Review: "Girl Online" by Zoe Sugg

Book 9/50 for 2015

☕☕☕.5

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Series or standalone? Standalone (I just learned there may be a sequel coming out at some point?? Let me know.)
Pages: 344
I read the: UK hardback
Began: April 2nd, 2015 // Finished: April 3rd, 2015
Where can I buy this? Here! (via thebookdepository)
Goodreads: Right here!
First Sentence: "Hello world!"
Favourite quote: "'You're not - crazy - are you?' He laughs really loud. 'No. Well, yes, but only in a good way. I've found that life's a whole lot better you get a little crazy sometimes.'" (pg. 119)

Synopsis: I had no idea GirlOnline would take off the way it has - I can't believe I now have 5432 followers, thanks so much! - and the thought of opening up to you all about this is terrifying, but here goes...

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family - and the panic attacks she's suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever.

Girl Online is one of the cutest novels I've read since the beginning of the year. I squealed and flailed my hands like a hundred times while reading it. 

Disclaimer: I know there is controversy surrounding this book about who actually wrote it. There've been rumours that either Zoe didn't write on her own, and didn't give credit to the people who helped her, or that she paid someone else to write it for her. I don't know if these are true, but I have nothing against Zoe. I like to take chances and give chances when it comes to books. So, I chose to buy it and read it and, to be honest, it was a good choice. Basically, I like to think that I read books for the story, the book itself, not its author. 

Let's start from the characters. Penny.. Well, Penny was a character who I didn't like at the start, but who I came to love, while the story progressed. Basically, I didn't like Penny herself, but the idea of her. She's someone who's suffering from panic attacks, gets attacked from many different places, but still manages to get through all of the crap life has given her and to fall in love. Penny can be the flicker of hope, people will reach for. 

Also, I don't know if the panic attacks and how Penny feels while one is happening are realistically written, because I've never experienced one, but it's nice to see something original in the contemporary genre. I'm aware there are there novels dealing with mental illnesses, but I've never read one whose main theme is dealing with panic attacks. 

Noah.. Ohmygod, the only words that can utterly describe Noah are "completely adorable"! I don't think there is any flaw about him. However, I'd like him even more, if he had told Penny the truth about his oh-so-not-obvious secret, from the start. 

I'm not going to spoil you, but the last few chapters of the books are so frustrating, omg, I just wanted to punch everyone in the neck. I was ugh-ing through the whole time. However, the book ended in the most glorious way. Do you know if there'll be a sequel? Even though, I'd like one, it seems fitting to end the story that way. 

One thing that I didn't like is how the author portrayed Elliot. And let me know, if I'm wrong for seeing it this way. I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but I didn't enjoy it. Elliot is an overly-joyed boy, who dresses really fashionably, but crazily and just happens to be gay. I don't know if these things were meant to fit together, but I saw it that way and I didn't like it. Let me know if I'm wrong. 

I'd recommend Girl Online to you, if you're interested in YA and cute romantic stories. 

JUST READ IT!

xox 

Helen