I guess I'm a bit late to the party with this book, majority of people bought it the week it was released and read it straight away. I on the other hand had it sitting in my Amazon Wish List for a couple of months before eventually having it gifted to me for Christmas. I am glad though, that I didn't read Girl Online as soon as it came out, it allowed for me to take my time and read it with no assumptions or expectations.
Zoe Sugg for those of you who do not know, is one of the most successful people on YouTube and without a shadow of a doubt she is the most successful beauty Youtuber. She currently stands at over 7,000,000 subscribers as per this blog post, and also has her own bath/beauty products in Superdrug stores.
This book is the first fiction to be written by a British YouTube personality, that I know of. Of course we all know of the infamous John Green who, after the Fault in our Stars is extremely well known for being the first American Youtuber to have fiction novels.
Girl Online, tells the story of Penny who is a girl after my own heart. She reminds me of me when I was at school. She is incredibly clumsy, trips up her words when she talks to her crush and is constantly evaluating how she could have handled each situation better. Zoe has picked up on many of the issues teenage girls face such as disliking your appearance or embarrassing yourself in front of the entire school and then dealing with the embarrassment when someone posts about it online.
There are two main themes presented through her writing and although this novel is very light and most definitely for the young reader, these themes are very important in the modern world. Both are topics very important to Zoe and I'm glad she has addressed them so brilliantly through Girl Online.
The first of which is Anxiety, we all have anxious moments, for example the feeling before really important exams or figuring out how to pay that bill you don't have the money for this month. But those are both normal situations in which a person would get anxious. However, within Girl Online, Zoe has outlined how anxiety presents itself at the most random of moments and can be caused by all sorts of events. We follow Penny on her journey from experiencing panic attacks and wondering why they were happening, her realisation that it was a car crash her and her parents had been in which had triggered them. We also witness her discovering the ways in which she learnt to live with them and get through them. I'm no expert but it is my understanding that many people especially teenagers experience anxiety or panicky moments within daily life. Zoe who suffers with anxiety herself has used her book as a vessel to make people more aware of anxiety.
The first of which is Anxiety, we all have anxious moments, for example the feeling before really important exams or figuring out how to pay that bill you don't have the money for this month. But those are both normal situations in which a person would get anxious. However, within Girl Online, Zoe has outlined how anxiety presents itself at the most random of moments and can be caused by all sorts of events. We follow Penny on her journey from experiencing panic attacks and wondering why they were happening, her realisation that it was a car crash her and her parents had been in which had triggered them. We also witness her discovering the ways in which she learnt to live with them and get through them. I'm no expert but it is my understanding that many people especially teenagers experience anxiety or panicky moments within daily life. Zoe who suffers with anxiety herself has used her book as a vessel to make people more aware of anxiety.
The second theme most present within Girl Online, is how the internet is an open book. Penny has her own blog (Girl Online) she uses it as a way to express how she is feeling and ask the readers the questions she has in her head. Without giving much of the main story away which is lovely by the way, with all the good things Penny takes from writing her blog she is also forced to experience the hatred and spitefulness, those who put there lives and feelings on the internet are constantly subject to. Zoe has shown us, as the reader, how it effects internet personalities when people decide to spread hate for them through the internet. It makes you understand how you have a choice when you post anything online.
I have only touched on the main messages portrayed in the book because those are what stood out to me the most. Although the main story and plot is very heart warming and keeps you waiting for the next thing to happen, I feel that it is most definitely aimed at the young reader.
When you are someone who has the power to use their voice to bring awareness to others like Zoe is, it is important that you use it to talk about the topics closest to your heart.
I will definitely be reading the sequel she is currently writing which is due to be released November of this year!!