I have been such a fan of Ashley Poston since Geekerella, to Heart of Iron and back to the con universe with The Princess and the Fangirl! And I devoured this sequel in two days! Talk about a book with all the swoons, a genderbent Prince and Pauper retelling, and geeky references! Keep reading this book review to see all the reasons I loved The Princess and the Fangirl!
Summary
Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favorite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favorite franchise, Starfield. The problem is, Jessica Stone—the actress who plays Princess Amara—wants nothing more than to leave the intense scrutiny of the fandom behind. If this year’s ExcelsiCon isn’t her last, she’ll consider her career derailed.
When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. That’s easier said than done when the girls step into each other’s shoes and discover new romantic possibilities, as well as the other side of intense fandom. As these “princesses” race to find the script-leaker, they must rescue themselves from their own expectations, and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.
Review
I would like to take all the geeky fandom books please! Taking place in a few days at a convention, The Princess and the Fangirl is perfect for all con fans! It took me a few pages in and I became completely obsessed. Poston is such a master at weaving multi-dimensional, flawed, and vulnerable characters. Seriously in ever one of Poston’s books! I know I can rely on the Once Upon a Con series for all my geeky references and this one talked about one of my favorite elements – the feelings (and downsides) of fandoms.
Fandom and queerness
You know that feeling when you see someone wearing a Doctor Who Pin and you know instantly that if you were stuck you could strike a conversation. That shared love and passion, opinions on favorite doctors, and best companions. It’s the way we could debate favorite episodes, worst villains, and always come back to David Tennant. But The Princess and the Fangirl does not shy away from the trolls, the pressure on the actors and the public scrutiny. These pressures, the harassment, and the criticism was handled in such an authentic way reminding me of countless examples of actors harassed in beloved fandoms.
I love how fandom, and our love of shows and books, can give us a sliver of what it feels like to be understood and seen. To have something resonate so deeply within our heart that it feels pulled from our soul. I loved the way Imogen is able to express this – to talk about how characters give us strength. At the same time, The Princess and the Fangirl is all sorts of queer and I am LOVING it! Talk about all the queerness and sapphic couple on the page!
Overall,
While I knew I’d love Imogen – #saveAmara – I also found myself falling in love with Jess! The harassment and pressure she feels broke my heart – not to mention her romance storyline gave me ALL the swoons! The Princess and the Fangirl is so fun. It is full of heart, emotions, and charm. Find The Princess and the Fangirl on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository
Hoohoo!
So glad you liked this book as well! It is one of my all time favourites, the whole series actually. I love how geeky and nerdy these books are, how they feel like home from the very first page. They have such a special place in my heart and I’m always so happy to see when other people love them as well 🙂
yeah after thinking more and more about this, this one might be my favorite of the series, which is your fave?