opinions about a lot of the things that were talked about in this book. I wish so many things would have been handled in a different light especially since this is an introductory book, a guide/self help book and I know there are going to be young readers who will pick this book up and be influenced by this book. With the knowledge and experience I have, I can’t recommend this book because of the narrative this book takes on and I can’t support a book that inaccurately talks about a plethora of things.

Unfortunately this was another book that failed to get sent to my kindle for some reason. I however will be buying it because it looks absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait to see all of the fangirl shenanigans.

This book has been written for me!

I mean it's like it's my soul speaking out loud what it meant to scream all these years!

Because we have been judged enough, criticized enough that, of course, we no longer want to care. But, yes, now it's high time we let the world know that we nerds have a strong bond and we are we! What's there to describe us more?!

I love the colourful pages! Reading this compilation brought out alive the Sheldon Lee Cooper in me (because he's my most favourite popular nerd of all times!).

I just love the strong voice behind all these amazing chapters. Amazing! How did you achieve this, authors and the artist?! So damn inspirational!

We are not extra but it is how we are! Just start reading from the cover itself! It's phenomenal!

You will find all the possibilities of becoming a nerd if you aren't one yet while reading thos book. And I am sure you will be proud becoming one too!

All kinds of fandom you will find here. (We will talk about Kpop fandom some other time.)

I really want to have two copies of this book already!

Happy pub week!

Thank you, authors and the Publisher for the book!

OMG, this handbook for geek girls is so much fun!! It's a fun, uplifting guidebook is for all the unapologetic fangirls out there, no matter what you stan. For the fangirls and guys that are living their best stan lives passionately and free. Author Sam Maggs writes from her own fangirl experience, which makes the book all the more realistic. With her first-person essays and lists, the book is chock full of empowering and informative language, plus fun, cute illustrations and graphics. Lololol like I love this book already. It's all about finding your geek tribe and then embracing this weird, wonderful geek life. Then, Maggs also interviews some of the top geek girls who use fandom in their careers, which is so cool to see their takes on the fandom world. All in all, it's all about embracing your inner fangirl loud and proud, which I love to see it. This cute and fun nonfiction book focuses on being a geek girl feminist and how to bring change to the geek world, which I loved to see too. Fangirls unite, it's time to suit up and change the universe!

I absolutely adored Sam Maggs' original The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy (and meeting Sam at a convention and getting my copy signed!) and so I was so excited to see this new edition was being released!
The Fangirl’s Guide to the Universe features fresh content, new interviews, and this gorgeous updated cover, (that I honestly CANT GET OVER!). This is just such a fun book, and if you ever scrolled Tumblr for fanart, made friends online to obsess with over your favourite show, wore a costume of your favourite character, or stood in line to get into a convention -then this is the book for you!
I’ll honestly read anything Sam writes, and can’t wait to add this updated edition to my collection!

The Title/Cover Draw:
The costumes of the girls on the front cover are super cute! Plus I could tell it was super inclusive (plus size girl...WHAT!)
What I liked:
This book was everything I ever wanted in a handbook. I really wish there was one of these when I was in college.
What I didn’t like:
I had an uncorrected proof so it was hard for me to jump around. This is not the author’s fault at all, but I really couldn’t find much else wrong with this book.
What kept me reading:
There was wealth of information in here from how to introduce yourself or your friends to a specific fandom, where to find fandom communities, how to attend and survive cons, how to write fanfiction, AND how to speak geek!
Consider if you:
Want to know more about being a geek? Or just want to maybe find more info than you currently have? Pick this up!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

This is a fun and helpful guide for fangirls and those who are looking to explore fandom culture. The author does a great job of outlining the ins and out of fan culture, with a very friendly tone. It's great for those who are experts on fandom and those looking to explore more aspects. I did like the updates from the original version. I think this is a light and enjoyable read for all kinds of fans.

An excellent update of an already amazing book. Most of the advice remains the same but including new elements, conventions, and technologies makes it even more accessible for new fangirls. I feel it will be very useful for parents as well so they can learn these terms their children are using and make sure they are staying safe in their chosen culture.

I'm a fangirl, so this book was automatically up my alley. While I consider myself a seasoned fangirl, and this book is more for the fangirl who is coming out of their shell so to speak, it was still a great read and fun to see what was included as a guide for a budding new fangirl.

The book covers many aspects of being a fangirl from feminism, cosplay, to attending conventions. There are also some great definitions of common words and phrases as well as the fandoms.

One thing that did make me scratch my head was some of the fandom names. There were names that I'd never heard before (from fandoms I've been a part of for years) like Star Warriors? Never heard any of my fellow Star Wars fans using that. Part of me wondered if either I have missed something or they needed a name and created it for the book.

Either way, this is a fun read and would be a great gift for a fangirl in your life, especially if you're not into those things. I sure would have loved this as a kid as my parents are very different from me when it comes to being a geek.

This is the book I have been waiting for.

Funny, tongue in cheek, accessible, RELEVANT!

This guide truly encapsulated what it means to be a fangirl and I can say for a fact I’d have loved having access to this as a 13 year old just discovering my inner fangirl.

The book is clearly laid out in easy to read sections and everything is explained in language that is accessible to everyone at any point in their fandom journey. The topics are discussed impartially and without judgment (something fandom is rife with) making it a refreshing and fitting celebration of ALL fandoms no matter how small/obscure. (Personally I was chuffed to see GLEEks get a mention in there.)

I would 100% recommend this to fans of... being fans. It’s a perfect, light non-fiction read for anyone looking to explore the fangirl life.

The Fangirl’s Guide to the Universe: A Handbook for Girl Geeks written by Sam Maggs, and illustrated by Kat Goodloe, is an update on its previous iteration, The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy, published in 2015. I can’t comment on the updates, as I’ve never read the previous version, so my review is starting with a clean slate, I suppose.

As a geek of the female persuasion myself, when I saw this book available on NetGalley, I requested a review copy straight away. The brilliant, colorful cover illustration drew me in, as did the title, due to its similarity (which I’m assuming was entirely intentional) to the title of one of my favorite books of all time, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I was happy to notice many little references to iconic people, movies, shows, or books in geek culture throughout the book—a nod and a wink from the author to her intended audience.

I enjoyed the author’s breakdown of the various, more well-known fandoms in the first chapter—especially as Maggs also includes information on how to go about joining the fandoms. It’s not as if there are official membership requirements, of course, but it is nice to know which books, movies, or comics make a good introduction for a noob to a particular fandom. I also appreciated that she included the umbrella terms of “YA Book Nerds” and “Girls Who Game,” because I had never really stopped to consider that those groups are indeed fandoms. They aren’t quite as tight-knit as the more insular fandoms, but they are large groups of people who love the same types of things, which, when you boil it down, is all a fandom really is.

As I read on, I became confused as to the age group The Fangirl’s Guide is meant to be catering to. That might have something to do with Maggs’ lighthearted, witty writing style, which, while fun, can tend to read a bit juvenile. At one point she mentions university residences and workplaces, and even pub trivia nights. Up until seeing that, I was reading this as more of a guide for younger teens. (I was also reading it that way because younger teens are still ‘finding their niche,’ whereas older teens and young adults tend to know more about themselves and their likes and dislikes.

One of my main criticisms of this book isn’t even something the author had control over, however: There is a lot of talk of in-person meet-ups, and even an entire chapter dedicated to attending conventions. This book is being published in October of 2020, and well… you live in 2020, so you know. Now, I know publishing is a slow-moving beast, and this book was probably re-written and edited well before the pandemic really became a thing. But because it is a thing, the Year of Canceled Events has rendered most of that information useless, at least at this time. (God I hope we can have conventions and festivals and whatnot again either next year or the year after—I would love for the chapter on cons to be relevant, and for this quarantine nightmare to end).

Overall, I really enjoyed The Fangirl’s Guide to the Universe. Maggs’ witty, tongue-in-cheek prose is a good fit for the subject matter, even if does read a bit juvenile. By the end of the book, I wanted to be friends with the author, and I’m sure her writing will have a similar effect on others as well. This fangirl gives The Fangirl’s Guide to the Universe four shining stars.

I reviewed the first edition of this guide five years ago, which holy shit guys that is a long time, and I think Maggs has made a lot of improvements. I really enjoyed this second edition of the guide and it spoke to me much more as a fan. It was really clear that this guide was meant for young girls just getting into their first fandoms and starting to venture out into the internet and I think it served those purposes brilliantly.

There’s a lot to love about this new iteration of the guide. The jokes and references have all been updated (since five years is a eon in fandom) and the recommended social sites and resources have also been given a facelift. For anyone trying to find out where to find a community or how to build their geeky brand this is a fantastic book.

Maggs also covers the basics of conventions in a fun and convenient way to help first-timers figure out what they need to bring and how to plan. It talks about what to expect, how to make friends etc. in a way that fully showcases both the absolute magic of conventions while making sure to mention some of the downsides (like con crud).

I also loved the fantastic recommendations that Maggs made for feminist media. She covered comics, games, anime, books, movies and television giving readers a rundown of where to find the most badass lady characters. I particularly enjoyed the anime section.

There were a few portions of the book I didn’t love. The interviews were super repetitive. Turns out if you ask a bunch of geek creators “What does the word fangirl mean to you?” they’re all going to spit out: passionate, someone who loves something, someone proud of what they love, and just variations of that. I wish Maggs would have tailored the questions more specifically to some of the really great voices she had access to.

I also felt like, while much of the feminism push was fandom related such as supporting female creators and how to critique what you love, some of it was super general and felt like it didn’t really mesh well with the book.

My biggest problem what that while this is clearly a book for young girls, at one point Maggs encourages fangirls to write adult fanfictions and engage in that community. I know underage people often do write smut and engage in communities but there are adults in those communities too and I don’t think it’s cool to encourage young teens to interact with technically non-child friendly communities/content. Non-smut fanfiction is obviously a-ok.

It’s obvious that Maggs loves everything that comes with geekiness and put a lot of work into this guide. While I didn’t really pick up anything new from it, it is an excellent resource for young girls who are just starting to discover their first fandoms, first fictional crushes and start their first blogs. I’d definitely buy this for any little fangirls in my life.

While I enjoyed it, it didn't bring anything new to the table for me. Mayne is because I accepted being a Fangirl / nerd long ago I wear it like a badge of honor.
Maybe younger generations, girls that are afraid to speak up their love for everything nerdy will find it better, full of wonders and new discoveries.

This was a quick, fun nonfiction read that many young fangirls would probably find super useful and interesting. As something of an internet veteran, there was a lot here that was "old news" for me, but it was still fun to read about! And I've never been to a convention so it was interesting to read about that stuff! I also loved the artwork sprinkled through the book, and the interviews in there were great! LOVED seeing Victoria Schwab up there. HATED seeing RR (come on, let's not put her up on a pedestal, especially in a book that's supposed to help young kids become comfortable with their weird fangirliness).

Overall, a pretty chill read. Some parts were actually pretty informative, and I can totally see younger/newer members of fandom benefitting form this immensely! Loved the whole magazine-esque formatting and the fun colours and everything! I'd love to have this with me, just to like flip through every once in a while. It will also make a great book gift!

So pick this one up if the online world confuses you a little, or if you're young and unsure of whether you fit in here...or...you know, if you're just simply looking for a chill time, like I was!

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with this review copy via Netgalley! All opinions are my own

I wasn't sure I should request this on Netgalley since I don't read handbooks on anything, ever. But a fangirl handbook was just too fun to pass up. And it really was a fun read!

I smiled. I laughed. I learned a couple new terms. This book was really great! It's nice to know that you're part of something that keeps on growing, that keeps getting more powerful. FANGIRLS RULE!

“Being a fangirl is the best thing that has ever happened to me”

I absolutely loved this guide and only wish I had had something similar for when I was younger and first getting into fandoms and going to conventions.

This guide is everything I would ever hope for as a lover of all things fandom, from conventions and cosplay to fanfiction and finding friends whether it be online through multiple platforms like Tumblr and Instagram (My The Vampire Diaries Tumblr is still out there somewhere and just thinking about that now has me quaking in my metaphorical boots!)

Fandoms have helped connect me to so many different people from all around the world while also helping me express myself and make me feel genuinely happy to be able to show off my love for different tv shows, movies, games and more.

Sometimes it's hard being a girl and going into different fandoms but this book honestly gives some great advice into what to expect and do, It reminds us as women, that we do not have to prove ourselves to anyone to call ourselves a fan or fangirl or any franchise.

This book isn't just for the fangirls, it is honestly for everyone.

Thank you so much to Sam Maggs, Quirk Books and Netgalley for providing me with this eArc in exchange for my honest review. I cannot wait to see this book in stores and I genuinely hope it helps those feel more comfortable getting into fandoms, making friends and doing what you love.

Many thanks to Sam Maggs, Quirk Books, and Netgalley for my e-ARC of this amaaaaazinngggg book. I loved it so so much, and I'm glad I got a chance to read this.

Basically, this is a book that merges fangirling and feminism, and I'm just so grateful a piece of literature like this one exists in the world! This book has so many fun parts and features, and it has so many guides and glossaries and it was just so full and so amazing.

Here are my favorite parts of this book->
The Glossaries: There were so many glossaries and directories ad guides in this book that explained a lot of terms and items to the readers, and I got explanations on a lot of terms I wasn't very familiar with.

The Illustrations: Right from the cover which really drew me in, this book is packed full of awesome and vibrant illustrations.

It's so relatable!: I'm not as much of a fan girl as much as the target audience of this book, but I love that I could still relate to it so very much. There are some instances she mentioned, like men at the comic book store not attending to her till she lists all the avengers. As a female football fan, I've also gotten some annoying questions like people asking me to list 10 players in my favorite football team. She also talked about a lot of things about girls face in male dominated fandoms.

Highly recommend this!

I actually love this book as a fangirl myself. It speaks to me on so many levels. And it really is a great intro to the universe of fandom.

I've got a soft spot for this one - I was interning at Quirk when the proposal for the first edition came in, and I like to think my immediate enthusiasm for it ("I am the target audience and I would absolutely buy this book") and inability to find any good comparable titles for it (meaning nothing like it existed yet) played a teensy part in its acquisition. So the fact that it's getting re-released, taking up one of limited spots in the publication calendar, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)

This is great for fan girl positivity. I love How it helps you be a better fan girl. Lots of nostalgia value and many new fan terms defined. A must read even my husband loved it.