Scan barcode
A review by reading_between_reality
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
5.0
Holy wow! This book was not what I was expecting. There was a lot of geeky fandom with fan art and fan fiction etc, but man, Eliza and Her Monsters is like an ice berg - so much more to it once you see beyond the surface.
I felt like I connected with this book in more ways than one.
Firstly, I can geek out with the best of them and totally understand a fandom! Age, sex, location, race…. These things know no bounds when it comes to a fandom.
Second, I am an introvert and consider myself socially awkward and I get nervous sweats, especially when I have to be around lots of people and can fall into anxiety fairly easy. I am very happy and content in my own hermit bubble and doing things on my own time when I am comfortable and ready. I do not like being unwillingly pushed out of my comfort zone.
Third, I’ve always been one to have only a very few close friends, and a lot of my friendships were online with cities, countries and timezones between us. Technology gives us that ability to have relationships with people beyond arms reach.
Eliza was great, and I love how her and Wallace get together. They understand each other, no expectations between them. He’s a bit weird with his need to write or text and she doesn’t question it or judge him.
I recognized from the beginning that Eliza had anxiety, but I didn’t realize how big of a role it would play in this story. Eliza’s safe haven was her anonymity. And she lost that and it threw her into a downward spiral. She had to hit rock bottom before she was able to make sense of things.
I pictured Wallace like a big bear. He’s a big, gentle, football type guy who likes to geek out with the best of them. He has his own anxiety and maybe a little PTSD, but he is working through them. He is very strong willed and confident is his anxiety. He knows it weird to write or text someone sitting beside you, but he doesn’t care because its what he has to do. He is comfortable writing. He’s a writer.
The rest of the characters were great too, though both Eliza and Wallace’s parents were both frustrating. They couldn’t see past their own desires to see what their kids were passionate about and skilled at.
I liked the aspect of anonymity within the MS world, not only Eliza but the angels as well. I like how Eliza was as big a fan of rainmaker and the other angels as much as they were a fan of hers. Monstrous Sea was her baby, but she loved to share it with her fans. It was there’s as much as it was hers.
Eliza’s parents were one of the biggest pressures for her. Despite what they thought, they really didn’t try very hard with her. Instead of involving themselves in her world, they only tried to pull her out of it. They had such tunnel vision, they didn’t even really SEE their daughter - her passion or her anxiety. Her brothers were there to smack them upside the head, but I am sad that it had to come to that.
I enjoyed the writing style. It was cool how she added in bits of MS art and forum convos etc. I found everything was explained and described really well. The aspects of mental health and suicidal thoughts were portrayed very well. I like that she shows how someone’s thoughts in a fragile state of mind can deteriorate so quickly, something that many people don’t understand.
I really enjoyed it. I found it to be an easy read, that picked up towards the end and eventually crushed me a little bit from the inside out and brought me to tears.
I felt like I connected with this book in more ways than one.
Firstly, I can geek out with the best of them and totally understand a fandom! Age, sex, location, race…. These things know no bounds when it comes to a fandom.
Second, I am an introvert and consider myself socially awkward and I get nervous sweats, especially when I have to be around lots of people and can fall into anxiety fairly easy. I am very happy and content in my own hermit bubble and doing things on my own time when I am comfortable and ready. I do not like being unwillingly pushed out of my comfort zone.
Third, I’ve always been one to have only a very few close friends, and a lot of my friendships were online with cities, countries and timezones between us. Technology gives us that ability to have relationships with people beyond arms reach.
Eliza was great, and I love how her and Wallace get together. They understand each other, no expectations between them. He’s a bit weird with his need to write or text and she doesn’t question it or judge him.
I recognized from the beginning that Eliza had anxiety, but I didn’t realize how big of a role it would play in this story. Eliza’s safe haven was her anonymity. And she lost that and it threw her into a downward spiral. She had to hit rock bottom before she was able to make sense of things.
I pictured Wallace like a big bear. He’s a big, gentle, football type guy who likes to geek out with the best of them. He has his own anxiety and maybe a little PTSD, but he is working through them. He is very strong willed and confident is his anxiety. He knows it weird to write or text someone sitting beside you, but he doesn’t care because its what he has to do. He is comfortable writing. He’s a writer.
The rest of the characters were great too, though both Eliza and Wallace’s parents were both frustrating. They couldn’t see past their own desires to see what their kids were passionate about and skilled at.
I liked the aspect of anonymity within the MS world, not only Eliza but the angels as well. I like how Eliza was as big a fan of rainmaker and the other angels as much as they were a fan of hers. Monstrous Sea was her baby, but she loved to share it with her fans. It was there’s as much as it was hers.
Eliza’s parents were one of the biggest pressures for her. Despite what they thought, they really didn’t try very hard with her. Instead of involving themselves in her world, they only tried to pull her out of it. They had such tunnel vision, they didn’t even really SEE their daughter - her passion or her anxiety. Her brothers were there to smack them upside the head, but I am sad that it had to come to that.
I enjoyed the writing style. It was cool how she added in bits of MS art and forum convos etc. I found everything was explained and described really well. The aspects of mental health and suicidal thoughts were portrayed very well. I like that she shows how someone’s thoughts in a fragile state of mind can deteriorate so quickly, something that many people don’t understand.
I really enjoyed it. I found it to be an easy read, that picked up towards the end and eventually crushed me a little bit from the inside out and brought me to tears.