Fangirl Vol. 1: The Manga

Based on the novel by Rainbow Rowell, adapted by Sam Maggs, illustrated by Gabi Nam

Bibliographic Information:

• Title: Fangirl Vol. 1: The Manga
• Author: Sam Maggs (Adapter)
• Author: Rainbow Rowell (author of the novel)
• Illustrator: Gabi Nam
• ISBN: 1974715876
• Publisher: VIZ Media
• Copyright Date: October 13, 2020

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Realistic Fiction/Romance/Coming of Age

Format: Graphic Novel/Manga

Awards/Honors: none as of May 2021

Reading Level/Interest Level: Older Teen, ages 16-18 (No Flying No Tights, (2021)

Plot Summary: When twin sisters Cath and Wren go to college for their freshman year, Wren decides she does not want to be Cath’s roomamte and the girls are separated for the first time in 18 years. Wren adapts easily to college living and partying, while Cath, who is shyer and more introverted, holes up in her dorm room. Cath is obsessed with the character Simon Snow, a Harry Potter-like wizard who is popular in books. Cath and Wren are secretly the author of Simon Snow fanfiction and have thousands of online followers. As Wren gets involved in college life, she loses interest in their fanfiction, however Cath cannot seem to let it go. She spends hours in her room posting online and working on a secret book she is writing. When Cath meets a boy and starts hanging out with her outgoing roommate, things begins to change, and she begins to live her life.

Author BackGround: Sam Maggs is a Canadian-American best-selling author of comics, books, and video games. She has written many YA and middle-grade books. Maggs is best known for The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy and Marvel Action: Captain Marvel. She is an authority on women in pop culture and has written or spoken about the topic for the New York Times, The Guardian, Teen Vogue, and many others (Sam Maggs, N.D.).

Sam Maggs was born on November 10, 1988 in Ontario, Canada. She credits her parents, who saw Star Wars: A New Hope over 20 times, with her “love of geeky fandom.” Sam was named after Samantha Stephens from the TV show Bewtiched (Sam Maggs, N.D.). She received her B.A. in English language and literature and film studies from the University of Western Ontario in 2010 and a M.A. in literatures of modernity from Ryerson University in 2011. Maggs is openly bi-sexual and tries to incorporate queer representation into her writing. She and lives with her husband and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Eevee, in Los Angeles, California (Wikipedia, 2021).

Illustrator Background: Gabi Nam is a South Korean artist who specializes in black and white Manga. Fangirl: The Manga is her first English book (Fresh Fiction, 2021). (This is the only info I could find!)

Critical Evaluation: Fangirl Vol. 1: The Manga is a manga adaptation of Rainbow Rowell’s book, Fangirl. The manga covers the first half of the book. Maggs does a good job adapting the book into this format. She retained the feel of the book while condensing it into fewer words. The manga is engaging and fun to read. Unlike most manga, there are no chapters, and the book reads from left to right. This might make it more appealing to U.S. teens who like Rainbow Rowell but have never read manga. This is a good introduction to this format. The artwork by Gabi Nam is very manga-like. Nam uses black and white illustrations to bring the story to life. The facial expressions, especially those of Cath, help portray her loneliness and mood. The illustrations go well with the text and make this an enjoyable read, even for those who do not read manga. Teens who like Rainbow Rowell, fanfiction, and manga will enjoy this book.

Creative Use for a Library Program: Fanfiction! The teens can create fanfiction based on books, movies, or TV series, video games, or bands that they love. They could do it on paper or as a blog or website. The teens could have energy bars as a snack, since that is what Cath lived on for the first month of school.

Speed-Round Book Talk: Are you obsessed with fanfiction? Cath certainly is! In fact, it’s her whole life. When Cath begins her freshman year of college, she is away from her twin sister, Wren, for the first time. Cath has trouble fitting in and buries herself into her fanfiction writing. No one knows, but Cath is secretly the author of fanfiction about wizard Simon Snow and has thousands of online followers. But what happens when Cath meets a boy? Read Fangirl Vol. 1 and find out!

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense: There is some underage drinking in Fangirl Vol. 1: The Manga, but since this book is recommended for older teens, ages 16-18, this should not be a problem. There is no violence, profanity, or sex in the book.

Reason for Inclusion: I included Fangirl Vol. 1: The Manga because the novel it is based on Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell was a New York Times Bestseller. The original novel is very popular with teens, as are all of Rainbow Rowell’s books. The illustrations in the manga enhance the story and I enjoyed this more than the original book. Fans of Rainbow Rowell, fanfiction, and manga will enjoy this book.

References:

Fresh Fiction. (2021). Gabi Nam. Retrieved from https://freshfiction.com/author.php?id=45564

Levison, J. (2020, November 23). Fangirl: The Manga review. Back into the fandom, but with illustrations. [Illustraion]. Ninertimes. Retrieved from https://www.ninertimes.com/featured/fangirl-the-manga-review/article_e0449c40-2d8e-11eb-a9ad-5f8f09a60611.html

No Flying No Tights. (2021, May 3). Fangirl, vol. 1. Retrieved from https://www.noflyingnotights.com/blog/2021/05/03/fangirl/

Sam Maggs. (N.D.) About. Retrieved from https://www.sammaggs.com/about

VizMedia. (2020, October 9). Official manga trailer | Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell | VIZ. [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnkrZ4eiC0w

Wikipedia. (2021, May 10). Sam Maggs. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Maggs