The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston

January 17, 2019 Kirsty Hanson

If there is anything about fandoms/comic con/geeky stuff in general, then I’m here for it. Always. I always feel like I’m reading about my own group of friends, and in a world that I can relate to. Plus, it makes me happy, and what more could you want when it comes to a summery, YA novel?

Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favourite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favourite 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.

Now, I absolutely loved Ashley Poston’s previous book, Geekerella for the exact same reasons as I mentioned before. I love the whole world of Cons, how hundreds and hundreds of people from everywhere come together to enjoy the same thing. One of the things that I enjoy about this series is that the books are light and fluffy, which makes them easy reads that are perfect for rainy days, or lounging by the pool.

The Princess and the Fangirl is a gender-swapped retelling of The Princess and the Pauper which is a story that I love anyway (does anybody remember the Barbie version? That was amazing!) Another thing that made my day when I was reading this was that there are some characters that you will recognise from Geekerella. They are in no way the main characters in this book, they are mere passers-by, but the nod that Poston gives to her other book put a smile on my face.

“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.”

– Ashley Poston, The Princess and the Fangirl

I always wonder how people can swap places for a day… It really baffles me how no one seemed to notice that Imogen was in Jess’ place, and Jess was in Imogen’s… Like… I know some people just have those ordinary faces where they’re just not… much? It sounds so bad!! But, how could anyone not bloody realise? Confused. So confused.

What I liked about The Princess and the Fangirl was that it showed the opposite side to fandoms: the side that people don’t want to admit that exists. And that is the hateful, competitive, keyboard warrior side that hurts A LOT of people, which hates change, and anything that goes against their idea of what is canon. I think that this quote from the book sums this up perfectly:

“There are dark sides of every fandom. The pockets filled with a certain kind of nostalgia where everything is sacred and shouldn’t be tampered with. Where new things are always trash, or judged too harshly, or not up to some unknown holy standard. Where new people with new ideas can’t touch an old sinking ship even if it’ll repair it—make it better than before.”

– Ashley Poston, The Princess and the Fangirl

This book – even if it did show the negative side to fandoms – was still a cute read that featured an f/f romance (which is what we like to see!) There was a diverse cast, sarcasm, witty dialogue, and characters that you can’t help but fall in love with.

Even though I preferred Geekerella to its companion novel, I definitely enjoyed The Princess and the Fangirl and will 100% be picking up the next book in the series!

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review