Review by Ian Keogh

Cath and Wren’s mother left when both were young, but she’s recently been back in touch, and Cath resents that her more adventurous twin has decided to see her and continue contact. It’s led to arguments and builds on Cath disapproving of Wren’s dissolute lifestyle. Fangirl 3 ended with Cath’s mother phoning her to let her know Wren is in hospital, having been left there extremely drunk.

The resulting awkward meeting is seen on Gabi Nam’s sample page, and it’s gloriously played out over several further pages. It’s astutely written by Rainbow Rowell, adapting her own young adult novel, as the emotional intensity flows and both viewpoints can be understood. Time is also taken to address how Wren ended up in hospital rather than just treating it as a means of effecting a reconciliation between sisters. Over the first half of this volume it hits home harder than ever how good Rowell is with dialogue. It’s never talking for the sake of it because Rowell’s a writer, but words you can hear people speak, ordinary, understandable and convincing.

It’s also another stunning set of pages from Gabi Nam, wedded to the idea of telling a story rather than showing off how good she is. The delicate linework is accomplished, and she creates expressions from so little, and in doing so supplies a very sympathetic cast.

Realistic feelings, misunderstandings and plain selfishness see out the remainder of Fangirl 4, which culminates with a lesson about what counts in life. That remainder is a roller coaster best experienced without giveaways. No-one who’s followed the story through the previous three volumes has any right to be disappointed with what Rowell and Nam supply to end it all, and it’s unlikely they will be. Rowell and Nam have saved the best for last.