#cather avery

during my most recent reread of fangirl the detail of cath struggling with her anxiety so much that she refuses to find where the dining hall is and how it got to the point that if her sister wasn’t there she’d rather eat jars of peanut butter and protein bars is so genius for so many reasons. it characterizes cather very quickly, it aids in the starting her friendship to her previously aloof roommate (as said roommate immediately has cath eat with her upon finding out that cath’s “freaky eating” was due to lack of information), and it represents cath’s relationship to college in general. that’s why it’s so striking when in the last few chapters cath notes individual, slightly off-beat foods at the dining hall in one of her last meals with reagan for the year - asking herself “where else could you get this?” and how she was going to be able to go without it for summer break. she almost dropped out several times because she hated university so much but by the end she savors drinking tomato juice of all things. i just love every bit of this storytelling!!!

finally picking up my Fangirl re-read again (it is DATED (to the early 2010s) and I kinda love it for that) and aspec Cath tbh... "wouldn't want to kiss a stranger" and stuff. It's giving demi-ness, romantic or sexual or both. Knowing Rowell I think she'd also find just vaguely-aspec!Cath cool too.