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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
This books was fun! Of course I'm going to love a book full of fandoms and internet friends.
So the story follows Eliza Mirk and LadyConstellation; which really are the same person but so so different. Eliza is quiet and awkward and spends her days avoiding other people and drawing. LadyConstellation is an online star: the creator of webcomic, Monstrous Sea.
I love the intricacies of bonding with people online over common interests and then growing the relationship into something more. I love the small things like trying to catch up but also dealing with time zones and 'real life' circumstances. I love that weird line when you know or know of people online but then you meet them in real life.
There are not enough books that discuss this.
I love the way this book explores introversion. Because yes, there are some of us who do not like interacting with people in real life, no matter how active and chirpy and social we appear on the internet.
I also adore the way Zappia explores fandoms. The first thing I said when I finished the book at 3AM was that I wanted to read both Children of Hypnosis and Monstrous Sea. Just the fact that you write a great book, but inside you include other great books that I also want to read seperately and fully. Genius.
BTW YOU CAN ACTUALLY BEGIN READING CHILDREN OF HYPNOSIS! You can go check out more of Zappia's genius at Wattpad
And in among all these goodies there is an amazing story with feelings and aspiration and understanding and misunderstanding. There is a wonderful ship (I fully believe that Zappia should colab with Alice Oseman - I want Wallace to appear in a Heartstopper episode please and thank you). Also Church and Sully are the most precious brothers that there ever was.
becandbooks.com ‧ trigger warning database ‧ book depository ‧ more links
So the story follows Eliza Mirk and LadyConstellation; which really are the same person but so so different. Eliza is quiet and awkward and spends her days avoiding other people and drawing. LadyConstellation is an online star: the creator of webcomic, Monstrous Sea.
“You found me in a constellation.”
I love the intricacies of bonding with people online over common interests and then growing the relationship into something more. I love the small things like trying to catch up but also dealing with time zones and 'real life' circumstances. I love that weird line when you know or know of people online but then you meet them in real life.
There are not enough books that discuss this.
I love the way this book explores introversion. Because yes, there are some of us who do not like interacting with people in real life, no matter how active and chirpy and social we appear on the internet.
“I made Monstrous Sea because it's the story I wanted. I wanted a story like it, and I couldn't find one, so I created it myself.”
I also adore the way Zappia explores fandoms. The first thing I said when I finished the book at 3AM was that I wanted to read both Children of Hypnosis and Monstrous Sea. Just the fact that you write a great book, but inside you include other great books that I also want to read seperately and fully. Genius.
BTW YOU CAN ACTUALLY BEGIN READING CHILDREN OF HYPNOSIS! You can go check out more of Zappia's genius at Wattpad
And in among all these goodies there is an amazing story with feelings and aspiration and understanding and misunderstanding. There is a wonderful ship (I fully believe that Zappia should colab with Alice Oseman - I want Wallace to appear in a Heartstopper episode please and thank you). Also Church and Sully are the most precious brothers that there ever was.
“Broken people don't hide from their monsters. Broken people let themselves be eaten.”
→ trigger warnings: suicide of a parent (recounted), death of a father (recounted), suicidal ideations, panic attacks, anxiety, bullying, cyberbullying
becandbooks.com ‧ trigger warning database ‧ book depository ‧ more links
*4.5
I really liked this! I loved the portrayal of fandom! Something is just stopping me from giving it a 5 star, nonetheless, it was great and can't wait to see what the author has in store. (may also need to hit up that Tumblr novel!)
-Zee
I really liked this! I loved the portrayal of fandom! Something is just stopping me from giving it a 5 star, nonetheless, it was great and can't wait to see what the author has in store. (may also need to hit up that Tumblr novel!)
-Zee
I love this book!
Eliza is such a relatable character and how she feels about her work is something that is conveyed so well in the writing. She has her ups and downs and doubt like normal people it feels like she’s telling you her story in real life.
When Wallace showed up I thought oh no I hope this isn’t a romance helps the girl recover from Anxiety but it wasn’t it was he helped her live with a foot in the real world and a foot in the monstrous sea world. She did still have to go to a therapist and work through her problems as did Wallace with his own problems. Which was made it so real!
All the characters where well developed even the ones who were online they had personality’s and purpose. There is no character paper thin in this book which made it feel alive.
I would recommend this book to all ages.
Eliza is such a relatable character and how she feels about her work is something that is conveyed so well in the writing. She has her ups and downs and doubt like normal people it feels like she’s telling you her story in real life.
When Wallace showed up I thought oh no I hope this isn’t a romance helps the girl recover from Anxiety but it wasn’t it was he helped her live with a foot in the real world and a foot in the monstrous sea world. She did still have to go to a therapist and work through her problems as did Wallace with his own problems. Which was made it so real!
All the characters where well developed even the ones who were online they had personality’s and purpose. There is no character paper thin in this book which made it feel alive.
I would recommend this book to all ages.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
ALL THE STARS
ALL OF THEM
AND TISSUES
Ok
Words.
So.
This was beyond amazing. I cried through the last third of it. This is not a light book, and while I found the ending happy and really enjoyed reading it and laughed and marked lines, it’s also not a lighthearted book.
Eliza has severe social anxiety and, although the book names only the anxiety, she’s also very depressed.
I have never read such good representation of anxiety and depression. I mean, I probably have because I read so much I do forget a lot of it most of the time, but this was amazing in the way it voiced things I’ve thought almost word for word. The way it creeped into my mind and everything *clicked.*
I…
I think this might have genuinely helped me when I was a teenager. Maybe not, but. But. I waited so long to get treatment for myself when I knew I needed it and pretended so hard that I was making it all up that I actually started believing my own lies until things started going too far for what I could believe. And this. Is. Everything. This is IT.
I’m not making sense and I’m on too much of a book high to even care.
I’m looking at the cover of the book right now, at the little word bubble saying “her story is a phenomenon, her life is a disaster” and like.
Disaster?
That could have been me.
Not Eliza’s life, but her feelings. Her single focus, the one thing and maybe another thing on a good day that made it possible to do everything else, and still not be able to do enough to be like a person. To be anything other than vaguely functional. Go to school. Eat. Shut down your family when they try to talk you because you can’t let them know how bad it is inside you, and or because you already have to live through it and you’re sure as hell not going to talk about it and have to live through it *again* but you NEED them to see you and talk to you because you're dying and you're trapped and you don't know what to do.
You Find something (in her case, someone) you genuinely like, convince yourself you can be like a real person, you can have fun, you can fall in love, you can talk to people. Only to have everything crashing down by something that you can’t help, but what if you did things differently? Could you have stopped it? It doesn’t matter you were barely able to live, because that’s in the past and you’re in the now.
Because you don’t choose to be so stressed you can’t breathe, or so sad you feel sick. But it’s so, so hard to believe that and this book. Got. It.
Um, warnings of depression, anxiety, panic attacks, mentioned harassment, and suicidal thoughts.
On the bright side, the fandom rep was PERFECT and the bits of Eliza’s web comic that are shown are really cool!
ALL OF THEM
AND TISSUES
Ok
Words.
So.
This was beyond amazing. I cried through the last third of it. This is not a light book, and while I found the ending happy and really enjoyed reading it and laughed and marked lines, it’s also not a lighthearted book.
Eliza has severe social anxiety and, although the book names only the anxiety, she’s also very depressed.
I have never read such good representation of anxiety and depression. I mean, I probably have because I read so much I do forget a lot of it most of the time, but this was amazing in the way it voiced things I’ve thought almost word for word. The way it creeped into my mind and everything *clicked.*
I…
I think this might have genuinely helped me when I was a teenager. Maybe not, but. But. I waited so long to get treatment for myself when I knew I needed it and pretended so hard that I was making it all up that I actually started believing my own lies until things started going too far for what I could believe. And this. Is. Everything. This is IT.
I’m not making sense and I’m on too much of a book high to even care.
I’m looking at the cover of the book right now, at the little word bubble saying “her story is a phenomenon, her life is a disaster” and like.
Disaster?
That could have been me.
Not Eliza’s life, but her feelings. Her single focus, the one thing and maybe another thing on a good day that made it possible to do everything else, and still not be able to do enough to be like a person. To be anything other than vaguely functional. Go to school. Eat. Shut down your family when they try to talk you because you can’t let them know how bad it is inside you, and or because you already have to live through it and you’re sure as hell not going to talk about it and have to live through it *again* but you NEED them to see you and talk to you because you're dying and you're trapped and you don't know what to do.
You Find something (in her case, someone) you genuinely like, convince yourself you can be like a real person, you can have fun, you can fall in love, you can talk to people. Only to have everything crashing down by something that you can’t help, but what if you did things differently? Could you have stopped it? It doesn’t matter you were barely able to live, because that’s in the past and you’re in the now.
Because you don’t choose to be so stressed you can’t breathe, or so sad you feel sick. But it’s so, so hard to believe that and this book. Got. It.
Um, warnings of depression, anxiety, panic attacks, mentioned harassment, and suicidal thoughts.
On the bright side, the fandom rep was PERFECT and the bits of Eliza’s web comic that are shown are really cool!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Grief
Minor: Bullying, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent
this is one of the best book i have read in ages. If I didn't start reading it late one night, I would have read it all in one go, which is something I cant usally do.
I finished reading the book and I sat there hugging it to my heart crying for a few minutes. I love love love this book.
I finished reading the book and I sat there hugging it to my heart crying for a few minutes. I love love love this book.
Pre- review:
I wish I was Doctor Who,because if I had a TARDIS I would totally time travel to 2017 to read this book. (hopefully there will be a cameo of Alex and Miles being their disgustingly adorable selves)
Review:
No Miles and Alex cameo, but this was still freaking awesome regardless. I'm pre-ordering all her books forever and ever. I loved the message this books sends but how it never felt heavy handed. I loved how relatable Eliza was and I loved the comic and I loved Wallace and I loved the humor.
Made You Up is still my favorite, but that is only because I feel my expectations were SO HIGH for this one they could never be fulfilled. I basically created my own hype for this book.
Worth it, though.
My only complaint is that the parents felt too alien and that Eliza basically couldn't connect with anyone in her family until the second half of the book. I understand that this was deliberate on the author's part, and it was definitely resolved but... I just couldn't relate because I never had such a distant relationship with my mother. She always wanted to be right there with me in whatever I was creating or wanting to do or see and experience.
Oh, and I thought it was irritating that Wallace didn't just explain to his stepdad that LOTS OF PEOPLE make their livings as writers. Sure, get yourself on your feet first but don't tell the kid he can't become a writer just because it's harder than another job. Again, I feel like that's what the author was going for. I'm just irritated the character didn't say anything to refute the stepfather's stupid argument.
Don't mind me. I'm endlessly picky about things that matter not at all in the plot of story. It's hellish trying to watch a movie with me, I swear. I get hung up on the most minor of things.
Except for You've Got Mail. That movie is perfection and sprinkles.
Final verdict though:
LOVED IT SO MUCH LIKE CAN I HUG IT FOREVER OKAY I'LL GO DO THAT NOW BYE
Sexual content: Swoony kissing
Cursing: Bit high. Couple f-words
Violence: Not really.
Trigger warning: Suicide and Depression
I wish I was Doctor Who,because if I had a TARDIS I would totally time travel to 2017 to read this book. (hopefully there will be a cameo of Alex and Miles being their disgustingly adorable selves)
Review:
No Miles and Alex cameo, but this was still freaking awesome regardless. I'm pre-ordering all her books forever and ever. I loved the message this books sends but how it never felt heavy handed. I loved how relatable Eliza was and I loved the comic and I loved Wallace and I loved the humor.
Made You Up is still my favorite, but that is only because I feel my expectations were SO HIGH for this one they could never be fulfilled. I basically created my own hype for this book.
Worth it, though.
My only complaint is that the parents felt too alien and that Eliza basically couldn't connect with anyone in her family until the second half of the book. I understand that this was deliberate on the author's part, and it was definitely resolved but... I just couldn't relate because I never had such a distant relationship with my mother. She always wanted to be right there with me in whatever I was creating or wanting to do or see and experience.
Oh, and I thought it was irritating that Wallace didn't just explain to his stepdad that LOTS OF PEOPLE make their livings as writers. Sure, get yourself on your feet first but don't tell the kid he can't become a writer just because it's harder than another job. Again, I feel like that's what the author was going for. I'm just irritated the character didn't say anything to refute the stepfather's stupid argument.
Don't mind me. I'm endlessly picky about things that matter not at all in the plot of story. It's hellish trying to watch a movie with me, I swear. I get hung up on the most minor of things.
Except for You've Got Mail. That movie is perfection and sprinkles.
Final verdict though:
LOVED IT SO MUCH LIKE CAN I HUG IT FOREVER OKAY I'LL GO DO THAT NOW BYE
Sexual content: Swoony kissing
Cursing: Bit high. Couple f-words
Violence: Not really.
Trigger warning: Suicide and Depression
3.5 stars
I'm sure I would have liked this a lot more as a high school student. I love how it addresses anxiety. Definitely a fan of that, but I'm at a very different place in my life, and this doesn't hit me the way I wanted it to. That's a me-thing though, that's not the book.
I'm sure I would have liked this a lot more as a high school student. I love how it addresses anxiety. Definitely a fan of that, but I'm at a very different place in my life, and this doesn't hit me the way I wanted it to. That's a me-thing though, that's not the book.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
before going into this book I was not aware of the trigger warnings so here they are:
-Depression
-Suicide
-Anxiety
-Depression
-Suicide
-Anxiety