Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz & Kat Helgeson

Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson

Expected publication: April 5th 2016 by Chronicle Books

345 Pages

Goodreads Summary: The story follows the unlikely friendship of two young women forged via fan fiction and message boards, and is told entirely in texts, chats, and blog posts.
Gena (short for Genevieve) and Finn (short for Stephanie) have little in common. Book-smart Gena is preparing to leave her posh boarding school for college; down-to-earth Finn is a twenty-something struggling to make ends meet in the big city. Gena’s romantic life is a series of reluctant one-night-stands; Finn is making a go of it with long-term boyfriend Charlie. But they share a passion for Up Below, a buddy cop TV show with a cult fan following. Gena is a darling of the fangirl scene, keeping a popular blog and writing fan fiction. Finn’s online life is a secret, even from Charlie. The pair spark an unlikely online friendship that deepens quickly (so quickly it scares them both), and as their individual “real” lives begin to fall apart, they increasingly seek shelter online, and with each other.

Review: I received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I had a few different reactions to this book.  At first I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get through it because shortly after it begins, there is a lot of swearing.  Normally I am not offended by swearing but in the first few pages there almost seems to be a swear word in every other sentence.  That is just overkill.  But I stuck with it and it mellowed out after those few pages.  This book is written entirely in emails, IMs, blog posts, etc.  It was an interesting way of telling the story and it kept my interest hooked in the two main characters.  One thing I really wish is that there was a little bit more explanation on the show that these two girls are fangirling over.  It would have been nice to have that bit to maybe connect with the characters.  There were several times when Gena and Finn seemed to blend together and it was hard to keep their characters separate.  But it was still a fun, engaging read until all of a sudden… BAM!  Plot twist and the book takes a dark turn and it’s like you’re thrown on a self-destructing roller coaster.  It was fun in the beginning but the dark twist felt out of place.  However, I did still enjoy reading the book.  It wasn’t amazing but it was good.

3 Stars