A review by this_momma_is_booked
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I knew nothing about this book when I started reading it, just that a friend recommended it to fulfill a requirement for my YA Lit class. I finished the book wanting to read everything Zappia has ever written because it is a book that will stay with me.

 Eliza Mirk is the creator of the incredibly popular webcomic, Monstrous Sea – but no one besides her family and her two (online) best friends know. In her “real life,” as her parents like to call it, she’s a socially awkward senior, struggling to get through the everyday grind so she can get back to her online persona. All this comes to a head when she meets Wallace, a new student who is quiet and kind and a huge Monstrous Sea fan. The following months find Eliza exploring a new relationship with Wallace, navigating her senior year of high school, struggling to finish her webcomic, all whilst keeping her online persona, LadyConstellation, a secret. This book is beautifully written, with inclusions of chat messages, emails, and a few panels of Eliza’s art, allowing the reader to experience life as she sees it. It’s an in-depth look at mental health in teenagers, a topic that is still not talked about enough. I would recommend this book to everyone, but particularly to those who are struggling to find where they fit in, what their purpose is, and who they are. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings