Girl Online Book Review

I thought I'd kick off 2015 with something I don't usually post on Daisies and Delights,which is a book review. I love reading and it is one of my hobbies, but I never share that on my blog. I received Girl Online, the debut novel by Zoe Sugg, for Christmas and it was a book that I really enjoyed and could relate to. Since she is also a beauty and fashion blogger, I thought you guys might want to hear what I thought of it.

goodreads.com

When I first heard about Zoe writing a book, I wasn't sure what to expect. Part of me, the majority I'd say, was really excited as I loved reading her blog and watching her videos. She has a bubbly, unique personality which I hoped would be shown in her book. However, I was a bit sceptical, as she hadn't written a book before, so I didn't have a clue what to expect. Here's my opinions and feedback on the book Girl Online:

'Penny has a secret. Under the alias Girl Online, Penny blogs her hidden feelings about friendships, boys, her crazy family and the panic attacks that have begun to take over her life. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets Noah: a gorgeous, guitar-strumming American. 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.'

Personally, I found Girl Online to be a really enjoyable book. The main character, Penny, is relatable and has a lot of qualities that make her seem like an actual person, not a fictional character. I like how Zoe used her own personality and experiences to enhance the book, such as Penny living in Brighton and running a blog. This meant that it could be more detailed and accurate, as Zoe had experienced these things already. 

Each character mentioned was developed and had both positive and negative attributes which contribute to the storyline. We learn that everyone has their flaws and this makes the book come to life a bit more, as everyone isn't stereotypically perfect fictional characters. Also, each character is unique and has their own features that impact Penny's life and the story.

The plot was interesting and there was always something new going on, which I felt was good as there was never a dull moment. There was a few moments that I felt were predictable and I knew what was going to happen, but that is often hard to avoid, especially as I know what to look out for after reading so many books. Despite this, there was a huge plot-twist towards the end that I certainly wasn't expecting and drawn me into the book further.

A huge role in the book is how it incorporates themes that are important to teenagers and can help them, such as anxiety, cyber-bullying, travel, family issues, friendships and many more things. Not only are these things discussed in the book, but advice is given and it reassures anyone reading Girl Online that other people suffer with those things too. 

One of the things that I felt could've been improved in Girl Online is the complexity. I understand that Zoe hasn't written a book before, but the writing wasn't very challenging and I found that the book was quite easy, meaning I finished it in less than a day. Although, the simplicity of the book meant that the story was easier to follow, so I felt like I could enjoy and appreciate it more. I especially loved the way the book would switch between narrative and blog posts, as I thought this was creative and effective. 

Overall, Girl Online was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and I can't wait for the sequel to come out! If you haven't already read this, I would definitely recommend trying it, as I think you'll be surprised and enjoy it, even if you don't like reading. I hope you liked this blog post and I urge you to go and read Girl Online. Thanks for reading and I'll see you on Wednesday with another blog post!

Love from Daisy x