Reviews

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

hellobookbird's review against another edition

5.0

She drew so many monsters that she became a monster herself.

THIS BOOK IS MY PEOPLE.
Seriously. I am so thoroughly in love!

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is the epitome of introverted geek. She'd rather spend her time with her online friends and in her own fantasy world...a fantasy world where she happens to be known as LadyConstellation and has her own webcomic fanbase.

When Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school he's equally as introverted and socially awkward. As they bond over their love of Monstrous Sea, Wallace is slowly able to bring Eliza out of her shell...until Eliza's identity is accidentally shared with the world, and everything—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

Excuse me while I go into fangirl mode here.

[b: Eliza and Her Monsters|31931941|Eliza and Her Monsters|Francesca Zappia|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476994065s/31931941.jpg|52586056] is perfect for anyone that's ever been obsessed with a movie or show, the introverted, the socially awkward, and those that suffer from social anxiety. It deals with the conundrum that is online vs offline life and how sometimes people that aren't our people just don't get that. Also geeks. Webcomics. Fandoms. Cosplay. Dealing with our inner monsters. It sprinkles the story with art, character background inserts, forum profiles, and all manner of other super awesome things (and I'm not talking one or two)! I JUST...THIS BOOK. I CAN'T EVEN.

I ship Eliza+Wallace so hard.

I found you in a constellation.

Their friendship to relationship develops gradually and is so well done. They both have lots of anxiety issues but, while that's present, their relationship concentrates more on art, fanfiction, and learning to trust another enough to become friends who share the same passion. For the both of them—and likely for a lot of readers that would love this book—the internet is the safe haven that brought them together.

The internet and online friendship love is strong.

I do have friends. Maybe they live hundreds of miles away from me, and maybe I can only talk to them through a screen, but they're still my friends. They don't just hold Monstrous Sea together. They hold me together.

Max and Emmy are the reason any of this exists.

When I was younger, I used to spend countless hours on the computer...to the point where my parents were frustrated that I didn't spend enough time in the "real world." What they don't get—and Eliza's parents don't get—is that the internet was a place to explore, where I could be as invisible or not as I wanted, and where I could find others like me. [b: Eliza and Her Monsters|31931941|Eliza and Her Monsters|Francesca Zappia|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476994065s/31931941.jpg|52586056] really highlights how great, healthy, and varied these relationships can be. This here is a book that actually gets me.

It isn't all unicorns and rainbows.

There is a small monster in my brain that controls my doubt.
The doubt itself is a stupid thing, without sense or feeling, blind and straining at the end of a long chain. The monster, though, is smart. It’s always watching, and when I am completely sure of myself, it unchains the doubt and lets it run wild. Even when I know it’s coming, I can’t stop it.

When Eliza's identity becomes known, her whole world is turned inside out. Her anonymity and her webcomic—her safe haven—get stripped away. Her parents don't understand her, Wallace feels betrayed, and the pressure from her fan base becomes overwhelming.

It adds an emotional depth to an otherwise light-hearted book. It was thought-provoking and lent a more serious edge befitting the issues instead of glossing over—or even skipping—them entirely.

Recommended for everyone. Absolutely everyone.

lilo23's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 It was cute but I didn't understand the little comics about Monstrous Sea that were sprinkled around the book.

eponineeurydice's review against another edition

5.0

I finished this book faster than I've ever finished a book before. And if you read it, you'll know why. No words could ever express all that this book entails, so I'll simply ask a question to start.

DID THIS AUTHOR BREAK INTO MY MIND, STEAL MY INNER DIALOGUE AND PUT IT TO WORDS TIMES A HUNDRED?

Because that's what it FELT like! Reading Eliza's journey felt so personal, so real, so tailored to my own experiences. From her parents, to her artistic mind, to her love of the Internet, to her social anxiety... everything about it was just so... beautiful. And it just felt like Eliza was myself, and somehow that was good because it made me connect to her so well. And maybe it wasn't even that she was like me. Maybe the author just had the power to make characters seem so real, so tangible that it felt like I'd known them all my life. And can we talk about that formatting?! I know, I know, I'm a teen and when I see something new and shiny like texts and forum posts inside a book, I'm filled with happiness. But it was so beautiful! And I'm sure if I could see the comics/illustrations, it would've been an even more magical experience. This book just did it for me in every way. To me it was a love letter to teens, artists, outcasts and people under an unfair amount of pressure throughout the world. Thank you so much, Eliza, for reminding me that no matter where you are, no matter what you do, you are worthy of love and belonging, and you are not alone.

ephemeralrin's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

congressbaby143's review against another edition

4.0

It took me awhile to read this but I properly sat down today to finish all of it because even when I've been reading it for the span of two weeks, my interest for it has not waned. I think the best thing I like the most about it is that I could see how genuinely the author knows about fandom culture. There were a lot of parts where Eliza deals with her family that felt so relatable to me. Because I have been falling out with my mother and the emotions there were just to real, even the part where she sees black in frustration that no one in her family gets it. I love how it all worked out for them in the end. Even if it was too convenient, like the rest of the story... and too predictable. (And a bit instalovey) God I almost cringed when the whole morning news plot started happening because you kind of know where it was going from there, so that took away 1 star for me. But all in all, it was very fun to read. Also, who else feels like Eliza got a not-so-good therapist?

thebookishnerd24's review against another edition

5.0

Completely amazing! I was a bit sad of what Eliza’s parents did to Monstrous Sea, Eliza’s web comic, and the after math was a bit intense. But either way, I LOVED Eliza and Wallace together, and it’s such a great book!

lauracreads's review against another edition

5.0

Love it. It's on my all time favorite books.
I didn’t know I needed a book like this until now.

platanomuffin's review against another edition

5.0

super relatable

carlisajc's review against another edition

5.0

Okay, I loved this. So so much. Beautiful, emotional, inspiring.

kremington's review against another edition

3.0

I'm torn rating this. I almost put it down multiple times and wanted to move on. I only got sucked in the last 30-40% of the book. Some parts were too predictable. Giving it a 3.5 because I think 4 is too generous (for me) but it deserves more than 3.