The Five Stages of Fan-Girling
by Ashley Dawson
So if you're anything like me, I freak out pretty hard when I finish a great book and hear that the next installment in the series is coming out soon. Now, this isn't your every day, run of the mill freak out. Oh no. We're talking a full on fictional fan-girl episode, complete with little girl screams when cover reveals are announced So, in order to highlight the greatness that is YA fiction, here are the Five Stages of YA Fan-girling:
1. Finish the Book, Cry a Little
It never fails. I finish that last line, and immediately turn to my pillow for comfort. Why did it have to end with a cliffhanger? Can the next book come out faster? Is my life going to be the same after this? All good questions, no good answers. And because of this, I cry. Sooner rather than later someone finds me with an open cup of Jell-O pudding and a frown, and they know I've finished the book I've been reading for the last fourteen hours straight.
2. Googled it- Comes out Next Month
Okay. So I've consulted my friendly Google search engine, and Amazon tells me my favorite author is relieving me of my troubles and releasing the sequel in exactly one month. One. Month. I bite my nails for a full thirty-one days, each day a deliberate step toward that fateful day when the months change and my book love is home in my arms. Or, I just click the pre-order button. Let's go with that.
3. Cover Reveal
Oh. My. Gosh. That's the most beautiful thing I've ever laid my eyes on. Sure enough, it's staring up at me from the front page of my favorite YA blog, and I can't look away. Love at first sight. I'll spend countless hours thinking I see that cover on a local bookshelf, only to realize that it hasn't been released yet. Yet.
4. Check my Mailbox Religiously
My mailbox becomes my best friend. Seriously. None of my actual friends exist for the 3-4 day shipping period, and they are all very used to this. They bring me food while I wait and I eat like I'm fueling for a half marathon. Because I totally am. Sort of.
5. It's Here
I scream, bee-line for my bed, and rip the packaging off. There it is. The perfect thing. I flip to a random page and smell the freshly printed pages for just a moment, before diving in.
Then, fourteen hours later, I'm finished.
And book three doesn't come out for a year.
Repeat from step one.
Best wishes and happy fan-girling,
-Ashley
1. Finish the Book, Cry a Little
It never fails. I finish that last line, and immediately turn to my pillow for comfort. Why did it have to end with a cliffhanger? Can the next book come out faster? Is my life going to be the same after this? All good questions, no good answers. And because of this, I cry. Sooner rather than later someone finds me with an open cup of Jell-O pudding and a frown, and they know I've finished the book I've been reading for the last fourteen hours straight.
2. Googled it- Comes out Next Month
Okay. So I've consulted my friendly Google search engine, and Amazon tells me my favorite author is relieving me of my troubles and releasing the sequel in exactly one month. One. Month. I bite my nails for a full thirty-one days, each day a deliberate step toward that fateful day when the months change and my book love is home in my arms. Or, I just click the pre-order button. Let's go with that.
3. Cover Reveal
Oh. My. Gosh. That's the most beautiful thing I've ever laid my eyes on. Sure enough, it's staring up at me from the front page of my favorite YA blog, and I can't look away. Love at first sight. I'll spend countless hours thinking I see that cover on a local bookshelf, only to realize that it hasn't been released yet. Yet.
4. Check my Mailbox Religiously
My mailbox becomes my best friend. Seriously. None of my actual friends exist for the 3-4 day shipping period, and they are all very used to this. They bring me food while I wait and I eat like I'm fueling for a half marathon. Because I totally am. Sort of.
5. It's Here
I scream, bee-line for my bed, and rip the packaging off. There it is. The perfect thing. I flip to a random page and smell the freshly printed pages for just a moment, before diving in.
Then, fourteen hours later, I'm finished.
And book three doesn't come out for a year.
Repeat from step one.
Best wishes and happy fan-girling,
-Ashley
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