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badz 's review for:
Girl Online
by Siobhan Curham, Zoe Sugg
First of all this book has a specific audience: bloggers. And although anyone can read this book, I think it would really appeal best to bloggers. I have been running a blog for 6 years now ans I can definitely relate to the event that transpired in this book. For years, I also had my fair share of problems with the dark side of the online community, but not really as bad as what happened to the main character. I also can seriously understand the freedom and happiness she felt by letting everything out in her blog. It's one of the reasons why I started a blog, too. Like Penny, I wanted to be able to have a place where I can write out all my thoughts, vent out my problems, and share personal things without having to be judged by others.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the story. Although I was a bit iffy on the love-at-first sight thing, I also felt shameless giddiness as the story went on. I loved that the book tackled one of the major issues in the blogging community. You see, as easy at it is to find new friends online, same goes with haters. Yes, you'll find people who can fully understand you, even feel a certain connection because of your common interests, but when it all comes down, they are still going to be somewhat a stranger unless you really meet them in person. We can never really know a person's true personality since it's easy to control how the people see us in blogs. I am not saying that online friends are not real. I have been in this community for a long time and in the process, I have met a few people who really became my most trusted friends, even better than the ones I have in real life. And if you are lucky enough, it is possible to meet those precious few on the internet.
Another thing I praise this book for is how it tackled on of the psychological problems that people seem to think of as childish and annoying: panic attacks. A lot of people say that anxiety and panic attacks are issues that can be easily dealt with if the person having them just toughen up and stop being a sissy. But no. It's not as easy as that. It's a difficult struggle for a person. And that is just how the book depicted it. I love how the story gave light to the effects panic attacks could give to the person afflicted. I also love how it tells readers that it's okay to get help from others.
Overall, the book is such a fun story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll give it a 4/5.
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Update: Okay, so I just learned that this book was ghostwritten, which--to be honest--upsets me so much. It didn't change how I feel about the story. I still enjoyed it and I won't take back anything I said in my review. But it annoys me how there's no mention at all of who the ghostwriter was. I mean, I get that the point of ghostwriters is for their identities to be unknown. But it irritates me how someone else could take credit for such work. Writing a book is not a summer holiday. It's difficult job and I hate how all the hard work someone did was just wasted and used by another person. I know that ghostwriters are paid for this, but still, I cannot accept the fact that people do this. Reading books connect me to their authors. One way or another, the books they write gives readers a peek into their minds. And this--ghostwriting--ruins that. It's like an outright lie, a betrayal of a reader's trust. It's sad to know that it still happens. It sucks so bad.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the story. Although I was a bit iffy on the love-at-first sight thing, I also felt shameless giddiness as the story went on. I loved that the book tackled one of the major issues in the blogging community. You see, as easy at it is to find new friends online, same goes with haters. Yes, you'll find people who can fully understand you, even feel a certain connection because of your common interests, but when it all comes down, they are still going to be somewhat a stranger unless you really meet them in person. We can never really know a person's true personality since it's easy to control how the people see us in blogs. I am not saying that online friends are not real. I have been in this community for a long time and in the process, I have met a few people who really became my most trusted friends, even better than the ones I have in real life. And if you are lucky enough, it is possible to meet those precious few on the internet.
Another thing I praise this book for is how it tackled on of the psychological problems that people seem to think of as childish and annoying: panic attacks. A lot of people say that anxiety and panic attacks are issues that can be easily dealt with if the person having them just toughen up and stop being a sissy. But no. It's not as easy as that. It's a difficult struggle for a person. And that is just how the book depicted it. I love how the story gave light to the effects panic attacks could give to the person afflicted. I also love how it tells readers that it's okay to get help from others.
Overall, the book is such a fun story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll give it a 4/5.
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Update: Okay, so I just learned that this book was ghostwritten, which--to be honest--upsets me so much. It didn't change how I feel about the story. I still enjoyed it and I won't take back anything I said in my review. But it annoys me how there's no mention at all of who the ghostwriter was. I mean, I get that the point of ghostwriters is for their identities to be unknown. But it irritates me how someone else could take credit for such work. Writing a book is not a summer holiday. It's difficult job and I hate how all the hard work someone did was just wasted and used by another person. I know that ghostwriters are paid for this, but still, I cannot accept the fact that people do this. Reading books connect me to their authors. One way or another, the books they write gives readers a peek into their minds. And this--ghostwriting--ruins that. It's like an outright lie, a betrayal of a reader's trust. It's sad to know that it still happens. It sucks so bad.