Overall: 4/5 Stars
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 4/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4/5
Review in a Nutshell: The Princess and the Fangirl is the perfect geeky novel that will make you dream of comic con.

“We need those stories, too. Stories that tell us that we can be bold and brash and make mistakes and still come out better on the other side. ”

Content Warning: Body Shaming, Cyberbullying

– Premise –

The Princess and the Fangirl is a retelling of The Prince and the Pauper, except this Princess the space princess, Amara, in the movie Starfield, played by Jessica Stone. After Jess’ character is killed off, she can finally do the indie films that will get her praise and awards, but Imogen, a diehard Starfield fan will do anything to #SaveAmara. When a classic case of mistaken identity ends up with Imogen on the Starfield panel, Jess decides to hand over the fame for the weekend so she can track down the person who is leaking her missing Starfield script. 

“Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.”

– Writing & Setting-

Ashley Poston has managed to perfectly capture the amazing, chaotic mess that is conventions. Reading this book is like being on the show floor yourself and witnessing the majestic disaster that is fandom at it’s finest. I just love how perfectly this book portrays con culture. Meanwhile the writing itself is equally fun. The prose is straightforward and realistic. She somehow avoided the cringe factor that takes over a lot of books about nerds and geeks. Her writing is witty and quirky with just enough depth.

“I think there are people who come into your life, and you just know. For however long or short a time or however impossible it might seem – they’re important. Like a guiding star amid a storm.”

– Plot –

This book is well paced, with mystery and drama making the pages fly by. But what really stands out is how Ashley Poston manages to show both the best and worst parts of fandoms. She shows everything I love about fandom, and all the dark sides I try to pretend don’t exist. It adds depth to what would otherwise be a lighthearted story (though, don’t get me wrong, it’s still so lighthearted and fun). 

– Characters – 

I honestly didn’t care for Jessica’s character in Geekerella. What I didn’t expect was that I would absolutely love her in this book. Her issues with self-esteem were so relatable and were handled so well. I also really loved Imogen as a character, what I loved most in her chapters was the romance aspect. Both characters have their own love interest, and they were both amazing. And one of them is f/f!!! I didn’t know that going in and I was so pleasantly surprised!!! Unfortunately, because there were two separate love stories going on, I didn’t feel as connected or invested in them as I did in Geekerella. 

“I am a kaleidoscope of hope and dreams and wonder in the shape of a girl. I am not a porcelain doll. I am not empty. I am worthy. I am enough.” 

– Conclusion –

Pros- LGBT rep, great characters, such an honest portrayal of fandom
Cons- Didn’t connect to characters and romance as much as Geekerella 
Overall- 4/5 stars. 
The Princess and The Fangirl is a fantastic sequel, and a fantastic story on it’s own. Reading it will make you fall in love with fandom all over again.

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Have you read The Princess and The Fangirl? What are some of your favorite books about fan culture?