~ This post doesn't contain any spoilers for those of you who haven't yet read ~
It has taken me two weeks to get around to writing this post because I am just so goddamn lazy but here we are. Technically I suppose it has taken me almost a year if we're counting from when the book was released but whatever.
It has taken me two weeks to get around to writing this post because I am just so goddamn lazy but here we are. Technically I suppose it has taken me almost a year if we're counting from when the book was released but whatever.
GIRL ONLINE is the debut novel from blogger, vlogger and general online-It-Girl Zoe Sugg. It essentially revolves around a young girl, named Penny, nearing the end of her secondary school experience who we see endure all the trials and tribulations that come with being a teenage girl spending their life online. Penny hosts an anonymous blog where she talks about all things boys, bff troubles and her ever-growing anxiety.
When I was little and even going into my early teens my life regarding books basically revolved around Louise Rennison and Jacqueline Wilson (praise Jacqueline). I collected absolutely every Jacqueline Wilson book I could get my hands on and only dropped the obsession when i discovered the hilarity that is Angus Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging and the Georgia Nicholson series. Wilson touched on very serious, gritty and hard-hitting family issues including mental health, death, physical abuse and divorce. They kind of prepared me for the bigger picture in life whereas the Georgia Nicholson collection was far more light hearted touching on the trivial yet oh-so-important issues of being a teen girl. Girl online, to me, is like a light mix between a Wilson and Rennison novel and I only wish I had it in my life when i was 14/15 years old and just beginning venturing into the land of tumblr and, sadly, the dark depths of the internet that is anon-hate.
When I was little and even going into my early teens my life regarding books basically revolved around Louise Rennison and Jacqueline Wilson (praise Jacqueline). I collected absolutely every Jacqueline Wilson book I could get my hands on and only dropped the obsession when i discovered the hilarity that is Angus Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging and the Georgia Nicholson series. Wilson touched on very serious, gritty and hard-hitting family issues including mental health, death, physical abuse and divorce. They kind of prepared me for the bigger picture in life whereas the Georgia Nicholson collection was far more light hearted touching on the trivial yet oh-so-important issues of being a teen girl. Girl online, to me, is like a light mix between a Wilson and Rennison novel and I only wish I had it in my life when i was 14/15 years old and just beginning venturing into the land of tumblr and, sadly, the dark depths of the internet that is anon-hate.
I think it is important to point out the glaring similarities between aspects of Penny's life and Zoe's such as their growing online status, mental health and, more tenuously, their ability to flit across the world to far and amazing places. However, in saying that, I didn't spend the entire novel reading as though it was some kind of biography because it isn't.
As a Literature student I often feel ashamed that I am uncontrollably attracted to teen-novels (I say as I aggressively attempt to finish Jane Eyre after a MONTH AND A HALF of reading) but there is something a lot less trivial about the novels themes and something a lot more relatable instead.
Anxiety and the constant mentioning of Penny's personal sufferings makes the novel a lot more real. It is the first novel I've ever read that has any mentioning of directly dealing with anxiety, which can only be a positive thing considering her immense demographic, to me it's just super comforting to read as it was great being able to read and simultaneously think "YES, THIS IS EXACTLY IT". As one of the first major occurrences is Penny attempting to deal with a panic attack I did feel like the book was a little too biographical and I did feel a bit cringe. Something I found a little convenient was how quickly Penny's panic attacks came upon her and how fast she was to control them. In real life that isn't the case in most situations; it often takes people years to master their anxiety though I suppose for the sake of the second novel I'll take it on the chin and presume it will continue to be touched upon. Overall I do admit that this bitter-sweet link between myself and Penny made it even more likely that I was going to love the book.
Internet and online culture is the second most glaring theme. It's such a current topic but rarely written about in this kind of format and it isn't exactly like Zoe Sugg doesn't know what she's talking about regarding people hiding behind online anonymity. There are little breaks throughout where one of Penny's blogposts are inserted (unlike how i thought it was going to be, the book isn't made up of blogposts) so both sides to Penny's life are visible to the reader. I figured there were two of kinds of anonymity in the form of Penny's blog and the endless stream of keyboard warriors we see attacking her in the final chapters. The blog represents irony in the fact that real life isn't very real to Penny and the only place she can be herself is hiding behind this alter ego: 'Girl Online'. Contrastingly the negative comments we see being made in the final chapters aren't productive or contributing to anything much at all (other than the shattering of the fragile self-confidence of a teenage girl). Whether Zoe knows it or not she really highlighted major issues to do with online culture and that really the world is just full of lame cowards.
I think this book could just make a lot of teenage girls feel better about life. It is an immense cliche but you really don't need a lot of friends and 10+ faves on all your tweets to make it through life until you're twenty.
I want to end this post here because it has taken me literally days to write and perfect it and it still isn't perfect. I feel like I didn't make enough points but this is my blog and these were my thoughts so I don't care how sparse they are.
I loved this book which was actually kind of surprising as, due to the amount of vloggers miraculously turning into authors, I thought GO had no chance. Roll on Autumn and the release of the second book!
xxrachelhelen
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