The Princess and the Fangirl (Once Upon a Con, #2)

by Ashley Poston

The Prince and the Pauper gets a Geekerella-style makeover in this witty and heartfelt novel for those who believe in the magic of fandom—now in paperback, with an excerpt from Bookish and the Beast.
 
Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: to save her favorite Starfield character, Princess Amara, from being killed off. On the other hand, the actress who plays Amara wouldn’t mind being axed. Jessica Stone doesn’t even like being part of the Starfield franchise—and she’s desperate to leave the intense scrutiny of fandom behind. 
 
Though Imogen and Jess have nothing in common, they do look strangely similar to one another—and a case of mistaken identity at ExcelsiCon sets off a chain of events that will change both of their lives. When the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, with all signs pointing to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. The deal: Imogen will play Jess at her signings and panels, and Jess will help Imogen’s best friend run their booth. 
 
But as these “princesses” race to find the script leaker—in each other’s shoes—they’re up against more than they bargained for. From the darker side of fandom to unexpected crushes, Imogen and Jess must find a way to rescue themselves from their own expectations...and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.

• ISBN10: 1683691709
• ISBN13: 9781683691709
• Publish Date: 24 March 2020 (first published 2 April 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Quirk Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781683691709

Reviews

[pagingserenity]

Immediate thoughts after reading:

Hmm, I think I might like this one more than Geekerella so I might have to bump up the rating later. Let me sleep on it. For now, it's somewhere in the 4 - 4.25 star territory. I think the main reason why I like The Princess and the Fangirl better is because the characters spent more time interacting face to face with their love interests which allowed for better relationship development, imo.

[bestmessever]

Let me tell you that Ashley Poston really gets what it means to be a diehard fan of something. I can't get over the way she brings these characters to life who look and act so similarly to myself and people that I know. Loving something so deeply that you have to write your own stories about it, make art about it, or hell even write songs about it is truly an incredible thing. Ashley Poston knows that down to her core and it comes through in her writing. I will admit that I am not a huge contemporary fan, it is hard for me to enjoy a book that doesn't have dragons or wizards. But the thing about Ashley's books is that even though they are contemporaries they are filled to the brim with magic. I always feel as though I am right there with the characters at the con and I can feel the wonder that comes with being somewhere so magical.

I really enjoyed our main characters Imogen and Jess, they were such polar opposites in many ways and the fact that they managed everything they did was a joy to watch unfold. The romances in this book were phenomenal, near the end of the book I was all but squealing on my lunch at work.

I think that more than anything shows how amazing these books are, because at the end of the day, all I ever want is book that gives me the same range of emotions as a good fanfic.

[dragononabook]

My belief has been so suspended it's practically a chandelier by now. This book was fun and fluffy, but in a super unrealistic way. I think that the side characters were great (give me a whole book about Bran please) and I especially loved Harper, but both of the main characters, Jess and Imogen, felt a little annoying at times. I did really like Jess/Harper though, it was the best ship in the book. With Imogen, however, I felt that Ethan and Vance and Jasper were all a bit too much.

It's supposed to be a retelling of The Prince and the Pauper, but I'm not familiar with the story so I can't attest to the similarities. I feel that some of the weakness on the part of the plot had to do with the transposition of the original plot from a time without cameras and the Internet.

There was a lot of fandom-speak in this book, which was probably a given because of its setting at a convention, but it was a lot more prominent than in other fandom-centric books. There were ship discussions and panels and a lot of references to online fandom, which makes sense considering Starfield is very Star Trek-esque, but I imagine it would get a bit overwhelming to people who aren't in fandom. Also, this is the first time ever I've seen AO3 in print, so that was a shock. However, Princess and the Fangirl also does a great job of showing the dark side of the fandom, and how much harm it can do, as well as how much it can affect the people playing the roles of the characters being discussed.

Overall, it's a good fluffy read, and quite a tribute to fandom, but don't go into it expecting a brilliant plot or a classic masterpiece.

[Steph L]

A love letter to fandoms and cons

If you have read Geekerlla you will love this companion novel. If you have not, you still would. You don’t have to read both, but there is crossover with some of the characters. This is a delightfully fun novel about finding yourself and finding something to fight for. Within the novel is a love of fandoms and cons, and I loved that.

[Kat @ Novels & Waffles]

"Sometimes the best heroes are the ones in your head—but that doesn’t make them any less real."

Things I Liked:

✑ The main characters were very relatable (anxious + worried about never being enough)
✑ So much geeky fun!!!! This book is a love letter to fangirls everywhere and I LIVED for all of the pop culture references
✑ The writing style was distinctive and absolutely hilarious
✑ Presents a powerful message about the dual nature of social media and the internet – it can bring people together, but also tear us apart
✑ Loved the theme of being enough

Things I Liked... Less:

✑ A predictable, cliché plotline

---------------------------------------------
Novels & Waffles Blog・Twitter・Instagram・Bloglovin'

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Source: ARC from publisher

Initial Thoughts: It took me awhile to get into the story, and I did find Imogene annoying, as she's one of those Very Online people who talk like doge dog and other memes and thinks it's cute, but after a few chapters, I got invested, and I do think the book has some important things to say about fandom, online behavior, believing in yourself, etc. (I've also seen a hardcover of the book, and it's beautiful!)

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The fangirl was trying to save the princess, but maybe this princess did not want to be saved.

• Pro: Poston did a fantastic job capturing the magic of ExcelsiCon once again, and once again, I was left feeling all the happy feels.

• Pro: I thought employing The Prince and the Pauper switch-a-roo tactic for this story was brilliant. By literally walking in each other's shoes, both Jess and Imogen learned a LOT about the other side of fandoms, while also learning a few things about themselves.

• Pro: I love that this book celebrated fandoms, but I also appreciated that Poston took time to shed light on the negative side of cons, sci-fi, and the fans.

• Pro: This was a twofer. That's right, I got two romances in this book, and both were fun and sweet and adorable. Though they took a back seat to the central plot, I found myself loving the pairings and keeping my fingers crossed that they would happen.

• Pro: This book was packed with fantastic and fun characters to love. Not only did we get to spend time with our friends from Geekerella, we also got to meet Imogen, her brother, his boyfriend, Jess, and her assistant. They all really played a big role in making this a super-fun and nerdtastic experience for me.

• Pro: I was already smiling from the too cute romances and some justice that had been served, but that ending just made me grin even harder. It was surprising and awesome and perfect.

Overall: Poston gave me another amazing trip to ExcelsiCon, which was filled with new and old friends, a little romance, a bit of subterfuge, and lots of nerdy fun. I really hope we get to return to the con again next year.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

[Kelly]

Attending the popular culture event is an institution for Imogen Lovelace, Starfield enthusiast and creator of the online campaign to save Amara, the female heroine of the popular franchise. The online petition amassing thousands of signatures. Attending the convention with her brother Milo and parents Kathy and Minerva, Imogen intends to campaign for the Starfield sequel and intermingle with convention aficionados, including internet friend and artist Harper Hart.

Jessica Stone is an award winning actress reprising the role of Amara, the princess of Starfield. Darien Freeman has portrayed the immortalised Prince Carmindor to acclaim and Jessica, a target of internet abusers dissecting her credentials, her appearance and the comparison to the original Princess Amara. Jessica isn't interested in reprising her character in the Starfield sequel, despite the online campaign gathering momentum and in a moment of resentment, Jessica discards her script at the convention as the narrative is disclosed on social media.

The alternating narrative accompanies Imogen Lovelace and Jessica Stone, two dissimilar young women colliding through happenstance at the Excelsicon event. Aesthetically, Imogen and Jessica are interchangeable, Jessica is suffocating under the expectations of the Starfield fandom and Imogen is the creator of the Save Amara campaign. Imogen is answering questions on a Starfield character panel at the convention, successfully mistaken for Jessica and uses the opportunity to lend voice to her online campaign. Reluctantly, Jessica allows Imogen to covertly assume her convention appearances, chaperoned by manager Ethan Tanaka as Jessica investigates the saboteur who has obtained her script.

Excelsicon is atmospherically exhilarating, in particular the assiduous Artists Alley and African American artist Harper Hart, Starfield merchandise designer. Believing that Jessica is Imogen, Jessica and Harper are developing a gentle friendship and endearment and Imogen in her capacity as Jessica, despite her frustration, is developing an attraction to Ethan, Jessica's confidant and assistant. The Princess and The Fangirl is a celebration of diversity and friendship. Platonic love, attraction, same gender relationships, parental relationships and memorable acquaintances. American Asian, African American, gay and lesbian, vibrant, diverse and inclusive characters.

Popular culture enthusiasts can create a wonderfully inclusive environment as experienced at Excelsicon but also discloses the negative and antagonistic factions that engage in online abuse and harassment. Jessica Stone reprised the character of Amara in the successful Starfield franchise. On social media she is taunted, abused and degraded rather than being exposed to the inclusive environment. It also touches upon creators and unpaid labour, the acknowledgement of the prejudice against black women in film, sexual assault and also challenging the inequality of female actors within the industry as Jessica is harassed and Darien Freeman, celebrated.

The Princess and the Fangirl is categorically enchanting. A whirlwind of effervescent and charismatic characters, diversity and inclusiveness, challenging stereotypes and societal adversity. A gentle romance and tender friendship, creating one of the loveliest contemporaries you're likely to discover this year. Absolutely, positively recommended wholeheartedly.