I LOVED The Princess and the Fangirl.
I loved Geekerella, the first book in Poston's Once Upon A Con series; I love all things "fan convention" and "twisted fairy tale," I love the whole "following-a-star-on-a-movie-set" trope, and, well, this book checked off ALL the boxes!! How could I NOT have loved The Princess and the Fangirl?!
Ashley Poston just has a way of writing that makes you laugh and smile throughout every single chapter she's written. Her characters are so dynamic, their arcs incredibly strong, something demonstrated to SUCH a high degree in The Princess and the Fangirl. Every character was fantastically built: unique, animated and strong. I loved Imogen's geekiness and Jessica's arc of self-acceptance and discovery; I fell in love with Ethan along with (*spoiler alert!*) Imogen, and I wished Harper could be MY best friend, too. Poston is a master at creating dynamic and realistic characters - characters so incredible they almost jump off the page, and who I wish I could befriend and associate with throughout my OWN life.
Plus, the little cameos of Elle and Darien from Geekerella?! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. Easter Eggs in film and literature are kind of my kryptonite (shhh, don't tell Lex Luthor!), and The Princess and the Fangirl did NOT disappoint when it came to references and surprise appearances from Poston's earlier novels.
Speaking of references, one of my absolute favourite things about Con-related novels (see: Geekerella, The Princess and the Fangirl, The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love, etc) is how many FANDOM REFERENCES are scattered throughout the pages!
I'm obsessed with so many fandoms, both incredibly popular and slightly more obscure: Harry Potter has been a favourite of mine since childhood (any fellow Ravenclaws around here?!), Sherlock introduced me to the world of brilliant British television and Doctor Who is one of my favourite shows of all time (I'm only a *little* obsessed with it, I swear...) - so reading the snippets of dialogue calling back to these favourites of mine is like an inside-joke between Poston's characters and myself. Poston's novels, especially this one, are chock-full of rich fandom callbacks - and I LOVE that. Each and every reference made me grin, and I was so impressed by how Poston seamlessly blended her unique, imaginative, fictional world and its own Starfield fandom with the real-life franchises that I know and love.
(Remember what I said about being "only-a-little-obsessed" with Doctor Who? *innocent smile*)
I'm just BURSTING with praise for The Princess and the Fangirl. I devoured it in a day and a half, and it instantly shot to the top of my "favourite reads of all time" list (not an easy feat)!
I absolutely CANNOT WAIT to read Poston's next novels, to fall in love with more of her characters and to return to her exuberantly crafted storylines once more. Book 3 in the Once Upon A Con Literary Universe cannot come soon enough!!
Another five-star read, hands-down!