Saturday, August 13, 2011

Fan Girl (Marla Miniano)

At first glance, Marla Miniano's Fan Girl has a similar plot to Summit's last book, Popped. They both feature girls who go to another country in pursuit of their celebrity crushes. But in tone and approach, both books cannot be any more different.

When Cosmopolitan Philippines commends Ms Miniano for her 'heart-wrenching angst,' I have to agree. Fan Girl's story begins in college, when Summer falls for Scott, the half-Pinoy frontman of a local band. Over the next few years, we are privy to all the things that Summer does for love -- the open relationship she agrees to, the devoted stalking, and even that momentous decision to leave everything behind and follow him to the US.

Summer's passion for Scott is all-consuming. She often fails to look beyond what she wants to see. She doesn't listen to reason. There were many times that I wanted to hit her in the head, but I think this is testament to how realistically her character is written. I've known plenty of girls who have let their lives revolve around a man; I suppose there were times when I was no exception either. I think that Ms Miniano does a great job of letting Summer's insecurities come to the forefront. She gives us hints of why Summer acts the way she does. After years of being relatively isolated from the world, you can really understand why she clings to any form of affection from Scott. She may not be the kind of girl I would normally root for but I think Fan Girl depicts an intensely vulnerable character with a hidden tenacity, one who is a pretty good mirror for a number of women today. I think that in its own way the book is both a defense and a rebuke of Summer, which can really leave you with something to think about.

Ms Miniano's writing has a very measured pace and an introspective tone. It is almost episodic in the beginning, giving us short chapters of Summer's life throughout college and the kind of relationship she has with Scott. The writing comes across as almost quiet -- there are no frantic celeb chases here, no big dramatic scenes -- and it's the kind of voice that I'm really drawn to when I read.

Fan Girl is a story of self-discovery, of choice and consequence. But it tells us that growing up doesn't happen overnight. Sometimes we really have to keep on repeating our mistakes before we learn, whether we're bright-eyed college freshmen or thirtysomething career professionals. Some truths we are just meant to discover ourselves.

9 comments:

Chachic said...

I was really curious about this book but was surprised when I saw that a copy costs P170. The last Summit book that I bought was Mina's No Strings Attached and I remember that one was still P150? So I decided to wait for reviews before buying Fan Girl. Hmm now I'm torn, Summer seems like the kind of character that I'd get irritated with but you still gave the book a good review. I'll have to think about this, LOL.

dementedchris said...

She's like a friend that you're not quite sure what to do with... Character-wise I didn't really relate to her, but I do like Marla Miniano's writing. Tell you what, I'll let you borrow my copy, if you can wait that long. :P

You know, I totally didn't notice that it cost P170. I hope this means that Summit has other books coming. :) I'll be really excited about that!

Mythicast said...

I never did pick up of Popped because of the premise kasi baka ma-annoy ako. I read fanfiction and chick lit para marelax and I like kababawan though. :)) Curious ako about this one after your review, pero baka mainis din ako sa pagbasa. Haha!

Leki said...

Okay, sorry, that comment above was me xD I was logged into my brother's email, haha!

dementedchris said...

Naku, Lex, I really like Marla's writing style but Summer can be frustrating at times. Andami kong kilalang Summer; I'm sure you do, too! XP

I think I know why you stayed away from Popped (all those hysterical fangirls haha) but it does have its moments. :P It's a nice girly-bonding story.

It's like Fan Girl = self-discovery/independence, Popped = friendship

Marla said...

Hi, Chris! I saw the link to your blog entry on Summit Books's Facebook page, and I'm really glad I clicked on it. Thank you so much for your wonderful review! I will print this out and post it on the wall above my desk for inspiration. I'm happy you enjoyed Fan Girl, and thanks again! :) -Marla

dementedchris said...

Thanks for dropping by, Marla! Table for Two had a diverse cast of characters while Fan Girl was on the more insular side but I thought your writing style suited both of them quite well. I'm really looking forward to your next book! :)

Anonymous said...

well, it really cost Php. 175.00 thanks for the review. really love the story. i can relate somehow though the guy i am eying on is not really a celeb but his kind of popular in the university. you know, the books say "it's better to live a life with oh' wells, than a life of what ifs" thanks miss Marla Miniano.

Anonymous said...

Hi. Im Hope from LA and my dad bought me this book saying that maybe i could relate since im a big fan of Justin. and yeah, i wanna congratulate the author of this book, it's sooo awesome. i love it!! <3