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.
We’re so excited to be hosting a giveaway of the marvelous book, Gena/Finn!
If you’re like me, when you reread the Harry Potter series, you become irritable and spacey, and can’t focus on anything besides the next page. That’s what reading Gena/Finn was like for me. I could not put it down, and when I had to I was in a haze of still being stuck in the world of the book. It was just that engrossing.
One thing I think readers should know beforehand is that the queerness in Gena/Finn is very ambiguous. Not in a way that it’s easy to miss, but the character’s relationship is never clarified, and neither of their sexualities are ever labelled. While I would’ve appreciated a bit more discussion of it, the ambiguity of it actually rang true to my experience of relationships in online fandoms, so I didn’t mind it too much. But I think readers should be aware of the ambiguity beforehand, in case that’s not their cup of tea!
All of that said, I love this book, and I think most people involved in any form of fan culture will too.
Enter here for a chance to win Gena/Finn! A winner will be chosen on May 25th.
This giveaway is hosted by Chronicle Books, the publisher of Gena/Finn. GayYA will not receive anyone’s information. Find the official rules of the giveaway here.
