Book Review: Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell

“He handed her a movie-theater cup, one of the new Star Wars ones. ‘Tonight you can pee in a collector’s item'”.

Rating: ★★★★

I just finished reading Kindred Spirits. Literally like 30 seconds ago. I’m in SHOCK. I always forget I’m reading a “Rainbow Rowell Ending” when I reach the ending of Rainbow Rowell’s books.

Before I go into spoiler-y details, let me tell you a bit about Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell. This story follows a girl by the name of Elena who is very passionate about the Star Wars films because she was raised on the films. We follow Elena as she waits FOUR DAYS in line to see the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens. She goes to the line having this expectation that its going be this wild Star Wars party, with lots of Star Wars fans, but when she gets there, she realizes it might not be what she had imagined, when she realizes there’s only two other people there.

I went into this short story thinking it was going to be a straight-up love story, but it really wasn’t… I mean, I think it was deeper than that because it touched base with topics like judging a book by its cover, and the bond you can have with people over something that you’re passionate about.

I’m going to start the spoiler-y details, so if you haven’t read this short story yet, DO SO, because it’ll literally take you like an hour. And it’s so worth it.

Ok, so this story was…I don’t even know how to describe my feelings. I really really really enjoyed it, but I’m so annoyed with the ending, because I wanted MORE. I didn’t realize I was at the ending, because I was reading on my phone, and it said that there were about 20 more pages, so I was super pumped with the way the story was progressing, but then it just ENDED. RAINBOW, HONEY, QUEEN, PLEASE STOP GIVING US OPEN ENDINGS, I DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO THINK, I WANT YOU TO TELL ME, YOUR VERSIONS WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN MINE!

The story was adorable, relatable to all of us fangirls and fanboys, and that’s what I love about Rainbow, she just GETS us. Fangirl is one of my favorite books of all time and it’s because I feel like she captivated the Fangirl in all of us in that book. This story is no different. It was charming, quirky, funny, and meaningful, very Rainbow Rowell-esque.

As I said, I went into this story thinking it was going to be a love story, which is my fave, let’s be honest, but I really appreciated the fact that it was much more than that. The relationship we began to see with Elena and Gabe was wonderful, because we didn’t really understand at first why Gabe was such a jerk to Elena. Once we found out that he actually went to the same school as Elena, and had issues with her friends, we understood where he was coming from, but it still wasn’t nice of him to judge Elena for her friend’s deeds, and for the friends she keeps, because he only sees the surface of Elena and her friends, he doesn’t really know them, and still judges them.

I related HARD to Elena in the sense that she didn’t consider herself an introvert or an extrovert, but kind of a midtrovert. I’m not the shyest person in the world, but I am by no means the most outgoing either, I’m right down the middle accompanied by Elena. I also related to her being addicted to Instagram, because as some of you may know, I have a bookstagram account, where I basically live in, so every time she took out her phone to take pictures and write her HILARIOUS captions, with the most amazing puns ever created, I just wanted to bow at her feet, my INSTAGRAM QUEEN. I really want to be following her. *sad face emoji*

I DIED, LIVED, AND BREATHED FOR HER MOTHER. She cracked me up from the beginning to the end of this story, because she just kept driving by the theater, keeping an eye on her daughter, and trying to do/say anything that will get Elena to go home, and NOT go through with this. Her mother was everything for me. Also TROY, he was just so funny, so intense with being the first person in line, being the pro in the movie-line-waiting-biz.

FUNNIEST SCENE: Let’s admit it, there were quite a few, but THE PEEING SCENES. I WAS DYING. I found it SO RELATABLE, since I have the world’s shortest bladder ever, it made me feel for Elena. When Gabe told her he got her a collector’s item to pee in… Just. Ugh. Baby. You perfect.

I was loving Gabe’s and Elena’s blossoming relationship, watching them bond over their mutual obsession with Star Wars, and watching them share secrets about themselves, even if they were not “that” big of a deal, like Elena admitting she hadn’t watched the prequel movies, and Gabe admitting that he went to her school, and she didn’t even realize he existed. It was sad, but adorable, and cute, and perfect, because I just UNDERSTOOD, it’s not because Elena is a mean person, who doesn’t care about anybody but herself, it’s just that she’s a MIDTROVERT.

THE ENDING: When they FINALLY get in to see the movie. They’re getting comfortable, they’d been sitting on concrete for 4+ days, so OBVIOUSLY it was a bump up from that; they’re excited, the opening credits are starting, and then. NEXT CHAPTER: they fell asleep. ARE YOU KIDDING? I have to admit, I was very frustrated with them, but at the same time, OF COURSE THEY FELL ASLEEP, THEY HADN’T SLEPT PROPERLY IN A WEEK. I loved watching them make plans to meet each other to see the movie that night together, and I was just gushing, and then…THEN…it ended. IT JUST ENDED. WHAT?! RAINBOW. WHY?! #heartbreak

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So those were all my thoughts on this wonderful short story, I really want to heart YOUR opinions on it, let me know your feels in the comments! ❤ Thank you guys for reading!

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