So great! I love the original and this adaption is so wonderful. It captures the great story from Rowell. Wonderful drawings and such an amazing story!

Was happy to see that Fangirl got a manga adaptation, a little scared that the story wouldn't get across. Even though it's been some time since I read the book, I was happy to go back into the Fangirl universe. I love the style of the characters and how they are represented. I was able to fall back in love with Katha and Levi! Can't wait for the next volume.

#FangirlVol1 #NetGalley#Rainbow Rowell #Fangirl

Ironically, I liked this much better than the novel which I gave a 2.5/3. This sits solidly at a 3/5 for the main reason that the comic format and anime stylings allow it some breathing space for the plot to be a bit more ridiculous. One of my main complaints about the novel was the one-dimensionality of the characters who were defined only by one or two traits. In the comic, this seems to be less prevalent but that might be partially because we're not being told over and over and over again about their traits and are allowed to make our own assumptions since there's less overall.

I'm definitely interested in the second book. For those of you who have read the novel, the comic ends on a cliffhanger when Wren emergency calls Cath.

I love Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl. One of my favorite books ever. I will not be talking about the text here because we all know that it is amazing.

This graphic novel captures the magic and essence of Rainbow's original work. My only complaint is I wish there was color. The manga style blends beautifully with the mood and imagery of Rowell's work. I am not sure if the arc that I received is the final copy or not and if color will be added later. But it was the only thing I was wishing for because the art and seeing my favorite characters on page was still an awesome experience. The dance party at the end of Vol.1 was the perfect place to leave off.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fangirl is easily one of my favorite books of all time and I re-read it once or twice a year, so I was super excited to see a new graphic adaptation of it. I am not a manga reader, so the art style here is not really to my taste (I would have loved to see Faith Erin Hicks adapt Fangirl, as I loved her art for Pumpkinheads with Rowell) but I know so many readers love manga and certainly won't be disappointed by that. Beyond the art, I think this stayed really faithful to the story and characters, and will be ideal for those who are interested in the plot but can't/don't usually read full-length novels. I probably won't return to this, preferring instead the original, but I will recommend it far and wide to anyone who loves manga, mostly reads graphic novels, and wants to experience Fangirl for the first time.

While I remember enjoying the original book, I think I liked the manga even more. I am sad I will have to wait for the other installments to finish the story, even though I know how it ends!

A good adaptation of Rainbow Rowell’S book; bringing the characters to life. As I received an ARC couldn’t fully enjoy the artwork or story due to watermarked content but this manga seems a faithful adaptation.

That cliffhanger, though! Rough stuff!

I absolutely loved this. I never read the original novel, but now I'm thinking I might have to. The story is well-paced and the artwork is beautiful to look at. I really enjoyed the bits with Simon and Baz; they felt very much like a BL manga, which helped differentiate the parts of the story.

The characters are all really unique and fun to read. They feel like they're you're own friends.

Overall, a really great read.

A really sweet and lovely manga to match a sweet and lovely story. Maggs did a good job selecting what dialogue and narrative to keep and what to roll into the art leaving the reader with a seamless story that feels just like the original. Shoujo fans will rejoice! More volumes are coming, this one ended in a cliffhanger.

I loved reading this book in this format. I enjoyed Fangirl when I first read it, but it wasn't my favorite Rainbow Rowell novel. This made it so much better for me. I loved the art and how it really brought all of the characters to life and gave them so much personality. I think the funny parts came out more for me that way as well because of the art.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this one! I think this will be a big hit this year.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I devoured this! It is exactly what I was looking for in a manga. It has at its centre a teen who is unsure of herself in her new surroundings and all the angst that comes with being a first year student at uni/college. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between the characters. The dialogue really brings the story to life. I love how the characters have been drawn and that there is nothing explicit or too suggestive as is often the case with manga for older readers. Of course I don't know what the future volumes hold! As a buyer for a school library (secondary) I feel comfortable purchasing it for ages 15+. (There is mention by the main character that her sister has had sex and is drunk.)

I haven't read the novel, so I can't make any comparisons there. But I believe this story lends itself very well to the manga format.

I was so excited when Rainbow said that Fangirl was being adapted into a graphic novel. It’s been a recent trend to adapt many and while not every novel is suited for a graphic form, it works very well for the first volume of Fangirl.


The graphic novel has adapted the original text into a fun manga style that has the feel of a Japanese comic while still keeping the proportions more realistic for a modern teen novel. It turns out graphic art is a great medium to show Cath’s inner thoughts and actions, as someone who otherwise doesn’t have as much dialogue since she is shy. Overall, the characters are well represented and true to the novel, as well as Cath and her father’s bouts of depression. The illustrations do a good job without spelling it out how Cath is feeling and moves the story along at a good pace. Digitally it seems a little grainy, softer, then regular comics, but in paper form it will probably not show.


Here’s the most important part for fans: We actually get to SEE Simon and Baz. That’s right—several panels of Snowbaz goodness! Honestly, this being a graphic novel that did not even occur to me and I am OVER THE MOON.

I'm a huge fan of graphic novel and manga adaptations of novels, even from an objective standpoint as a fictional media. In adorable and true-to-genre fashion, the team behind Fangirl vol 1 has made a masterpiece! I'm just going to sit (semi) patiently until vol 2 is released eventually.

I'm not sure this adaptation of Fangirl makes any real sense. I don't think adapting it as a manga really adds to the story itself. I didn't enjoy the art style and the lack of color. Cath's character is so skinny and totally conforms to societal expectations about beauty which is not in line with her depiction in the book. All of the characters really look similar in general. The manga adaptation really doesn't bring anything new to the plot or the characters.

As a fan of Rainbow Rowell, I was excited to see that one of her books has been adapted into a graphic novel. I have been wanting to read "Fangirl" for a while, and after reading the first volume of the graphic novel adaption, it has really motivated me to get the chance to read the novel. I look forward to the next volume of this adaption!

I was wary of a manga retelling of such a classic but it was a great way to experience this story again!

The characters look adorable and I particularly liked the scenes from Carry On. Maybe I wish Simon and Baz had been drawn in different styles (movie version, fan fic version, book version) but apart from that it portrayed the original story while staying true to this new medium. I cannot wait for the rest!

Fangirl is my favourite of Rainbow Rowell stories. So, i was nervous about seeing its reimagined in this style.
But i was pleasantly surprised. The panels read well, and the artwork is great.
A really nice restyle of an already brilliant story.

It was really interesting to see this story in a new format. So much of Fangirl is reading fanfiction, so to see that adapted into visual panels is really interesting. The character designs are really cute, and the pacing is good too. Of course, I wish there was more to a volume, but if they can get the other volumes out quick enough, maybe it wont be so bad. Lots of good setup in this one ; I'll definitely read the next. I'm excited to see if this brings in new readers so just gives more content for people who already like Fangirl.

Manga adaptation of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. If you're not familiar, the story follows an anxious college freshman named Cath, who finds solace in writing fanfiction for her favorite fantasy book series, "Simon Snow" (fake Harry Potter). Being away from home isn't easy, especially trying to navigate the unspoken rules of the cafeteria, being ignored by her twin sister, getting dumped by her boyfriend, and worrying about whether her dad can fend for himself alone. On the plus side she's growing closer to a sweet boy named Levi... too bad he's her roommate's "sort-of" boyfriend. And then there's her Fiction Writing classmate and writing partner, Nick...

This is cute! It's a pretty faithful adaptation so far, though the interludes of Cath's fanfiction are shorter and (obviously) comics instead of prose. I like the character designs, especially Levi.

It’s no secret that I LOVE the Simon Snow series by Rainbow Rowell, and ‘Fangirl’ is the book that started it all! I see so much of myself in the main character Cath and know exactly what it’s like to obsess over fictional characters, lose myself in writing, feel awkward doing normal ‘college’ things, and be tentative about making new friends. So I went into reading this manga already loving the book ... and it didn’t disappoint!

The art was amazing - I can’t imagine any of the characters any other way, especially Simon & Baz - and I loved the way the story was told with less dialogue (of course) without managing to lose the essence of the book. I don’t read a lot of manga, but I will definitely be checking out the other three instalments of this, and hope that other popular books come out in manga/comic form! It makes it more accessible to different readers, and there’s something so satisfying about seeing the characters you imagine in your head actually depicted on paper (or the screen, in my case).

Highly recommended for anyone who writes/reads fanfic, shipped Drarry, felt awkward in college, and wants to read a sweet, fun story about growing up, growing apart, and finding yourself.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Out October 13th, 2020.