THIS WAS SO FREAKING ADORABLE

Eliza and Her Monsters

by Francesca Zappia

Greenwillow Books | May 30, 2017

      Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.
      In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.
      Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.
      But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

Putting this book on hold was the worst and best decision. It's the worst decision because I deprived myself for so long, but the best because I couldn't have read it at a better time. 

I love that Zappia writes about the introverts, the quiet ones, the "others," not the mainstream. I mainly read fantasy novels where the heroine is this evil-fighting badass, so it was refreshing to read someone realistic. I found this novel more realistic than other contemporary romance novels. An innocent girl tames the bad boy. The male love interest knows just what to say. The popular, larger than life guy falls in love with the quiet, unpopular girl. Not saying this novel is devoid of cliche, it just doesn't have the common ones. 

I think Zappia does a fantastic job capturing the fervor and dedication to life online and how the internet affects you socially, psychologically, mentally, etc. (You feel safer online because there's this protective wall of anonymity. The internet is a haven to build friendship and to share your passion. Eliza has the greatest, most supportive internet friends.) She captures the generation gap, before vs. after the internet, rather well too. I also love how she tackles mental health in her novels; I felt as though I wasn't alone, there's someone out there who understands, someone who's experiencing the same things. The story mentions anxiety, how it progresses, and how to manage it.

I had a fantastic reading experience; I loved every second, every page, every word. I haven't felt invested in a book in so long. I was fangirling over how adorable the novel was. Eliza's passion and dedication toward her art was a joy to see. I think it's inspiring to read about someone's passion, and how they can be successful because of that passion. Her interactions with Wallace were precious! I liked how it wasn't a "sexual love"—the relationship isn't based solely on sexual attraction. Many contemporaries focus on how attractive the male counterpart is. I liked how "innocent" it was—fondness, then friendship, then a relationship. Wallace is such a lovable character. He brings Eliza out of her shell, and he's not perfect: he won't give you too many unrealistic relationship expectations. His worry over his career and financing for college is relatable. His love for Monstrous Sea/fanboy is endearing. He's a bit of a Manic Pixie Dream Boy though.