Girl Online: A Novel

Hi there! 

Since I’m new here I thought I would start off with the wildly popular book, Girl Online by Zoe Sugg. 

When I first picked up the book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I have been watching Zoe Sugg, also known as Zoella, for about three years now, and she is definitely one of my favorite YouTubers.  When she announced that she was writing a book, I couldn’t stop jumping up and down with excitement that my two my favorite things, YouTube and reading, were combining. I picked it up as soon it came out and couldn’t put it down until I was finished. 

The book revolves around a teenage girl named Penny. Penny has an anonymous blog called “Girl Online”. The blog for Penny is the only place where she can be her true self and escape being judged by Meghan, Ollie, and the twins. They are basically her town’s version of the Plastics from Mean Girls. Penny feels like an outsider in the Plastics group and almost as if she needs to create another persona in order to fit in. Her frenemy Meghan, who is kind of like the character Regina George, is out to get Penny and does everything she can to cast Penny in a bad light. 

 When Penny suffers a epic on-stage embarrassment while photographing her school’s production of Romeo and Juliet, she can’t imagine facing her classmates and escapes to New York City for a trip with her parents. While in the Big Apple Penny meets Noah, her love interest, and things take an interesting turn.

For different reasons Noah and Penny are both trying to escape their realities and find their true selves. The interplay between the two lost souls is infectious and the buildup to the love story makes it impossible to put the book down. 

In her YouTube videos Zoella says that every time you post something online, you have a choice. You can make people happy or take away their happiness. Penny also shares this belief and many other similarities with Zoe. Both Zoella and Penny suffer from panic attacks, have a blog where they share their interests with people, and love the book The Fault in Our Stars. In a nutshell, if you love Zoella, you will love Penny and Girl Online.  

Also, if you’ve ever dealt with any sort of anxiety, especially social, you’ll relate to the struggles of Penny and Noah throughout the novel. Penny suffers from panic attacks and offers some worthwhile advice for those with similar issues. Noah is wise beyond his years and offers comforting advice. There were more than a few memorable lines and anecdotes that stuck with me. 

I definitely recommend this book because of how easy and enjoyable it is to read. But be warned once you pick it up it will be a huge challenge to put it down!

POGS 

~ Book Chameleon 

For purchase below.