Hello lovely readers, it's my favourite time of the month, Book Review! This month, it's all about "Girl Online" by Zoe Sugg, better known as Youtube sensation Zoella. I first talked about this book in my "what I got for Christmas" post here. As I mentioned, my mom has a knack for just knowing what I want and this book was one of them. So as you can imagine, I started reading it there and then. I've actually just finished it and thought I'd pop on the old blog and talk about it before I go to work as I'm super excited.
I think i'm always a little anxious when reading things by people who aren't usually writers. I feel like there's more pressure on them for it to be good and as a result can lead them to unfair criticism. I've been a huge fan of Zoella for some time now and desperately wanted to love this book because of her but knew I couldn't let that cloud my judgement. When I first started reading it, I was unsure. The writing style is simply written, no fancy words or hidden meanings which I think works well with this type of story.
It centres around Penny, a young girl suffering from anxiety and blogging about her life anonymously online. This, as we all know, is something Zoella herself has come to terms with. The fact that she's following the old "write what you know" gives the book a real sense of what anxiety is actually like. In the beginning of the book, I was a little dubious and felt that I was waiting for something to happen, and then it did. Penny meets Noah, a mysterious boy from brooklyn and the story just takes off. I'm a sucker for a love story and while their tale is a little cliche, it's exactly what we the reader, wants to happen.
I'm embarrassed to say that I figured I'd got this book all sussed out and that I'd predicted the ending. And then something magic happened. It completely went another way. I've read a lot of books and it's not often a book throws me off the way this one has. During the turbulent chapters, I actually felt for Penny like she was a real person, something I hadn't realised was happening. During these chapters, it also built a really realistic feel for how the online world works, and how easily it can turn on you.
I tried to put my love for Zoella aside whilst reviewing this book as I wanted this to be an honest review for people thinking about buying it. My verdict? Go out and buy it already. If you're expecting a novel written like Wuthering Heights, you'll be disappointed. But, if you're wanting a somewhat lighthearted read with morals and romance thrown in, look no further. I can confidently say that my love for Zoella has only heightened since reading this. As to all the rumours that she didn't write it herself, I feel that's rubbish. Have you read Zoella's new novel? What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!
Laura.
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