Scan barcode
A review by renuked
Girl Online by Zoe Sugg
4.0
That was like a breath of fresh air. You know it's air. You know what's coming. It isn't anything new or groundbreaking. But it fills you up and makes you happy. It's basically a "feel good" book and it succeeds. (For those of you who are wondering, yes I do know who Zoe Sugg is, and I do like her youtube channel, but this review is a review of her novel not her videos).
Penny is, of course, a reflection of Zoella herself, and that does actually add more meaning to the book, but let's forget about that for a second. Penny suffers from panic attacks and anxiety. She has a loving family and an adorable best friend named Elliot, but she suffers in school from her clumsiness and her anxiety. To escape everything, she creates an anonymous blog, GirlOnline, where she talks about her life. Thousands of people relate to her and begin following her.
Just when things are going okay, the worst happens, and Penny decides to leave on a vacation to New York City with her parents and Elliot. There she meets an adorable boy named Noah. (Can you guess what happens next?) Yeah, they fall in love. Noah makes her feel better about herself.
Obviously, it's very clichéd. Girl meets boy. But it's pleasantly adorable. Noah is not the "bad boy" that we are so used to seeing. Penny is utterly relatable. We've all embarrassed ourselves at some point. We all have that moment in our lives when we believe "my life is over." But this book gently points out that one moment doesn't define us. There will always be a bigger challenge ahead, but just as you overcame the first one, you will overcome the second.
Penny teaches us that it doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks. They only have one percent of the story. They don't know you, and yet they'll still try to judge you. The important thing is to ignore them, and take solace in the people who love you unconditionally.
Girl Online is a sweet, humorous read, and reminds people to love themselves. It's clearly something Zoe Sugg (Zoella) has experienced herself, so it has an underlying impact. She's not just saying you can overcome the challenge; she's done it herself. It's not the most brilliant book, but it is a book I enjoyed and laughed and smiled at. It's got all the right pieces put together correctly, and I recommend it.
This review has been cross-posted to Eternal-Books.
Penny is, of course, a reflection of Zoella herself, and that does actually add more meaning to the book, but let's forget about that for a second. Penny suffers from panic attacks and anxiety. She has a loving family and an adorable best friend named Elliot, but she suffers in school from her clumsiness and her anxiety. To escape everything, she creates an anonymous blog, GirlOnline, where she talks about her life. Thousands of people relate to her and begin following her.
Just when things are going okay, the worst happens, and Penny decides to leave on a vacation to New York City with her parents and Elliot. There she meets an adorable boy named Noah. (Can you guess what happens next?) Yeah, they fall in love. Noah makes her feel better about herself.
Obviously, it's very clichéd. Girl meets boy. But it's pleasantly adorable. Noah is not the "bad boy" that we are so used to seeing. Penny is utterly relatable. We've all embarrassed ourselves at some point. We all have that moment in our lives when we believe "my life is over." But this book gently points out that one moment doesn't define us. There will always be a bigger challenge ahead, but just as you overcame the first one, you will overcome the second.
Penny teaches us that it doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks. They only have one percent of the story. They don't know you, and yet they'll still try to judge you. The important thing is to ignore them, and take solace in the people who love you unconditionally.
Girl Online is a sweet, humorous read, and reminds people to love themselves. It's clearly something Zoe Sugg (Zoella) has experienced herself, so it has an underlying impact. She's not just saying you can overcome the challenge; she's done it herself. It's not the most brilliant book, but it is a book I enjoyed and laughed and smiled at. It's got all the right pieces put together correctly, and I recommend it.
This review has been cross-posted to Eternal-Books.