The Second Novel by Zoella (Girl Online Book) - Girl Online

I am subscribed to her Zoella channel on YouTube, and I always thought she was a great rolemodel for young adults. This book is a great example of good reading without all the trash that are normally in young adult books. I can't wait for number 2!

This is probably one of the few books written by a celebrity/ famous person that is not a let down . I am a loyal Zoella fan myself and was very excited when I heard she was releasing a book that wasn't a biography. I have to admit even though i was excited i was also a bit skeptical. Usually when famous people release books ( e.g Kendall and Kylie Jenner " Rebels : City of Indra") it turns out to be a major flop. But Zoella over here, managed to actually put out a readable, money spending worth book. I was very captivated and intrigued by this wonderful story since the very first chapter. Although the characters in this book dont react to the things the same way you would in real life, it still managed to be readable.All in all i would highly recommend this book for you if your a clumsy teen girl who has been through some major social embarrassment, and would just like to laugh it off. I would like to personally congratulate Zoe Sugg for releasing this funny, amazing and beautiful story of a beautiful,klutzy, British red headed teenage girl. Well done.

AMAZING, best book I've read in a while (and I read alotttt) thank u for writing this book Zoe I love you and your videos and now this book too, it made me realise you don't have to be perfect to be loved xxxx

I absolutely loved this book. It's been about 8 years since I've actually finished reading a book because I tend to loose interest so quickly but this book is so easy to read and takes you to a happy place ☺️

I wish this book never denied I may even be her biggest fan. This book is one that you just can't put down I was able to read it in three days. I totally recommend reading this book and watching all her youtube videos from all her channels.

I'm very disappointed in this book, and my expectations weren't very high to begin with. The story in this book is generic and predictable, the writing is amateur and cliche, and there is very little character development. I think if it was marketed to a different audience it would be received better, this is a book suited to children ages 8-12. However, I do appreciate that it provides children with an understanding of how to cope in your day to day life with a mental health disorder. There are some important themes, they were just very poorly realized. I would not recommend this book to others, I didn't gain anything from reading it and it was not enjoyable.

I'm 22, I've followed Zoe for years and I really like her but I don't relate to all the fangirls. I'm still not sure if it was a ghostwriter, but it looks like it wasn't. There is so much from her life, and things that have happened to her or she's said or blogged about before. It could be, but I can almost hear her voice narrating the story. It is very well written, very entertaining (since when do I read 200 pages in one afternoon?) And brings many emotions. I absolutely loved this book. The story is really good and it's so descriptive that, at times, you stop and feel as if you were watching a movie. I don't usually read novels, and so I hope I can find more books like this one. Many things discussed are very relatable for teens and young adults like me, and sometimes you want to get inside the book and punch someone. You can totally feel what's happening to Penny. If you're not sure you'll like it, I hope my review helps. I was convinced when I saw other "normal" girls talking about how great it was. (With "normal" I mean not omg-zoe-liked-someones-pic-on-instagram-im-dying kind of fangirl).
:)
Can't wait for the second book!
All the best to Zoella, she deserves everything she's accomplished.

This book is so good! Very cute and a huge plot twist! i hate reading but i read this book in less than 24 hours! its so good, easy read. A lot of rumors are saying Zoe didn't write this book but if you are like me and watch her vlogs you will know she wrote this book, a piece of her is in it, i loved it!

Young adult reads are always a delight, it takes you back to when you were young , yep I said it, so naturally you can work out I am not that young, so why read a young adult book, you might ask?

Well it's exactly as I said, it takes me back to when I was young and sadly the young adult books of today did not exist back when I was young. There was the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys all those that were fantastic reads to keep you occupied whilst secretly wishing you could get your hands on the romance books your mother hid away, or that the books would actually have situations you could relate to.

But enough about me and my old age, let's get down to business and talk Girl Online On Tour! Penny joins her rock - star boyfriend, Noah, on his European music tour. Bags packed, hair styled, accessories loaded and ready to go! Penny cannot wait to spend time with her rock-tastic boyfriend.

But between his jam( get it?!) schedule , the less than welcoming band-mates and the threatening messages from some pretty jealous fans , Penny starts to wonder if she's really cut out for this kind of life on tour. She misses home, family, friends and her blog. Soon thoughts of losing her life back home in exchange for the what might be the perfect summer start to roll around in her mind and the question lingers. Is life on tour really worth losing her true identity ?

Now on to what I thought. The best part of this read with out a doubt is the realistic look at life on tour. When I think back to the bands I drooled over I remember that I always thought how cool their lives must be. Getting to see the world, meet new people and all while doing what you love. But this read puts all of that into a new perspective , live on tour is hard, long and not at all what the outside world thinks it to be, and that's just for the band! Life as the GF of any band member is wow in many ways but mostly bleh !

It's kind of like hanging around on vacation with your parents whilst all your friends are down at the beach party your parents don't approve of , so you dwindle around , bored out of your mind listing to music.

So to wrap it up and get the heck of the stage , the following:

The book is a great read for all those wondering what life on the road is like , but it's of course fictional but for the most part I think really accurate based on some other true life similar books I have read. Penny herself was a cute and fun character, one that I felt really sorry for as I am sure you will too.

I recommend this read for anyone and everyone that would like to go back to their younger years and visit a dream ( go ahead and admit it, you wanted to be on tour with your music hero) but be warned it will shatter the perfect illusion you had , and in that case if you prefer to let the dream stay in tack I won't recommend the read.

5/5 star review
" Jamming it out on tour is not all it's said to be"
** Copy provided in exchange for a honest review

“Sometimes you have to face up to your fears to realize that they aren’t actually real.”

As a note, a copy of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

I've been a fan of Zoella's Youtube channel for years and years but I'll be honest: I'd been hesitant to pick up this book for quite some time. In fact, I've started to pick it up on multiple occasions but always talk myself out of it. I've had this feeling that I'd burned myself out on this genre in the years since I'd begun reading--plus, it felt like I may be out of the target age group as well. So, it never really stuck with me to actually give it a go.

When I saw it up on Net Galley, I threw caution to the wind and found myself quite surprised by how much I enjoyed Girl Online. It really, really was a fun read and I'm kicking myself for not having picked it up sooner. My first, and perhaps only, description of it is the warm and fuzzies. Girl Online just has that automatic feel-good vibe to it that will ultimately please its audience; no matter the age. I can't explain it, really, but it's just a delight to feel that way when reading a contemporary novel.

I liked the setting of it and how it borrowed some tones from real life. You can tell that Zoella was involved deeply in the process because it had that easy going, first novel vibe to it. It's quick and has its shaky moments, but it keeps your attention quite well. The characters are likable and it is easy to want the best for. Will everyone enjoy it? No, probably not. Is it a one read book? For me, yes. But this doesn't make it any less of a treat than it was.

You don't have to be a Zoella fan to enjoy Girl Online. It's sweet, honest and uplifting--the perfect holiday present for any young reader. Fans of fluffy-novels will certainly flock to this hidden gem and find themselves obsessing over it and the series as a whole. I recommend it to those of you who need an instant mood lifter or are fans of Lauren Conrad--it has a similar feel to her books.

I only bought this book because it is Zoe's, and really I didn't expect much from it. It usually takes me a while to really get into a book, but with this book I was into it as soon as I started reading. It is a really good, interesting book. I got through reading it in like two days, and most of it I read in one day.
I really liked how much detail she put in and the little hints of Noah's secret... The ending is really unexpected because you can't see any way everything could be ok or even good again in the last like 40 pages.
But then finally there's a Happy End that personally I didn't expect anymore.
Really good job for a first novel!
I loved it.

I rarely read contemporary YA novels.
And, that's mostly because I remember my experiences when I was of that age, and, let's say it simply, they don't make feel all that nostalgic! I do feel nostalgic about the books I was reading back in that time, though, which were all of this genre!

But, this book...
This book was so nicely written, so romantic, so hilarious, so heart-breaking, all at the same time, it surpassed my expectations!
And, I will explain every detail shortly!

The author is obviously very talented, and very aware of blogging (as is stated on her bio, too). The book was flowing so easily, I practically devoured it! If I didn't have studying to do, I am positive I would end it in just one sitting!

The relationship between Penny and Noah made me feel so happy for them! And, the way everyone around them handle it, just impossible! I want my parents to be as cool about such things as Penny's! (And, to think that I'm quite older than Penny, too!)

I can't even get into much detail about all the times I ACTUALLY laughed out loud while reading this book! It has been so long that a book has made me all giggly, that I practically loved it for it!

But, that doesn't mean there weren't any heart-breaking moments throughout the book!
There were some embarrassing ones that made me feel really bad about Penny, but there were some others that just grabbed my heart, threw it on the floor and started jumping on top of it! (Yes, so vividly I experienced them)! And, the weird thing is that I actually loved those moments, too! Because, just like in life, you can't have happiness without a little bit (or quite more) of sadness, in books, it can get really boring and unreal if everything is just perfect and dreamy all the time!
Plus, you can't really appreciate the good times if you don't experience the bad ones, too.
And, believe me, there are plenty of good times I would have needed to appreciate if things were different!

But, there is one more thing about this book that actually stole my heart!
I completely loved how beautifully the author handled Elliott's sexuality, letting us know in such a nice way that he is gay, without over the top comments and what-not!
Despite the fact that I do not approve of parents behaving badly to their children because of their sexuality, or even simply denying it, I also loved the fact that it depicted the truth! Such a sad truth, really, but if you've read the novel you know what I'm talking about, and why I loved it!

And if you haven't read the novel, go go go, pick it up! Even if you aren't in that kind of stuff, like me! I'm so sure you are going to love it!

All in all, 5 stars for a beautiful book that had perfect proportions of all of the fine (and of the not-so-fine, too) elements in life, I would recommend to absolutely everyone!

If any of you AMAZING book bloggers out there need a little extra motivation to keep going with your blog, or a reminder as to why you started doing it to begin with, Zoe Sugg’s Girl Online: On Tour may be just what you need. While blogging can be SO MUCH FUN, it is also a lot of hard work and we all get discouraged at times, which Penny Parker, the main character of this is story, is all too aware of. If you need a pick me up in the form of a fun and ADORABLE YA book, then don’t miss this series!

Wine Pairing: I recommend a Traverse Bay Cherry Wine Sangria not only because this is such a sweet and SUPER fun story, but you’ll also get to “traverse” Europe alongside Penny for Noah’s big tour!

My Rating: FOUR STARS
Jet-setting around Europe with Penny on Noah’s first major tour comes with some rather predictable, though entertaining, dilemmas that Penny has to figure out how to get herself out of. Watching Penny struggle with her anxiety during those dilemmas though, is really what elevates this story. Though Sugg maintains a light tone throughout, she does a rather good job of depicting what an anxiety attack feels like and goes a long way to help normalize a mental condition that is socially stigmatized despite the fact that it is really VERY normal.

The plot of the story is also entertaining. Not only do we have the mystery of Penny’s phone thief, who is sending threatening messages to both Penny and her friends, but there is also a lot of tension between Penny and Noah as they both try to adjust to Noah’s new lifestyle.

Penny is also struggling with re-discovering who she is outside of her relationship with Noah. She has to decide whether or not she wants to pursue her own passions and also try to find the strength to do so in spite of her anxiety. That’s where this book becomes truly motivational for its readers and also why I personally enjoyed it so much.

Cover Rating: FIVE STARS
I LOVE the Girl Online covers. They match the tone of series perfectly with their bright colors, fun fonts, and scrapbook-style layout.

Swoon Worthiness: THREE STARS
This book wasn’t nearly as swoon worthy for me as Sugg’s first book in the series was. However, I’m TOTALLY okay with that. This book is more about Penny figuring out what her true passions are and gaining the self-confidence to pursue them. Her journey in this story will motivate you to take a good, hard look at what you’re doing to follow your own passions. Penny’s passions happen to be photography and blogging, hence why I recommend this one to book bloggers in particular.

Drama Level: FOUR STARS
Just like Girl Online this book has LOADS of drama. Not only is there a mysterious stalker? jealous fan? sending Penny mysterious emails and threatening her friends, but her relationship with Noah becomes pretty complicated when he starts getting swept up in the tour life. This book has more than enough drama and mystery to keep you turning those pages.

Audio Rating: THREE STARS
I listened to this one on Audible. While the narrator does an AMAZING job with the British characters in this novel, she struggles a bit with the American characters, particularly the guys. Her American accent does slip on occasion, and her voice for Noah is a bit too high-pitched to sound like an authentic male “rockgod.” She does do a good job overall though.

Why You Should Read This Book:
While I keep saying that I recommend this book for book bloggers in particular, it’s a great read for anyone who is struggling to maintain, or just plain find, the motivation and confidence to pursue their passions. It’s a great read for young readers, since it includes important messages about diversity and mental health, great for adults too for that matter. But most importantly, this book is just plain fun and sweet. This is the perfect read for the weekend or winter break.

Fav Quotes:

“Sometimes the hero of the fairy tale isn’t a handsome prince. Sometimes it’s you.”

“Freedom has never felt so good.”

“I guess we don’t always know what other people are thinking, even if they seem to have everything figured out.”

*Wine Recommendations are, of course, for those of legal drinking age only.*

About: Girl Online is a fiction novel written by Zoe Sugg (Zoella on YouTube) and Ghostwriter Siobhan Curham. This is book 1 to the Girl Online Series and it was published on 11/25/2014 by Atria/Keywords Press, 352 pages. There are 3 books to this series: book 1 is Girl Online, book 2 is Girl Online On Tour, and book 3 is Girl Online Going Solo. They have all been published. The genres are young adult, contemporary, and romance. I used to watch Zoella on YouTube. Her videos makes me laugh and she is pretty. I also liked her British accent and I liked to watch her vlogs and haul videos.

My Experience: I started reading Girl Online on 11/22/16 and finished it on 11/27/16 at 2:36am. This book got chosen without any planning as my second buddy read since blogging and I'm so glad it turned out great! My second buddy read is with B @ Icebreaker694 and if you click on her blog name, the link will take you to her review of this book. Below are 3 questions that B asked for us to answer. I'm so glad we both loved this book! This book has a great start. It's definitely a book many of us bloggers and teens can relate to. I like that the read is funny and light-hearted. This is the only book that I update my reading progress on Goodreads because I want to remember the good moments. There were so many funny and sweet moments that I decided against updating constantly. Ignore my double update at 11% because the emoticons doesn't show up and I haven't figured out how to delete an update.. haha..

Buddy Reads Questions & Answers:

1) Would you recommend this book?

B: Yes! I believe everyone should get a chance to experience Penny's story. I'm sure that they'll love it!

Jasmine: Absolutely! This book is a sweet read. I like the humor and I like how easy the read is.

2) What do you think of the cover?

B: It's beautiful! It drew me in the first place!

Jasmine: The cover is cute. It looks like it could be a fun read and it actually is a fun read.

3) What made this book unique from other books you've read?

B: I've never read a book about a blogger before, and I loved reading one's point of view. Penny was great with writing posts, she kept them all honest and made them fun for the readers.

Jasmine: My answer is exactly as Icebreaker haha.. I like reading the main character's blog posts. This book has many fun things going on and many real life experiences that I feel all of us bloggers can relate. I smile a lot reading this book.

"I like you so much it might even be love." 74% Noah

There is only one point of view in this book and we are following Penny Porter's train of thoughts. I like following her train of thoughts. At times, I feel like it's too good to be true that her family turns out to be perfect all around while her best friend Elliot's family turns out to be a nightmare. The focus is all on her, which may be a bit over-the-top but she is the main character and I guess it makes sense to only focus on her problems and her wants. However, I still rate 5 stars because she still manages to solve some of her problems on her own when her friend is not around to help. I really like the blog posts embedded into the story and what Penny goes through as a blogger and as an unpopular high school girl. I like her positive ways of looking at Monday. I like her positive thinking and how good her family is. There might not be a perfect family out there, but it's good to use one as a role model, even in a fiction novel. This book has a lot going on and I was not bored reading this book. I highly recommend the read.

I'm not familiar with Ghostwriter and I decided to not rate the book low due to that. The book overall is a great read. How the book was written, it should be the decision of the writers. My reviews often focus on the book rather than the writer, so in this book, I will not focus on the writer either, except to mention that the story is an interesting read and the start is entertaining and the ending is sweet.

Pro: lots of humor, positive thinking, light-hearted, crushes, blog posts, how to deal with, friendship, family

Con: mean girls, ghostwriter, too good to be true, only focus on the main character's wants & needs

I rate it 5 stars!

***Disclaimer: I received this ebook for free via NetGalley in an exchanged for an honest review. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. Thank you!

xoxo,
Jasmine at [...]

Penny is a fifteen-year-old girl from the UK who happens to be a popular blogger. In real life, she's an insecure, clumsy, albeit sweet person. She uses her blog as a sort of therapy where she talks about the ups and downs of her life. When her ex-best friend, Megan, ruins her life by posting a not-so-flattering video, Penny thinks it's the end of her world. Miraculously, her mother, a wedding planner, gets a job in New York. Penny, her parents, and her closest friend, Elliot, travel to America where Penny's life turns into nothing less than a fairy tale. I won't spoil things, but what happens is very much life a modern day Cinderella story.

Girl Online is a fun read. The author has a really good sense of what the online world is like, and this comes across well in the story. The only trouble is that the story isn't exactly realistic. Some of the elements of the plot had me scratching my head, thinking, "Could this really happen?" The character development is decent. I certainly found myself disliking nasty Megan. Surprisingly, I found myself liking Elliot more than any other character - certainly much more than prince charming, Noah. He was well-developed and interesting. I felt though, that his reaction to the Noah-Penny relationship didn't cover everything he might have realistically been feeling.

Still, if you overlook these things, the book is a good read. It's refreshing to see a story that isn't filled with sex and violence. It's a wholesome story that I'd recommend for readers ages 12 and up.

Penny starts a blog after her panic attacks start getting worst. With the support of her best friend Elliot, she starts to open up on her blog, “Girl Online”. After an accident at the school play maybe a Christmas trip to New York is worth getting on a plane for. While in New York she meets Noah whom Elliot would call, “Rock-God-tactic” and starts to not only fall in love but truly find herself. Overall I liked this book and can’t wait to see what happens with Penny. The reason I gave it three stars is because it was to fast paced for my taste. However, I read this book in one sitting and feel like it’s a good book to read if you want something that has humor, romance, embarrassment, frenemies, and Magical Mystery Day surprises.

(Spoilers down below)

The reason I gave this book 3 stars is because even if the story line was cute I found a lot of problems. First, I liked Penny but at times I felt like she just didn’t get things quickly. Like Megan for a start, it didn’t take me a minute from reading about her to know she’s a user. On the other hand, Ollie who seemed to like her but later turned out to be a jerk too. However, it was funny to know that he did like her a little. I’m happy that Megan got what she deserved after telling everyone Penny’s secret but also uploading the embarrassing video online. Second, her blog I did like the idea of her being a blogger but felt that what I read of her post I don’t understand how her following got big so fast. I did like that she was so honest with her fans but felt that we could have learned more. I know this is the first book of a series so maybe I’ll learn more in the next book. Third, no matter how much I liked Elliot I felt like his character was forced. I did like the side story of him dealing with his family after coming out gay to them. But I wished we could have had more character development not only with him but also with Penny. Fourth, Noah, I knew at first that he could be someone famous it wasn’t hard to figure out. I think the love story was too fast pace and it needed to have room to grow. He was cute but I just didn’t like him that much. Last but not least I didn’t like the ending again it was told to fast and before I got a handle on what was going on it was over. I know that in the end it leaves it open for the next book but did they have speed through it. I would have loved a little more information but again maybe I’ll just have to read the next book.

This book was super surprising to me in some ways. The characters were fun and I loved everything about their personalities and how many of them grew with the story and became a butterfly! I really did love Penny and her growth especially throughout so many terrible let-downs, horrors, and damages to her self-esteem. In that way, I felt like I was back in high school and reliving these same heart wrenching scenarios. But I hated high school so I was not a fan of reliving these moments in her life or remembering mine. I KNOW THIS IS YA so it didn’t sway my rating at all concerning this bit. Penny is such a strong character and incredibly positive where I don’t even think I could be. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as realistic if she wasn’t so firm in her path to grow and change.
I completely appreciate Elliott as Penny’s best friend, comedic relief, and added some real interest in the story. Although the story between Penny and Noah is mainly focused on, I didn’t feel like it was natural. The rushed romance in a little more than a week (maybe two?) is a little disbelieving and I wasn’t truly committed to them, even at the end. She’s just so young (15) compared to Noah so that was another part that I was confused about and surprised at the orchestration of this love affair. However, I loved every moment that Elliott was included in the dialogue and story because he completely added reason and realism. His character brought me (and Penny) back to reality several times and it was just interesting for me to realize that he should actually have his own story to tell as well. Elliott grows in the story, not in the same way as Penny, but their friendship is very inspirational and lovely to read about.
One thing that irked me a lot was both the 50 pages at the beginning and the 50 pages at the ending. They were the only parts of the book that were interesting to me. There was major conflict at both ends and then a lot of fluffy young teenage romance in the middle which didn’t interest me at all. I mean, I love romance and I didn’t like this…so I’m not sure how I feel about the main story within Girl Online. It took me a little longer than the average read (based on my past few months of reading) and though there was some connections I had with Elliott and Penny, I had a hard time reading and paying attention to the very quick romance that occurred. Overall, I’m not sure I will continue the series. Maybe if more people let me know if they liked the 2nd installment, but right now, I’ll probably be moving on from this.

There are many words that I'd use to describe Girl Online, my favorite ones being Cliche, Predictable, Disappointing, and downright awful.
When I found out that Zoe was writing a book, I was ecstatic. I have so much respect for her and everything she has done in her life. I think she is a great role model and a wonderful online personality.
As an author, though, I am very disappointed. I bought this book despite the cliche sounding synopsis because I figured Zoe would give a unique take on the classic love story. I, however, was very let down. I am at my wits end when it comes to reading books about a teenage girl who is clumsy and shy with few friends. How many more books can there be about girls who aren't "pretty" yet all seem to have conventionally attractive features (I.E. a slender frame, curly/shiny hair, freckles)? And don't even get me started on the perfect-yet-edgy musician boy who finds her beautiful and helps her see her inner beauty.
I could have gotten past this totally cliche plot line if it had not been for the dreadful writing. Again, I have so much respect for Zoe and love reading her blog, but I did not see any of the same talented writing that I've seen on her blog translated into this book. To be honest, I have read fan fiction with better writing and character development. The lack of character development I attribute to the cliche plot, but the rest of the writing was just disappointing. There is no difference in the dialogue of the girls and the boys in the novel. I don't know about you, but I do not talk the same way that an 18 year old boy talks. Good thing she has "Noah whispers, Noah asks, Noah begins, Noah says, etc" after EVERY LINE OF DIALOGUE because otherwise, I wouldn't know who is speaking. The following is an excerpt of text that I think exemplifies the poor writing throughout this book. "He's so close I can see a tiny fleck of ink on the side of his face. His hand closes tighter around mine and this automatically pulls me even closer, until our faces are just centimeters apart. 'He's going to kiss me! Is he going to kiss me? What should I do?' I close my eyes to try to block out any panicky thoughts. And then I feel his lips on mine - as light as a feather - and I feel myself kissing him back. Somehow, miraculously, I seem to know what to do." (Girl Online, Zoe Sugg, pg 198).

And, if that isn't enough to upset you, she gives away the ending to The Fault in our Stars. If I were John Green, I would be less than pleased that such a poor excuse for a novel tries to piggy back on the prestige of his great one.

I do not recommend this book to anyone, and I doubt I will be purchasing her other ones.

This book was everything I didn’t realize I was missing. It had drama, romance, action and plenty of cute moments. When I see people saying “I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did.” That’s exactly how I feel about this book. I have no idea who Zoe Sugg is since I don;t follow too many YouTubers/Life Style bloggers but this book was cute and witty enough to make me zip through it. I enjoy stories/movies/shows about people who have alternate lives on the internet and secret fame. I’m not sure why but its one of my guilty pleasures. So naturally when this book came available on Netgalley in promotion for the upcoming book I had to read it. For someone who has never wrote before I highly enjoyed this. It’s obvious the author needs a bit more time to perfect the craft but I’m happy she is continuing to write (there are two more books in this series after all) and thus getting more experience. I try to never judge a first time author since it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to complete something.

Will defiantly be continuing with this series!

I first bought this right after it was released and it took me a few days to get through the first couple of chapters. However, as the story began to progress, I was completely drawn into it! It's a really lovely read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it. The characters aren't overly complex, but they are still relatable. Zoe did a great job and I'm looking forward to her future books!

If we're being honest, I truly feel this book doesn't even deserve one star for it's target audience being young adult. It's meant to be a fluffy romance read, which I am typically a fan of, but this story didn't even get close to hitting the mark.

I have enjoyed watching Zoe Sugg's vlogs going on three years now and had high standards for "Girl Online", as Zoe had stated writing was a passion of hers. I picked it up from the store for ten bucks (a serious steal for hardcover!) and eagerly awaited for the package to arrive. Due to the summary, I was expecting a story in the vein of Kody Keplinger meets Sarah Dessen -- a quick teen romance read with an underlying message and a touch of drama. Instead, I received a book that felt more suited for a middle schooler.

Disappointed and unable to read past the first chapter due to the childish writing, I tried to return the book to the store. While I was refunded for my purchase, I was told to not return the item. Apparently, it will occasionally cost them more money to get an item back than to just leave it with the customer. I ended up skimming through -- not reading beginning to end, as I already had a bad taste in my mouth from the first chapter. I decided to skip through pages in order to understand the plot and characters. Usually I try to be transparent in reviewing books, and if I dislike one I typically say it was an unpleasant or unenjoyable read. However,"Girl Online" is a special case as I will simply say to you -- I hated it.

Of course the main character, Penny, has a famous, attractive boy after her who just happens to (*SPOILER ALERT*) be in a fabricated relationship with another female singer, for the sake of their careers -- doesn't that happen everyday? The entire story reads like a poorly thought out fantasy of the author. The target audience for this book shouldn't be set above fourteen, just skimming through it proves that. It's bursting at the seams with cliches, bland writing, and cardboard characters. In other words, I am heavily disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it, no matter the authors situation.

If you were considering purchasing this book as a present for anyone, or even for yourself, I highly recommend you look to other authors within the YA genre such as:

For 14 & Up:

Rainbow Rowell - "Fangirl"

Jenny Han - "The Summer I Turned Pretty"

For 12 & Up:

Sandy Hall - "A Little Something Different"

Lisi Harrison - Pretenders

Oh my gosh, I dislike Noah so much and since the first book I've grown to have a stronger distaste for him. I feel like whenever I read Penny and Noah sappy scenes, or even Penny plainly describing Noah, I fall into some sort of romantic trance. It feels like a peculiar breath of fresh air whenever they break up, so I particularly loved the last fifteen chapters or so. Certainly better than book one, though, this one was so much more realistic, which is probably contributed by the fact that this book covers blackmailing.

The character of Blake is intriguing. From the very first time Blake met Penny, I knew that he would cause drama. So was it predictable? Yes, yes it was. I loved seeing Kira, Amara and especially Megan more this book; it almost seemed like Noah and Megan switched characters. Which was fair enough, considering I find Megan's sassy personality entertaining to read, and as usual, Noah dull.

Leah isn't who everyone expected her to be either. And I'm glad we learnt more of her character in On Tour, because she's really grew on me. I wish we could see Penny's photographs, though!

And Elliot! He is one of the best male characters I have read in a book. I grew to love Elliot more, and I'm happy that Alexiot is back. My favourites in the book? Elliot and Megan, maybe Penny despite her obsession with Noah, plus Leah, Kira and Amara. Although, I have to admit, I love reading the newsline headings for Noah, they never fail to make me grin.

Overall, 3.5 stars.

I’ve heard a lot about “Girl online”. The hype about this book is big, and when I was presented the opportunity to find out what everybody is so excited about I took it. Honestly? I don’t get it. Why is this book so h up on all the book lists? It’s not bad. Nope, it’s a light and fast read with kinda cute characters. Talking about things important to young people, as homosexuality or anxiety attacks. But it was not this big epic novel, I thought I was getting. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t been expecting something extra special. Or maybe it’s just not for me. I’m not sure if I will read the next book.

***I received a copy of the book via NetGally in exchange for a fair review***

No surprises here whatsoever. From the first to the last page you can actually predict what's gonna happen and who's going to do what.
Someone already wrote this but I totally agree so I need to empahise this - don't you think that it's a little bit weird that these days someone would not google it of something weird was happening to them? Penny has those "pannic attacks" but, yet, she never thinks about googling them. I had the impression that this is the one of those YA books I read in the 90s. No internet, no cell phones.

I think this book has some kind of potential that was just wasted.

And the ending? Oh, please...

*I reviewed this book for NetGalley*

Girl Online follows a girl named Penny from Brighton in the UK, who suffers from anxiety and vents her feelings and shares her thoughts on the anonymous blog as “Girl Online”. She’s a teenager, so she deals with a lot of drama from other pupils, and has to deal with panic attacks and other sources of anxiety.

Girl Online is written by Zoe Sugg, a YouTube personality known as Zoella. I have followed her videos for the past year or so, and I was interested to see what her book was about. If you weren’t aware, there is a controversy surrounding this book, since many believed that is written by a ghostwriter.

As I began the book, I wasn’t particularly optimistic. I found that the book seems to be written by an adult, using out of date words, or vocabulary that teenagers don’t use. Also, the characters don’t seem to act in a way teenagers do. It feels inauthentic, and it is hard to believe that this story could happen to someone in real life. The characters are also supposed to be around year 11 in the UK, 15 or 16 years old, but the way the story’s written feels as though they are 12 or 13.
Also, since I follow Zoe on YouTube, I am aware that she lives in Brighton, deals with anxiety, and loves Christmas. It seems like she projects her experiences with anxiety, living in Brighton, and loving Christmas, rather than relating it to the characters. I felt as though she was trying too hard to portray her life experiences, rather than convey the experiences of a character who just happens to deal with anxiety like her.

What I did like was reading about the panic attacks and anxiety through the book, written by someone who faces anxiety. I enjoyed being able to understand more of the mindset of someone who has anxiety, which is hard to get from an outside source. As an online personality, I understood some of the things she wrote about, such as when she said “I didn’t do my usual thing of waiting to see if it got any comments or shares”. I enjoyed the relationship between Penny and her guy best friend, Elliot.

So, things I didn’t like about the book. The awkward phrasing, such as “all glossy chestnut hair and pouting”, “his blue eyes are sparkling like the sea in the winter sunshine”. Also, the relationship between Penny and the love interest in this novel was very insta-love. They hung out for about 6 hours, realized they had so much in common and were PERFECT for each other, and a few days later were in love. Also, in one of Penny’s blog posts, she mentions how life is going absolutely wonderful, and her life’s been completely turned around because she met a guy. This does not make me like this book, nor do I believe it’s true. Once you meet someone, your life isn’t fixed because of them. That is an untrue and unhealthy thought for teenagers to have, and I don’t think mentioning it in a book while positively impact the readers.

Also, I don’t think the author(s) understood that Americans and British people speak differently. At one minute, “Brooklyn boy” is judging Penny for using very British terms, but later he himself says something extremely British. Research should’ve been required! A lot of things in this novel, I knew were going to happen way ahead of when they did, so the book was pretty predictable. Not ALL the time, but very easy to guess.

This was one of those books where the characters are in relationships, and it seems okay by the middle, so you have to wait a while for conflict to surface and be resolved within the last 50 pages. So, the pacing wasn’t great. It felt like a super cheerful fanfic at times, seeing the best parts of the relationship, then quickly through itself into drama.

So, overall, I’m giving it a 2.5 stars. It could have been a lot better, and much more realistic. I may continue the series, because I would like to know what happens to the characters, but I don’t believe this book accurately captured the teenage experience. Some parts were relatable, but it felt, say it with me everyone, “INAUTHENTIC!”

I wish the book was published when I was fourteen. Why? Because I would have liked it so, so much more. I felt things happens to easily for the characters and that they didn't grow enough, I did like Noah the most because I could tell he's hiding something. Not because the blurb told me, but his actions. If it wasn't for Noah, I wouldn't have finished this book, but I wanted to see how he was going to handle his secret. Overall, the writing wasn't bad, nor most of the characters; it just felt too young for me. As well, I don't feel like I need to read the next book for this one tied everything up in a nice bow.

I wanted to like Girl Online. I really, really did. It’s not that I’m a huge Zoella fan (I’m not), but I have a lot of respect for her; she has accomplished some amazing things.

It was clear from the moment I started reading that the book wasn’t for me. After struggling through the first couple chapters I had to put it down. I’ve tried to sit back down and read it various times, but I can never get through more than a chapter in one sitting. I finally gave up about half way through the book.

There were several thing that didn’t sit right with me. However, it was the characters that really put me off. Every single character in the book acts and talks like an eleven-year-old girl. Yes, even the adults. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t get over that. It was almost insulting.

The plot was hard to read as well. Instead of getting into the plot line advertised in the synopsis, you get a 100 page (ish) sub plot in the beginning that completely confused me (I thought Penny was supposed to be a blogger… not a photographer?). You also get an awkward MG romance thrown in with a cliché used-to-be-best-friend-now-arch-nemesis character.

Also, who talks with that may exclamation marks!!!??!!!

When I stopped reading (150-ish pages in) the “main plot” was just beginning. Honestly I just couldn’t take it anymore. I don’t mean to bash on the book, but it really let me down. I kind of take that personally.

This book was pretty cute and a lot of fun but felt a little be contrived at points.

Though there were a lot of things that looking back I didn't enjoy about this book, I did really enjoy reading it and found it fast paced and entertaining to follow along.

I struggled to understand why she continued to hang out and crush on a guy that she referred to perpetually as obsessed with selfies who'd already treated her unfairly. I know not every character is strongheaded, but Penny was a total pushover.

The plot twist felt a little forced to me, and I would have liked to see more foreshadowing. Also, the idea of a US/UK relationship working at their age is very unrealistic.

I really hated Penny's blogposts. I really did. She sounded so patronizing and, well, dumb, and since this was such a huge part of the book, it really detracted. I also wanted to yell at her to get it together at some points--she was very good at avoiding uncomfortable situations and going with the flow since that was what she always did.

I am also very skeptical towards her success with her blog. She blogs about everyday life and her writing style isn't particularly enticing. Also, even with all her follows, I doubt her friends at school would have discovered it.

Penny's anxiety and her struggles with dealing with a past trauma were really the only thing that gave this book literary merit.

Despite some very obvious flaws and some juvenile writing, this book was a lot of fun to read.

Funny how life turns out to be.
When Yara shared this book to all of us and I saw the cover of Girl Online, it immedately reminded me so much of a banner I created years ago. With the exact colors and all. I can’t help it, I love pretty covers! I asked her to send it to me without knowing anything about the book nor the author.

When I received the book, I was still awe with the cover. I opened the book and started reading. I must say, the story is very predictable from the start. Like I told the girls, you know when you watch a romance movie and you already know what will happen but you still watch it? This is what happened with this book. I pretty much had it figured it out but I still kept reading because I have to admit:

This book is funny and entertaining.
I really liked Penny.
I wanted to switch places with Penny.

As I kept reading, I slowly felt in love. Yeah sure, the plot may apply to many books, but the fact is, the story is worth reading. I couldn’t put it down. I shared a couple of laughs, tears and heartfelt moments.

It all begins with you.
Penny is one of those girls people tend to ignore in school. She is socially awkward but the truth is, she is covering how wonderful she is. She is as clumsy as it can get. But as clumsy she is, she has such an amazing heart. She suffers from panic attacks and she tries to hide it. She wants to feel normal. As much as she tries, real life just keeps throwing her lemons. Then, her awesome best friend recommends her to write down her feelings and about her panic attacks... With this, she comes up with the idea of blogging.

Who knew sharing your feelings online would be helpful? Penny’s anonymous online life was having such a positive turn out. Her followers’ comments were genuine and Penny started to learn how to control her panic attacks. She started to gain self-confident with their help. Yet, when she shared some information about a boy she met while visiting New York, she also learns that no matter what, bullies are everywhere. Her posts were turned and twisted, and a scandal was created. But like JK Rowling said, “Happiness can be found even in darkest of times, if one remembers to turn on the light”. No matter what, Penny remember that little light of hope and this help her cope with the craziness. It was incredible to see her change for the best. She finally learned to take charge of her life.

Life is what you make of it.
HOLY-WOW! I’m extremely surprised how much I loved Girl Online. To say the least, I did not know who this Zoe person is. Little did I know she is an actual “influential YouTube vlogger”. After I finished reading the book, I seriously looked up her name up and started following her on her blog and subscribing to her channel. I guess I’ve been stuck in the TWILIGHT zone. Which by the way is the only thing I did not like about this book. Who in their right mind wants to kill Edward Cullen??? Seriously, guys are so freaking jealous of him (you would have to read to understand). Aside from that, I loved it. It was saddening to see how people can make such negative comments about her using her vlogger fame to be published. I have to say, we all would be doing the same in her shoes.

I honestly think people should give Girl Online a chance. I was REALLY surprised how much I enjoyed this story. It’s a romance story but most of all it is a heartfelt coming-of-age novel. I highly recommend Girl Online to everyone.

And Zoe - you go girl! I’m a new fan!

I'm not a big fan of Zoella, but I do enjoy her videos. I had a credit on Audible, so I got the audiobook. Waste of my credit. I listened to chapter one and that alone made me cringe so much I had to stop listening. The story is just about as unoriginal and stereotypical as they get. A girl named Penny, who, of course, is socially awkward and, just wait until you hear this, falls for a huge star. NO WAY! I have never heard of that before! Not one story like it!
But, guess what happens next? The huge pop star or whatever he is is in a fabricated relationship with a pop princess! Hey! That sounds rather familiar… Is this the book version of a 2010 Disney Channel Original movie?
Anyone can write. Not everyone is particularly GOOD at writing. Sorry, Zoe. The writing was so childish and the plot was so uncreative I couldn't even read the whole book without cringing. I wouldn't even recommend this book to a sixth grader. Maybe a third grader with good reading skills.

Book recommendations that are NOT this book for 11-17 year olds:

Fangirl
The Fault In Our Stars
If I Stay
Matched
The Possibility Of Now

or just anything that isn't this.

I love Zoe from YouTube and as soon as I saw she was writing a book I was like oh my god I have to have this as soon as it came out. I'm so proud of Zoe and she probably has no idea who I am but I don't care because all I want is for her to be super happy. I don't suffer with anxiety or panic attacks, but every once in a while I get really nervous and so far all of the things she's mentioned in the book have helped me. You should totally buy this.

As i'm looking through the reviews, I see a lot of "i dont understand it" or "i love romance books, but i did not enjoy this one". They have to understand that this is her first ever book that she has written. Zoe is persuing a passion of hers, and I am proud of her for doing that so recklessly with still having to do youtube. As for myself, I absolutely loved the book. I had finally felt that there was someone else who was just like me, because I could relate so much to Penny. And I realized there was things in the book that were relating to her life. Sadie Lee, kind of like Caspar Lee. Or Ollie, kind of like Oli White. And Penny lived in Brighton, while Zoe lives in Brighton. See what I mean? All in all, loved this book and I cannot wait untill the next Girl Online!

Upon starting Girl Online, my first impressions were:

1. This author uses way too many exclamation marks.
2. This book feels extremely childish.

I eventually got over that first point. Well, either I “got over” it or the author stopped using so many exclamation marks… But that second point continued throughout the story.

Maybe part of it is my fault. I feel like a lot of the YA books out there feature 16-18 year old main characters, but they always sound so mature. They could pass for more like 18-20. However, in Girl Online, the main character Penny was only 15… and she sounded like it (if not younger). Everything about her just screamed “child”. It felt like a very young young adult book (or old middle grade). Sometimes she acted more like 13 or 14. The four year old often acted more grown up than Penny did.

So maybe this rating is my fault. At 23, I’m not the target audience, but I read it anyway expecting it to be a bit “older” feeling, like many YA books are. Only it wasn’t.

=== Penny was almost too clumsy ===

I think this is one of the reasons why the book felt so childish. Penny was ridiculously clumsy… to the point where I didn’t believe it. I was rolling my eyes.

“It’s at exactly this moment that I fall into a hole. OK, it’s not a big hole and I don’t actually disappear inside it or anything, but I do catch my foot and end up tumbling forward—making me look about as attractive and sophisticated as a Saturday-night drunk. That’s one thing I hate about Brighton, where I live. It seems to be full of holes that exist just for me to fall into!”

“But then, as I gather up mine and Elliot’s coats, I trip on my scarf and crash into a waitress carrying a tray of toasted paninis.”

These are just two examples, but there are SO many more. I even left out the most ridiculous one.

They happened ALL the time. It just got old, you know?

=== Do people really not know what panic attacks are? ===

I don’t have panic attacks, so I hope this isn’t insensitive or anything… but do some people really not know what panic attacks are? I’d have thought that the symptoms are pretty clear. Or if not, then a quick Google of the symptoms would immediately lead you to “panic attack”. Surely a blogger is savvy enough to do a quick Google search?

Well, Penny has moments where she feels like the world is closing in on her. She can’t breathe. She feels trapped. She can’t think or process what’s going on. She’s just stuck in this space that feels like it’s getting smaller and smaller.

Sounds like a clear panic attack to me. I found it odd that Penny had no idea what was happening to her, and odder still that she wouldn’t have thought to Google the symptoms. When something weird happens to me, the first thing I do is Google it. 99% of the time I get an immediate answer. And yet, Penny didn’t find out what was happening until she blogged about it. Then:

“In a way, it’s nice to know that ‘panic attacks’ are an actual thing and not just my mind going crazy.”

Really? You didn’t know they were “a thing”?

=== Childish, childish ===

The book was RIDDLED with lines, words, and paragraphs that made the whole thing feel childish. It made me think that Penny was actually 13 or at least a pretty immature 15 year old. Here are a few samples:

“I glance at Ollie, wondering if maybe I haven’t woken up yet and everything that’s happened so far has just been a dream. I pinch my leg under the table to check— a little too hard.”

Who ACTUALLY pinches themselves to see if they’re in a dream? Do people really do that?

“I’d expected the skyscrapers but I hadn’t expected them to be quite so sky-scraping.”

Really?

As my excitement starts to build, I feel the urge to dance. I grab the remote and turn on the TV. MTV is playing nonstop Christmas tunes. I start dancing around the room to “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” I dance and dance until I’ve shaken off the horrible residue from my dream. Then I collapse down onto my bed and grin at my doll.
“Happy Christmas,” I whisper to her breathlessly.

Okay, you want to have a dance party? That’s fine. I’m sure people do it. But for me, this was just one more thing that made the book feel childish.

=== Yep, it’s insta-love ===

“Then I do look up, and for a split second we’re staring into each other’s eyes. And click—I feel another part of me slotting into place with him.”

Penny and super-handsome-rockstar-dude know each other for like ONE DAY before they’re already wondering how the hell they’ll survive without each other. They start planning their long distance relationship, working out Skype calls and visits… After ONE DAY! Even Penny’s friend catches onto this:

“Then how can you be in love with this guy if you only just met him?”

=== It was predictable ===

I don’t always mind a predictable story, but sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. In this case, it didn’t. It was SO OBVIOUS what the ending was going to be, and yet Penny didn’t see it. That’s what frustrated me. The MC was completely blindsided, but I saw it coming a million miles away. I hate being so out of sync with a character.

=== Penny didn’t learn the lesson I thought she would ===
=== SPOILER IN THIS SECTION ===

This book is about a lot of things, including:

* Wishing everyone would just be “real” around each other. Don’t pretend. Don’t be fake. Don’t judge.
* Finding a place where you can be “real” without judgement (blogging).
* Then, as the book develops, it’s about Penny finding confidence in herself and facing her fears. It’s about her finally being able to be herself.

Here’s the thing. Penny starts Girl Online 100% anonymous. It’s anonymous so that she doesn’t have to be afraid to be herself. She can be completely honest without people she ACTUALLY knows judging her. I get that. She’s afraid to be herself in “real life” so she does it online.

But then the book is all about her facing those fears and finding her confidence in real life. So in the end when her anonymity gets exposed and everyone knows that Penny is Girl Online, I thought she’d deal with it. But instead, she’s HORRIFIED and immediately shuts down her blog, saying, “I don’t have the anonymity of Girl Online to hide behind.” I mean, she says she’s gained confidence in real life, but has she really gained confidence if she’s still afraid to link her 100% honesty (online) to her real name? I don’t think so.

=== The writing was inconsistent ===

I feel like it kept flip flopping. Sometimes it would come off as amateurish (ALL THE EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!) and other times it would be alright. Some people suspect this book was ghost written… I don’t know about that. I’m not going to make any assumptions, but I can see why people would think that. Or at least why they’d suspect it was REALLY heavily edited. The writing just wasn’t consistent. The worst bit by far was the beginning. It’s almost like the author wrote the book and grew/improved as a writer the more she wrote (as the book got to the end) but then never went back and revised the beginning to match her new skills.

I don’t know…

=== All that being said… ===

This book was flawed. It was imperfect, childish, and predictable. As I said before, maybe part of this is all my fault. I’m not the target audience and I expected this book to be something it didn’t turn out to be at all. I wanted a mature MC but I got a pretty immature one instead. That might be perfectly fine for a 12-16 year old audience, but it wasn’t fine for me. And maybe that’s on ME and not on the author.

But anyway, all that being said, I didn’t hate this book. The beginning did feel very amateurish with the over usage of exclamation marks, but the book got a bit better as it went on. Even though it was full of predictable endings and insta-love, part of me kind of enjoyed it. It was a cute, fluffy read. It’s nothing ground-breaking, nothing intense, nothing soul-shattering, but it was kind of fun and fluffy. Sometimes that’s all you need.

I was surprised how well written this novel was. It’s a nice teenager read but I did have a problem with her being 15-years old and him being 18-years old. If Penny was older, I would find her parent’s actions to let them have a romance more acceptable.

Penny was adorable in her clumsiness and I loved her friendship with Elliot even though he did act weirdly on a couple of occasions. A nice read.

I didn't really like this one as much as I thought I would. I didn't like the characters, and I thought the story was really boring. I had a headache when I started reading it, so that could have contributed to why I disliked it as much as I did. The only reason why I gave this two stars was because I enjoyed the blog posts.

So I bought this book because it was Zoe's but I never expected to get so in to it so quick. The story is so lovely and heartwarming, I found myself laughing out loud sometimes. The characters are so well written and I fell in love with every single one of them (specially Bella she just seems so cute). Penny just seems so genuine, her character actually comes to life, Noah is so sweet and Eliott I just can't, I loved him from the start. The ending is just so perfect, this book was just so perfect. I swear to God it made my heart flutter and I liked it because it actually made me feel stuff. I felt like I was part of the story, I was happy and sad and worried when Penny was. This book is probably one of my favorites, I won't be surprised if I find myself reading it a few times more. Great job Zoe I'm so incredibly proud of you! (Sorry for my grammar English is not my first language).

At some point in time I enjoyed the first book, but re-reading it made me realise some frankly disturbing things.

The problem is putting mental illness on a throne, as if saying "Look, if you have anxiety your blog will get famous and you'll get a rockstar boyfriend!" Like ?????? No????? Thats not how it works??????

Aside from this, the book was cliched and didn't have a good plotline. Save your money, don't buy this book, and spend it on something better, like an album or clothes or something.

This book is just absolutely amazing. Zoey your such an awesome and sweet gal you don't even know it. I had happy tears and actual tears reading this book. It just had so much details as to a real girls life <3

I liked this sequel even better than the first book. Penny had real struggles and real reactions. I liked that she stood up for herself. I didn’t suspect who the stalker was until it was revealed. I didn’t like how Noah was acting but it didn’t make me dislike him so all was good in the end.

I personally loved this book! She did an amazing job writing this book and i am so ready to read the second one! When i was reading the book i felt like i was in the story with the characters! It was so detailed and descriptive and there was amazing characterization! I recommend this book to teens from 13-16. The book is cute and romantic it has twists and turns that keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting to read more. I am so glad i read this!

You can read this review and more on my blog, Caught Read Handed.

Penny is a blogger, writing online anonymously as GirlOnline. She blogs about her friends, drama, boys, her family, and her horrible anxiety. After a horribly embarrassing fall, her family is lucky enough to go to New York for the holidays, where she meets Noah, who has some secrets of his own.

Alright, so everyone is kind of freaking out because Girl Online MIGHT have been ghostwritten. I honestly don’t really care either way, but I’m going to mention it here for a sec. First, who reads a book written by a celebrity who has little to no writing experience and expects it to be AMAZING? Hopefully, no one. Second, do you guys know how many books by celebrities are at least partly ghostwritten? A lot of them are. So, basically, calm your tits are read the book if it sounds like something you’d like and don’t if it doesn’t. Geez.

As for the book, it’s probably what you’d expect from the synopsis. It’s fluffy and cheesy and predictable. It’s full of clichés in characters and plot. The events in the story are somewhat implausible and unlikely.

BUT it is actually pretty enjoyable. The story, while predictable and unlikely, is adorable and fun to read. Penny is a klutz, clumsy to the extreme, awkward, and a little weird. When she meets Noah (cliché gorgeous love interest), she is able to accept herself and begin to overcome her anxiety. There’s a fight with her best friend and a horrible bully/girl best friend. It has everything you want in a fluffy contemporary, and I don’t know about you, but I like that sometimes. Fair warning though: the “twist” was so predictable as to make it a little annoying.

Now for the deep part to the book: the anxiety and panic attacks. Zoe actually suffers from anxiety, so the parts of the book in which Penny is dealing with it or having a panic attack felt real. I, too, have anxiety – not quite to the level of Zoe or Penny but I have panic attacks as well – and I could relate to this pretty well. The way the panic attacks are described was just right, just how a panic attack feels. So even if a ghost writer wrote this, you can tell Zoe had a say. You can tell that she described it.

The bottom line: Okay, I did not go into Girl Online expecting to like it as much as I did. I thought it might be poorly written or cheesy, but I thought the synopsis sounded interesting. I’m glad I checked it out. I enjoyed it. It is definitely predictable and clichéd in parts, which was annoying [but you should keep in mind it was written for teens and young girls], but it was cute and fun and dealt with things like anxiety, family issues, cyber bullying, homosexuality, all things teens need books to be about.

I personally think this is one of the best books I've ever read!I think I might be a sucker for the cliche kind of vibe,But I think this book needs to get less hate to appreciate the effort the author put into this story!
I would defiantly recommend this book-my bff and I are ecstatic for the second book-And being a massive fan of zoella was extremely happy that she wrote the book!
Elliot was my favourite character with penny being a tight second,with them both being very creative and eccentric.
I give this book two big thumbs up!

A review by my daughter ...
"I am 11 years old. And I was also 11 when I read this. I am a huge fan of the channel zoella made by a beauty guru from Wiltchester. Her channel has 8667205 subscribers at the time of writing. She is also one of the biggest youtubers in the world. This is her first novel about a girl called Penny who has anziety and has started a blog. It is a very intresting book with lots of twists, lies and humor. I enjoyed reading this book as it made me happy, scared and sad sometimes at the same time some times not. My favourite part is where penny extremely embarrassed herself in front of the whole school. She then looks on a website called Positively Positive to make her feel better. It is so funny and I read it constantly. I even try to read it to friends and family. I have only read this book once but I have read my favourite chapter over 10 times. I would recommend it to girls 10 to 16. There is nothing I did not like and I would give it 5/5. I cant wait for girl online 2 to come out although as Zoe keeps telling us it is not called that. And in true girl online fashion ...
Girl online, Going offline xxx"

From reading the reviews on goodreads I think you either like this book or you don't. Most of the ratings was 1/5 or 2/5 but others were 5/5 and 4/5. So I would suggest reading over the review and find the one that you trust. p.s the rateing is what i think its will be like

Zoella is a respected YouTuber; you can't deny that. I can't deny that. What I also can't deny is that she developed a remarkably good plot.

But the thing is, while the plot was well-developed, I could give it to a third grader. And she'd be able to read it. Any individual would read a few pages and say something about the details. They're good. Yet the vocabulary--I wouldn't be surprised if the lexile of Girl Online was lower than 700.

In fact, I know a number of twelve-year-olds who could paraphrase this book and produce a much better version. I like big words. But none of them in this book provoked me to run over to a dictionary and check its definition. And that's saying a lot, considering I'm not quite in my teens.

From reading this, I can deduce that the storyline is good. The author, however, is a different story. If I read this is second grade… I wouldn't have much trouble comprehending it. My point? I've never found a book that was directed at teens yet wasn't at the reading level of most of them.

The good thing about Girl Online, though, is that it's a light read--perfect for one or two sittings. Excellent to read if you're waiting for book to be published. Ideal for a couple of free hours. Plenty of emotion. It's a good enough book--but next time, why not try more high-level words? Couldn't hurt. But if you're looking for a poignant, literary, description--filled book drenched in dripping emotion and beautiful vocabulary, look elsewhere. Zoe Sugg can give you a worthwhile book, but for me, even if the plot was amazing, Girl Online isn't that book.

I actually liked this book a lot. To me, it actually sounded like a regular person was talking to me and telling me about their life. I read this book in two days. I thought Zoe did a great job because of that. I have read a lot of these comments and think that they are reading way too deep in her writing and how she's writing, etc. Please remember that Zoe's not a professional writer. She just wrote this book because she enjoys writing and wants to share her work with other people. Most popular authors are much older than Zoe, therefore more experienced and it shows in their writing. Unlike them, Zoe is probably still learning the ropes of writing books and is still working on her own writing style, which is very difficult. Anyway, Girl Online is now one of my favorite books and I can't wait to read the second one.

I was very doubtful of this book after reading some of the reviews, but I think people don't really get it. It's a teen girl as the main character, YES THEY ARE OVERLY DRAMATIC AND CUTE AND USE EXCLAMATION MARKS EXCESSIVELY. I bought the book, I read the book, I FREAKIN' LOVED THE BOOK.
As a nineteen year old, I love this book to pieces. As an English Major, I can see the flaws but if you want a good read and aren't a grammar nazi, give Girl Online a read. You won't regret it!

I rarely ever write reviews but I just feel that this book by Zoe Sugg deserves everything under the sun. I have watched Zoella on YouTube for what seems like forever but probably for three years or so. She is such an inspiration for many, and allows us to know that if we REALLY work and dedicate are time into doing something that we can achieve it. Zoe has accomplished so much in her YouTube years: writing this ooey gooey, heart warming story of two young figures finding their true self and their true love, along with her beauty line, and millions and millions of followers wether it's on her blog or YouTube. I hope that this book created the same fuzzy, heart warming feeling inside as it did to me. Congrats Zoe on this achievement and looking forward to see what else awaits :)

This is honestly one of the best books I have ever read by far!!!!! It is the CUTEST love story I have ever read!! This will remain one of my favorite books I have ever read!! I got it on Friday, finished the book in a day, and now I'm reading it again!! I DEMAND A SEQUEL!!!!!!! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO NOAH AND PENNY!!!!!!! Thank you soooo much Zoe for this amazing book!! I'm SOOO proud of you!!

warning contains spoilers
girl online is very predictable you dont get that killer twist at the end.but i like the moral of the story and the blog posts are great its a little childesh i quote"i expected skyscrapers but i did not expect them to be quite so skyscraping
but in the end it was a ok book

I loved girl online im 21 and i thought it was great! the plot was perfect and penny was funny to read about i felt 15 again. if you didnt like it im sorry but it was great. Also if you are reading all the bads why bother? Haven't you heard of don't jugde a book by its cover? Get it its great!

Definitely not for 20-somethings like me.
It's a YA novel clearly marketed towards the younger age group. Being a Zoella fan, I was curious as to how her book would turn out (even after rumors of a Ghost writer spread) and although it's the perfect light read for a day at the beach, the book just doesn't sit well with me seeing as there were some inconsistencies.

I have been an avid viewer of Zoella's videos on YouTube for quite a while and upon release of this book, I anticipated that her verbal eloquence which she commands while vlogging would translate to her written words. I was very wrong. I became aware that a ghostwriter was in fact involved but that just seemed to add insult to injury. The plot is repetitive and overused, cliche doesn't even begin to cover the personalities of the characters, the settings and the predictability of every situation and the ultimate outcome of the novel.It is the literal opposite of a page - turner. My analysis of the book stems from a literary perspective and is no way reflective of Zoe's capabilities on alternative platforms. Needless to say, it is quite disappointing that we have transgressed to a point in time whereby the actual quality of writing is no longer used to judge some books and its position on best-seller lists falls short of representing writing abilities but symbolizes the fame of the "author's" name. I would recommend that you do visit her YouTube channel where unarguably she excels in the realm of makeup reviews, tutorials and other content, however to recommend this book to anyone would be a gross error in my judgement.

The girl online series makes me want to ask Zoe Sugg face-to-face,"Are you going to write another book? If you aren't,I think I'll cry :(."(hopefully the answer is yes) PLEASE WRITE ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT GIRL ONLINE PLEASEEEEEEE

This book is amazing and I would definitely recomend it to anyone! I think this book has more conflict with others than the first one so that makes it quite different. I still have really enjoyed this book though and will definitely be supporting Zoë in any other books or stuff to come! <3

Okay this book is outstanding! For all the people saying that this book shouldn't have had been published they have no idea what they are talking about. Zoe has done a great job showing readers a real life experience . I feel as though this was page turner i couldn't put this book don most of the time. This book i definitely a must read.

Never been a fan of youtube or youtubers or Zoella... but i thought i' give it a chance since everyone seems to actually like her. So i did... and TERRIBLE. Wasted my time of reading it and pushing the "Buy sample" so glad i didnt buy it. And I CANT stand the fact how youtubers recieve awards, write their own books, act in movies, and create their own clothing line and junk. How is making videos a job?! They act as if its their career. Like seriously.... dayum.

Girl online book review
This easy read book is amazing! Zoe Sugg is an amazing writer. Her book has an amazing moral and so many plot twists. I cried and laughed through the whole book. I really felt penny's emotions with her! As soon as I finished the first
one today the first thing I did was order the next one. I would recommend this book to anyone!

This book is a cheesy teen love story, fits perfect for a teenager or pre-teen, but as a young adult it felt very juvenile and it was a little hard to get into for that reason. Maybe I'm just jaded but I definely rolled my eyes at a lot of parts. Overall a cute story and easy to read though.

i thought i wouldnt like this book because the first book was to predictable. but it took me by surprise the ending wasnt happily ever after for penny the book was longer which was great. i recommend this book to someone who likes suprises
good job zoe!:-)

I absolutely loved this book. To be honest I wasn't so sure at the beginning but then I got hooked. I read it in a day, I couldn't put it down. I don't understand why so many people are being so hateful when it comes to this book. Maybe (and probably, according to my past experiences) it is because they don't understand. Anxiety is a hard topic to deal with and understand if it is not something that you struggle with. For me, this book was refreshingly honest. I am EXTREMELY clumsy and I struggle with anxiety and this book was really relatable. I really like that Penny stood up for herself and cut the mean folks out of her life and still had a happy ending. Thank you Zoe.

I am sad to say that this book is only famous because of Zoe Sugg. The book is very predictable (may be the fact that the book is horribly cliche) with unrealistic characters. Don't even bother to read this book.

literally this is the best book I have EVER read I want more !!!!!i am sooooo upset that t i can't come home from school and read....:(……i am 11 andi woud reccomend this book for girls around my age group :)

This book had a generic and cliche plot line with the flattest characters. I read the summary of the book and knew exactly what would happen and could barely get through the first twenty pages of the book. If this book wasn't written by a famous youtuber the ratings would most likely be the same as mine.

I've been reading all of these reviews saying the "Girl Online" is too cliche. Honestly, every so often I want a cute love story where no one is trying to take over the government. I think that it sheds some light on teenage anxiety and how her neighbor Elliot lives in a family that doesn't support being gay, when it is something you can't change (don't hate me). I think that "Girl Online" is a very well written story for people from 12-20, because it represents things that that age group is dealing with at the moment. -Girl Online, now offline.

I really liked this book. I watch Zoella's videos, and she had been talking about her book. I needed a book to read, so I got this one. I needed to read a book for the minutes, so it was important that I desired to read it. I finished off my reading log with it, and I would defiantly recommend it.

I cannot wait until someone writes a novel for young girls about a SMART and CONFIDENT and MENTALLY SECURE young girl who is not an overly and unbelievably clumsy dimwit who has to literally pinch herself in real life to see if she is dreaming or a girl who can't laugh at herself when her chair makes a silly noise instead of having a panic attack over people thinking she farted or a girl that is capable of opening her mouth ounce in awhile and actually being articulate enough to defend herself against mean girls. When will this cliched image of a clumsy, friendless, unpopular, insecure girl stop appearing in books? I want my daughter to read books that show how you CAN be confident in yourself at a young age and how you CAN talk to boys without appearing bats*** crazy and how you CAN laugh at yourself in embarrassing moments. Why is it that all of this young adult novels continue pushing this image of a clumsy, unpopular dimwit as the image that all girls should be able to relate to? There are millions of beautiful and smart and confident young girls out there that do NOT relate to this image of a complete and utter IDIOT that Penny is made out to be. Penny appears to be dumber than the four year old child that is Noah's sister. No one in reality is truly THAT clumsy, truly THAT dumb, truly THAT gullible and uneducated about the WORLD as Penny. Why do we have to portray young girls like this all the time? It does not show girls that it's okay to be this stupid, it shows girls that they shouldn't strive to be confident and feel beautiful about themselves and try to make a lot of friends; it shows them that it's okay to be this lonely clumsy ridiculous person that Penny is when it's NOT. Penny needs to learn to stop being so mentally challenged and learn how to be a fully functioning human being. Young girls need to find better literary role models for themselves- please find books that depict girls that are smart and savvy and that love their friends and love being around people and aren't mentally ill, anti- social, clumsy idiots like Penny. I would NEVER want my daughter to read such a CLICHED piece of CRAP.
It is also truly and utterly mind-boggling that even after Zoe Sugg's own publishers, managers, and ghostwriter established the fact that Zoe most definitely and CLEARLY did not write this book, her delusional fans are still commenting on here how very proud they are of writing an entire novel; all she did was slap her name on someone else's book in order to milk her Youtube fame and make the most money that she and her Gleam team could make. There is NOTHING to be proud of here and we should not support such greedy money-making schemes. Zoe should be proud of her ACTUAL WORK and not pretend like someone else's work is hers when it's not and young girls should strive to better themselves and be more confident in themselves and learn to be fully functioning members of society instead of the ridiculous depiction of a mentally deranged young girl that Penny is. COME ON!!!

I am grateful to the store for providing the audio preview. I do not understand how someone who routinely creates YouTube posts that are polished presentations but never seem "canned" could write 'Girl Online.' Truly, how can Zoella be so good and this be so bad?

Don't quit your day job.

The only reason it has so many good reviews and so many people bought it is because she is a really popular youtuber. If it wasn't for that it would probably only have one star. It's incredibly cliché and predictable, like a stupid fairy tale. The worst part is that she didn't even write it, it was confirmed that she had a ghost writer. All these youtubers are just looking for new ways to make money and they know that their fans will buy any piece of crap that they come up with.

This book was amazing! It was sooo deep and I love the fact that at the end Noah came to the UK to apologize to penny in person! This has taught me sooooo many thing in life. Especially about Noah. I think I might like the boy I dated for like 3 days and then broke u with him because I thought it was really akward, but from this book I learned that if he really likes me i can just be myself. Thank you soo much for writing this book Zoe! xoxoxo

This book was really good. It gave enough imformation about all the characters and described them very well. The plot was also very good. It's quite immature and annoying the way everyone's saying people only bought the book because she's a famous youtuber. Stop being so immature and go hate somewhere else.

Honestly loved this book from cover to cover... forgetting the fact that she is an amazing youtuber and my favorite blogger; If this book was written from any one else I would still love it!!! Having anxiety I stayed in all day reading this book and honestly feel happy that I did! Not only is this a good storyline this is a book with anxiety tips that have really helped me in everyday life.... and this love story is epic!

Girl Online by Zoe Sugg is a wonderful, captivating book that my daughter read in a short period of time. It was such an amazing book about a main character who suffers from anxiety and the way she finds comfort in New York city. She is looking forward to her next one. Excellent.

everybody is dissing this book, and that is fine to be entitled to your own opinion, but you need to cut Zoe some slack. this is the first time she's ever done something big like this, and she isn't used to it. I am personally a huge fan of her and her book, and I thought it was so cute. she's tried so hard and her hard work paid off. I recommend this book to anybody wondering, good job Zoella. ;)

Yes - this book isn't worth buying. But don't blame Zoe. As somebody so young and under immense pressure to "expand" her brand, I have no doubt she was pressured into this deal. Making YouTube videos in no way qualifies a person to be a great novelist, so the company, understandably, used a ghost writer.

If you purchase this novel, what you'll really be reading is the work of an author channeling the spirit of a YouTuber to make you think that that YouTuber actually wrote this book. It's not the author's fault either that she wanted to make some extra money this year.

It took me about 80 pages to start even remotely enjoying this book. It was full of cliches and highly unoriginal. The only slightly likeable character was the stereotypical gay best friend Elliot. I am not in the age group of the target market so I assume it might be more enjoyable for girls under the age of 16. The writing is not fantastic either. Another issue I have is that the ending (I'll try not to spoil it) seems to encourage standing up to bullies by bringing yourself down to their level. I don't think that's a great message to send to young girls.
Despite all this, it was enjoyable in the same way that watching idiots on trashy reality television can be. If you're into that sort of thing you might like it.

It is cute, quirky and actually tells a true story about how it is to live with anxiety and about all the difficult situations one may face while being an awkward teenager.
I'd also suggest getting the audiobook from Audible for roadtrips, walks and when you just don't have the time to sit and read.

So i read the first chapter online and thought it was a bit childish and personally i think New York is such an over used place , like i get it if u live somewhere else in the world but I'm extremely picky in how new york is used and if one detail is off my interest will wander off i don't see why she couldn't have gone to somewhere else is it just because of New York's reputation
Also the way its written is not as good as i was hoping for.
Like i love Zoe as a youtube but maybe she should stick to that like even youtubers righting books is getting old

Completely full of clichés, ie. gay bff, two faced closest female friend, out of her league celeb crush that falls for her quirky (and so overly done) personality. I really tried to like it but it was way too predictable, like a bad movie that you keep watching because you've already go thus far and hope that it gets better.

Target audience wold probably be pre-teens who have wild imaginations about romantic encounters with celebrities. For that reason, I gave this book two stars.

I felt like I caught anxiety whilst reading.

This book was full of excitement and winder, there is really never a good time to put this down being a bloger well reading tji book gave me great ideas fkr futur post, the stoy mknyou wonder an younith ill liv h charatufes this book is very rreatibke.

The book captivated panic attacks and social aniexty extremely well. This book was well writen and included some hidden treasures such as little hints at people in Zoe's life. The book is aimed for young readers, but that is no surprise as her audience consists of young girls. Girl Online is a great book, whether you are a fan of Zoe or not. Five stars xx.

If you're between the ages of 10-13 and/or someone who doesn't read often, you'll probably really love this book.

As for me, I never would have bought this book had I not already had an interest in Zoella. But to be fair, I'm way outside the target demographic at 28 years of age, and also a voracious reader who started reading "adult-level" books when I was 12. I might've really enjoyed this book when I was in 3rd or 4th grade.

Claims are being made that this piece of vapid trash was ghostwritten. Well, I wasn't there watching it being written, so far be it from me to say yes or no. However, this was aimed at a readership of cyberheads who would be at a loss if they were called upon to read something above their level, such as The Simpsons Do Dallas, so it doesn't much matter who wrote it, now does it?

Definitely a cliche book, and something that has been over done. I really wish I didn't purchase this. It is definitely one for the young teenage girl readers giving them yet another romantic book with barely any comedy and teenager like writing.

I surprisingly enjoyed this. My age is above the target audience so i didn't know what to expect but gave it a go because I really appreciate Zoe and everything she does.
But this book was wonderfully enchanting. It was very relatable and I thoroughly enjoyed how prominent the internet is a part of this book; a perfect match to how life actually is online along with triumphs and negativity.
Some parts were predictable, but not in an annoying way.
But some parts put me on the edge of my seat, and I felt every emotion that Penny was feeling in the book.
I would recommend it, give it a go and don't judge it for its appearance. Especially good for ages 12-16 I'd say.
But other than that, good work Zoe Sugg. It's a great first effort for a novel.

I employed a ghost reader to read this book for me and even she didn't like it, although she did manage to read the entire book from "Once Upon A Time" to "And They Lived Happily Ever After" in six weeks.

I really enjoyed this book. Zoe did such a good job with it. The characters were relatable, and the book had a good flow. I was surprised at how well it was written especially since it's her first book. I would definitely recommend it and can't wait to see what she does with the story next!

Turns out she didn't even write it. It was written by a ghostwriter. How disingenuous can you be? Shame on her and her publisher, Penguin/Random House. I guess she was too busy doing "real" things, like vlogging.

Ugh. I don't know what I expected from this book. The summary sounds dull and it's apparent from Zoe's blog that she isn't a great writer. The book was clearly ghostwritten as well. Honestly, I couldn't bring myself to read past the first chapter. It was cheesy and full of stereotypes. It lacked any sort of originality. If you're going to read a book, don't waste your time an money on this one.

This girl Zoella, i used to view her vlogs and videos. I think she should put her feet on the ground, her fame has gone to her head, and I find it boring to see it now and kind of insulting to the people that has got her were she is.This book was the worst book published in history.

I was more than pleased with this book. Having struggled with anxiety myself, it is comforting to see a book that goes along with that. To see the love that Penny finds is spectacular as well because it wasn't physical (besides a small amount of kissing) and based on looks and small little "I like blue, me too!! ah we must be the perfect match!" It had depth and trust. Thank you to Zoe for being real and including real struggles like anxiety. Like someone else said - I completely fell in love with each and every character. I cried at various parts as well. Very intriguing and "emotion grabbing." Overall, I would recommend this book to a friend. I read it in a day, I could not put it down!

Oh and the design of the book! It is adorable! The cover is gorgeous but then you open it up and on the front and back cover there are polka dots! Who does not love polka dots...?

I bought the book on Wednesday, November 26th in NYC as I was there for thanksgiving break. I started reading it that day, and I have to be honest here - it was ok, but nothing special. However, the more I read the more I was getting into in...
In fact, I've just finished it (Saturday, November 30th) and I have to say that it was incredible! I definitely connected it with many parts of my life, because the story about Penny is the story about modern teenagers. It was very light but at the same time it was really fascinating. Honestly, I can carry on about how much I loved it but simply Zoe did great job! I really proud of her! I'm thankful for that amazing experience of reading it.

P.S. I really hope that someday soon I'll be able to see the movie based on Girl Online by Zoe Sugg.

Hi! I really love YouTubers like Zoella and Tess Christine so to read Zoella's book it was really lovely. Penny, even if you don't suffer from anxiety, is really easy to relate to. And don't worry! That isn't a spoiler. Even if you have no interest in Zoe herself, the book was brilliant!