Eliza and Her Monsters

Title: Eliza and Her Monsters
Author: Francesca Zappia
Age Group: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Series: Standalone
Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

I've heard many good things about Eliza and Her Monsters, and it's been sitting in my library stack for a while. When I was finally able to bump it up to the top of my stack, I was so stoked. (I'm waiting on It to come in from the library, per my best friend's request!) The actual experience of reading this novel, I'm not sure what word I would use for it. Wise? Cathartic? It was weird and wonderful and tender, alive with both Eliza's voice and the gorgeous, quirky illustrations. It also really struck a chord with me; as someone with severe social anxiety and a deep longing for friends, online and off, I really related to her, and I was cheering for her throughout the whole book. Eliza and Her Monsters has left an indelible tattoo on my heart and soul, and I will never forget it! With this book, Francesca Zappia has become one of my new favorite authors! One of the best books of 2017, hands down!

Eliza Mirk is not your average high schooler; in fact, she's famous online for creating the wildly popular webcomic, Monstrous Sea, moonlighting as the ever-popular LadyConstellation. But despite her rich inner life online, she's considered an outcast at school and even within her own family. But her life changes forever when she meets a Monstrous Sea fan in real life: Wallace Warland. As the two strike up a swift, tentative friendship, Eliza begins to realize that living a life offline might not be so bad, until her two worlds, once so clearly defined, begin to collide. When her world shatters, she is brought to rock bottom again, and she begins to wonder: Is it really possible to have both?

This book. This book was just so good! I can't believe it took me this long to read it. I'm so happy that I was able to read it before I took it back to the library. I loved the unusual format, and the way the story was told in both tender, gorgeous prose, and beautifully rendered illustrations. It made me so happy, to have a glimpse into the comic that Eliza put so much heart and passion into. But even more than that, I loved Eliza and her sweet, oblivious, loving family. The character development was so rich and real, and I was rooting for Eliza throughout the whole book. And the relationship between her and Wallace! I was dying. I'm a huge sucker for nerd love and this book really went all out on that trope. I also really liked the way mental illness was handled in this book; all too often, it's treated as a joke or indelicately. And the ending! Gah, someone kill me! It was so beautiful and bittersweet! Easily one of my favorite books of the year, hands down! Highly recommended to fans of Rainbow Rowell and Stephanie Perkins! The bottom line: A gorgeous, bittersweet and tender coming of age novel, Eliza and Her Monsters is one of my favorite books of 2017! Next on deck: Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo!

Rating: 5/5

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 15+ (trigger warning for suicide and depression, some lightly mentioned topics that are mature).

Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of Monstrous Sea, a wildly popular webcomic, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she’s worked for begins to crumble.
Scott Westerfeld’s Afterworlds meets Nimona in this novel about art, fandom, and finding the courage to be yourself. Features illustrations by the author throughout. Perfect for readers of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, this is the second novel by the acclaimed author of Made You Up.
In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, smart, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza 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.
With pages from Eliza’s webcomic, as well as screenshots from Eliza’s online forums, this uniquely formatted book will appeal to fans of Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl. – the store.com

I don’t normally read contemporaries. I’d rather read about an alternate reality then read about the world I’m in. Fortunately for me, Eliza would rather draw her alternate reality then be apart of the world she’s forced to live in. She’s also very awkward and an introvert. She doesn’t want the fame part of her popularity, she just wants to draw and have people see her work. That’s what makes this character so likable. She’s a very real character and her anxiety and depression feel very real to the reader. The other characters in the novel are also very likable and very well developed. In only a few sentences, the author is able to develop a character so well that one feels they’ve known the character their whole life. The plot is also very well developed and the pacing is perfect. While the book feels resolved towards the middle of the novel, the author manages to throw a wrench into the wheel and while everything is resolved quickly it doesn’t feel rushed or underdeveloped. The book also uses art from Eliza’s webcomic series which makes the book feel even more special to the reader and it makes the reader want to become apart of the Monstrous Sea fandom!

One of my only complaints (not a complaint to me but might be a downside for others) is that the book does jump around time wise, so the reader does have to pay attention throughout the book in order to know what the time period of the chapter is. However, it wasn’t a big deal to me and I wasn’t thrown by the shifts in time at all. My only other complaint of the novel is that the reader does not know the ending of the Monstrous Sea! The reader (aka me) becomes so invested in the novel and the characters that the main characters create that it’s a bit of a disappointment that the ending of this fake fandom the reader becomes apart of is left unresolved. I have heard that the author is writing something to do with the Monstrous Sea on WattPad, so maybe we’ll get the ending we deserve in the end!

Verdict: This book ripped my heart out and stomped on it multiple times. My heart was then dissected and sewn back together with tender love and care. I cried a lot. I couldn’t sleep after I read it. Hands down, this was one of the best books I’ve ever read. I implore you to read this book even if you don’t like contemporaries. This sweet book is one that you will never regret reading.

This was the first book I finished for the Winter 2018 Biannual Bibliothon, and it was such a great start to the readathon!

This book showed a really interesting perspective on the relationship between a creator and their work, as well as between a creator and their fanbase. Fandoms can be great, but fandom culture can also be incredibly detrimental to both the other members of a fandom and the creator (which is unfortunately something I've seen many times on tumblr and twitter and other social media). It's ridiculous sometimes how horrible people can act when there's a screen between them and the person they're attacking.

One thing I didn't like about this book is that the major plot is spelled out in the synopsis on the inside cover/on the back of the book. This left me stressed for the whole novel, since I knew Eliza's identity would be revealed at some point; there were a few moments where I thought "This is it." or "This is going to end up exposing her.", and as someone who gets stressed out a lot because of books (even without this knowledge), I wasn't a fan.

The characters in this novel are very fleshed out, especially Eliza's romantic interest. This too is spelled out in the synopsis, so I knew it was coming. His character development has multiple stages, and he is a dynamic character (even if the end of the book felt a bit rushed for him). Their relationship ends on some weird terms, and there was a point within the novel where I really didn't like them together (but by the end I saw how they grew together, and tried to right their wrongs).

The family relationship in this book is very stereotypical, as in"my parents just don't understand me" and "i'm the teenage outsider", which was rather cliche. However, this too underwent great development by the end of the story, leaving the characters stronger than before.

This book has representation for anxiety, which takes hold of Eliza's life after a specific moment within the book. This book does include her going to therapy, which isn't always seen in books that deal with characters with mental health, and I thought it was so important to normalize this very necessary part of dealing with mental illness.

Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia introduces us to Eliza, a high school student that feels invisible and prefers it that way. Other students treat her like she’s weird and sometimes frightening. The only friends she has are Max and Emmy and she met them online when they noticed her art and story, Monstrous Sea. The two of them helped Eliza build her comic into a popular blog. This is the part of Eliza’s life that she enjoys. Eliza has a grass-is-always-greener-on-the-other-side attitude. For example, She believes that college won’t have problems, such as the difficulty of finding a place to park. Little does she know that’s usually one of the main complaints about college: jam packed parking lots. Wallace, a new student, and Eliza discover that they both like Monstrous Sea. This starts a friendship between the two of them. Wallace shares his past with Eliza and she feels that she needs to let him know she’s the creator of Monstrous Sea. Then her parents tell her story about her hard work on Monstrous Sea, not realizing how letting the secret out will affect Eliza. Her life seems to come crashing down around her! Eliza must work through everything so she can live her life without anxiety and she has a tough time with it. Realistic fiction with imperfect, lovable and relatable characters-4 stars!

This book surprised me, as most contemporary books I enjoy do. I was afraid it would turn out to be a stereotypical, cliche story filled with teenage-angst and only a glimpse at the life of a creative person. But it wasn't. It was good.

I read the whole book in one sitting. The story drew me in, and I wanted to find out what happened with Eliza and Wallace and her web comic. Despite not being in high school anymore, I related a lot to Eliza and the safety net of the Internet. Even her reactions to her family--despite how annoying it was at times--was something I felt deeply. How Eliza felt about her art is how I often feel about my writing. I find myself too engrossed in my own head that I miss the real world. I struggle with finding the right words. I understand wanting to shy away from the world, from other people, and spend my time online with a screen between me and the person I'm talking to. Francesca Zappia, the author, portrayed this side of an introverted creative person very well. And I'm grateful for the book because of this portrayal.

The inclusion of Eliza's artwork was cool, but I didn't see how it connected to the story. Maybe I read it too fast or maybe it was just supposed to be an added bonus. My other issue was the amount of profanity and discussion of sex within the novel. I suppose the story was going for a realistic approach to teenagers in high school, even if I didn't think it was necessary.

The story touched on a lot of issues often overlooked in literature these days, such as social anxiety, how invested we with the Internet, working out the issues in a parent and child relationship, creativity and creation in any form. I feel these aspects were portrayed well and realistically, which made the book realistic and flow well.

Overall, Eliza and Her Monsters was a well-written story about someone who creates. It reminded me of Fangirl and the Disney Channel movie Read It and Weep. If you're a creative person or you spend more time online than in real life, give this book a chance.

I've joked many times that my oldest daughter needs to become a critic or a literary agent. She's excellent at pinpointing exactly what she likes and doesn't like about books, movies, musicals, basically anything. So, when she randomly announced, "I really like this book I'm reading!" I had to ask her all about it.
The book is Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. Below is my Q&A with my daughter about this book.
What made you pick up this book?
The cover and the title. Monsters isn't typical title word. They usually try to use other words to avoid sounding childish. Words like creature or beast.
What kept you reading?
The plot.
I also liked the format with group chats because that's how teenagers communicate in the real world. And, the web comics were cool.
What did you think about the characters?
Wallace is really unique. It was interesting to see a character that doesn't talk in large social situations.
And I liked Eliza because she had more depth than just "I am the protagonist." She was a real girl, like someone I would go to high school with. We talk about characters having flaws but they usually don't seem like real flaws. She felt real.
What didn't you like?
Sometimes the secondary characters (like some of the people in the chats) were confusing. I couldn't determine their purpose.
Who ould you recommend this book for?
Anyone. Well, not pre-teens because I don't think they could relate as well.
Anything a parent would want to know about this book before letting their kid read it?
There is some language. I mean, it's teenagers. They talk like teenagers. So there's some language...a few f-bombs and I think some sex jokes but no one actually has sex.
Anything else?
I really liked this book and I'm the biggest critic ever. Like, I critique Eleanor and Park in my head every day. If you need another review, we can definitely talk about Eleanor and Park!

I have owned "Eliza and Her Monsters" by Francesca Zappia for quite some time now but for whatever reasons, it always got pushed further and further down my TBR list. In December of 2017, I decided to join a TBR challenge for 2018. "Eliza" made the list and I am so glad she did.

Eliza Mirk is a loner. She is content with blending in the background of her life. She is an introvert in every sense of the word. But Eliza is hiding a secret that very few know. She is the creator of the popular webcomic, "Monstrous Seas". Eliza finds herself more intune with her online community than with the people around her in "real life". That is until a new boy pops up at her school and forces her to reevaluate everything she thought she knew.

"Eliza and Her Monsters" is the first book that I have read by Author Francesca Zappia. I finished it in two days and was so sad to see it come to an end. The characters were believable. Eliza was totally relatable. I will definitely be checking out more of this author's work in the near future. Great read.

No one knows that Eliza, a senior in high school, is the creator of the immensely popular webcomic, Monstrous Sea. She spends her days at school working on art for the comic and trying to be invisible. Then a new boy, Wallace, comes to her school. He has the looks of a football player, but doesn’t seem to say much at all, instead spending his time writing. Eliza soon learns that he is a major fan of her webcomic. As their friendship grows and starts to turn into a romance, the two of them do most of their communicating through texts, online chat and written notes. Eliza has to decide whether to share her secret of being the creator of Monstrous Sea with Wallace or whether she can stay anonymous much longer.

Zappia’s writing is completely captivating. She writes with a lovely confidence, telling the story of an introverted young creator with grace and understanding. Her characters are deeply human, struggling with real trauma and finding their safe place in communities online where they can be authentic and original. She speaks to the power of art and creativity in your life, making something that you can’t stop creating and having others find value in it too. Still, there is a tipping point where fans’ expectations can become too much and overwhelm the creative process. Zappia shows how mental distress can be dealt with and progress forward can be made, slowly.

Perhaps one of the greatest things about this book, though there are many great elements is Zappia’s portrayal of introverts. There is a coziness here, a feeling of safety in the pages, as if they are forming a critical spot for introverts to bloom, just like an online community. The book shows how introverts may be awkward but are also incredibly creative, thoughtful and deep people who just need their home and dog to recharge sometimes, alright often. The book allows Eliza and Wallace to steadily use online tools to communicate and learn about one another, building their relationship with honesty and humor.

Get this in the hands of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl. Appropriate for ages 14-18.

*Spoiler alerts*
My Thoughts on……

Characters ★★★★★
Eliza Mirk is an introverted girl who lives her real life staying to herself, not talking at school, and drawing. When she is at home she is LadyConstellation the owner and creator of Monstrous Sea, the best web-comic ever, even selling comic books and merchandise and has made a lot of money off of her site. I absolutely love Eliza, the author made her so that anyone could relate to her, even if you, yourself aren’t introverted or suffer from anxiety.

Wallace Warland is a fan-fiction writer for Monstrous Sea who when he meets Eliza thinks she is a fellow fan, not the creator. I LOVED him, he helped drag Eliza out of her shell just a little and didn’t push her.

Plot ★★★★★
The story starts with Eliza Mirk, she is a complete introvert. She stays to herself and while she doesn’t talk to anyone she loves to draw. She is also part of an online community called the Monstrous Sea, although she is the Creator of it. She, as Lady Constellation, is completely different. This is where she opens up and is involved. This web-comic she has created has made her successful and she loves the way her fans are so involved and invested in it. Unlike with family and school, she relishes the attention and the power she gets from her site. She actually adores her fans, and knows every single one of the major fan-fiction writers even though she will not read the fan-fiction or the comments unless she is watching Dog Days with her fans and comments in the chat box. Its really the only time she interacts with her fans by writing commentary. During one of these one of her fan-fiction writers by the name rainmaker actually laughs and makes her laugh. His own popularity is second to only she herself.

When she goes to school not long after this a new guy named Wallace Warland starts at his school, and its up to her to show him around the school. But he doesnt talk, and they basically ignore each other until one day she steps in when 2 of the schools bullies are picking on him about writing. Turns out as she befriends him and he forces his way into her life, writing notes to her in class, sitting with her at lunch. Their conversation all in writing, he almost never speaks. Slowly he drags her out of her shell, meeting her family, she meeting his family and friends, and she has a harder time even finding out he is the rainmaker and other personal things about him. She finds she cannot find a way to tell him who she really is. Until right before graduation when her parents let the “cat out of the bag” so to speak. And then everything changes.

This is when the book really gets dark. Everyone finds out, and Wallace is PISSED and she stops being about to create her the comic she loves more than anything. She struggles with panic attacks, anxiety and even for a moment committing suicide. This is a MUST READ.

Writing/ Pacing ★★★★★
I have never read anything by Francesca Zappia before now, her story wraps you up in all the layers she creates and leaves you all warm and fuzzy only to make you cry and move you and shows you a window into a life that you may or may know about but you understand it either way. I love the way she interlaces the online community and her own drawings in this book. Yes, the author herself has put HER OWN drawings in this book, all throughout it! It was amazing! It just added to the story.
At first, I couldn’t relate to her cause frankly, I am all about spending time with family, I hate eggs, and I couldn’t draw to save my life. But the the online side of her I get. I am apart of a few different. One of which we write, we create. But its not really always fan-fiction its all things we imagine up and its our own. Anyways. The writing was on point and she didn’t go too fast and it didn’t drag. I could NOT put this gem down.

Why Should you Read/Not Read this Book?

This book was just WOW. Even though I am not someone who has ever had to battle with any kind of anxiety disorder and would not understand what she would go through from a first hand perspective, I have friends who have. This book was amazing, absolutely. It is such a realistic but dark view on this disorder and on depression. Which, honestly, absolutely surprised me. I expected this book to be a light version of a girl who basically lives her life online and falls in love offline. With of course the twists and turns of being outed about her web-comic… I promise I was totally blown away with how amazing and how much more that went above my expectations so much so that I could NOT put this book down, and within 6 hours instead of sleeping for work, I read. This book has so many layers to it, not only does it talk about her anxiety but just in general how everything about her web-comic went from her love it to having to make everyone else happy. There were parts, like when she was outed and she had her fight with Wallace, and as she cried, I had something in my eye and they got teary. >.> So should you run out and get this book from your local bookstore? Library? Online? Yes. Yes. Yes. It pulls at ALL of your feels and just blows you away. I could read this time and time again and believe me I will be telling my friends who read to pick this book up. I seriously cannot rave enough about the plot, the characters, the writing, everything.

As the blurb suggests, if you loved Fangirl, you will certainly love this book. Eliza and her Monsters takes us into the mind of Eliza, a fangirl and a creator. She writes the webcomic Monstrous Sea under her psuedoname LadyConstellations, thus maintaining a separate identity from the creator of the webcomic. In real life, Eliza is the quiet loner in school, the one who has social anxiety and tries to stay under the radar. Her main life in online, her friends are online and her community and space is online. If you are part of a fandom, you can relate to how liberating it is to lead a life online, in the midst of others who share your own passion.

The main reason to like the book is Eliza herself. Aloof, geeky, and vibrant, Eliza is a girl you can relate to. For her, her webcomic is her baby, and she is protective about her secret. She keeps her real identity from her fans so that she can live her life in relative peace, without the burdens and expectations that would come from being out. When she meets Wallace, who is a fan of her comic (but doesn't know who she is) and is a popular fan-fiction writer for the series, she is blown away by how much he understands her work. The two essentially bond over a shared passion, and fangirls and fanboys will recognize that connection. Being a creator and putting her work out for the world to see along with her heart bared is something that she isn't prepared for when she gets outed. Here, I would like to mention that I am not a writer - I don't know how it would feel to have the expectations of a million people hanging on to your next written word. But Zappia makes me understand the loneliness that Eliza feels, the burden of pleasing the fans, the fear of not being enough, the guilt over her block.

As readers, we voraciously demand content and yes, that is passion, but also sometimes it can be something constricting to the creator, and even if I realized it subconsciously before, the author actually put it in words. It is a beautifully written book about what is means to have an identity, the change in definition of interactions in this digital age, the myriad options opened up to creators, and most importantly, choosing to do what you love. That final message is the one that is the most significant for the target audience.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk would be considered an introvert. She doesn't really like talking to people or being in social situations. Eliza feels the most comfortable in anonymity as the author of the hugely popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. So when new kid in school Wallace Warland shows up, Eliza's comfortable routine is thrown out of orbit as she discovers that she likes spending time with Wallace and that he is also is a superfan of Monstrous Sea. When Eliza's secret is exposed she struggles with suddenly being thrust into the spotlight and what it means to do things for yourself as opposed to the expectation of others.

I really loved the way Francesca Zappia represents Eliza's anxieties in dealing with people one-on-one. I loved the bond that she forms with Wallace, who himself has his own things to work through, as she tries to keep her secret yet build a relationship.

On the other side of that we have Eliza's online self LadyConstellation. Her talent is undisputable, and she thrives in an atmosphere where she can be the queen of her domain, so to speak, without having to face people. She still has people that she's formed actual friendships with online, regardless of what her parents may think. But there's another side to this in that, on a certain level, Eliza feels a certain responsibility to the fans of her webcomic, and not letting down the community that has supported her for the years it has taken for her to build up her story. But at what point does this responsibility damage her art?

Just some very interesting ideas represented in the story, and I loved the way it was all brought together. Some of Eliza's struggles were things that I could recognize in myself and if I have to guess they are things that are more common in society than we might think especially as the internet and online forums are more predominant forms of communication.

So far with this book and her debut Made You Up, Francesca Zappia solidified herself in my eyes as an author that delivers very heartfelt stories and tackles some very pertinent subjects in a way that makes them accessible to everyone. I really look forward to seeing what she does next.

"That computer is my rabbit hole; the internet is my Wonderland."

Love this quote!!! Doesn't that sound like a lot of us? Especially with Instagram, Facebook, Forums, etc. Our electronic devices are portals to a magical realm, as are books. Least I know I feel that way. Especially when I was in High School.

Eliza and Her Monsters is a wonderful contemporary read that enters a teenage world full of fears, social anxiety, and depression but also full of friendship, passion and a nerdy fandom. I believe a lot of Millennials and Nerds alike may find this a surprisingly good read. I did, and normally contemporaries are not exactly my cup of tea, but this definitely was.

Eliza and Her Monsters is about a teenage artists named Eliza, who is the creator of an extremely popular web-comic called 'Monstrous Sea', but Eliza herself is an anti-social butterfly besides her interactions with fans on her forums, (which she does under a secret alias) and her only friends she has never met in person. That is until a new boy comes to her school, and her world is opened up beyond that of her online life. But, her biggest secret, being the creator of 'Monstrous Sea' is leaked, and turns Eliza's entire life upside down.

Reading about Eliza, and her anxieties, fears and passions, had me flashing back to my own past experiences and had me talking out loud while reading. Needing to voice my thoughts and feels. The story itself, was fun to read, written in a multi-media fashion, you got to see pictures of the web-comic, as well as text messages and forum posts from the characters. Everything flows well, and really is a fun read and super quotable book. I honestly really enjoyed this book and hope you do too.

"This is my story. This is my story in words, something I could never do."

To the physical world, Eliza Mirk is mostly invisible and likes it that way. On the internet, she's LadyConstellation, creator of the popular web comic Monstrous Sea. She has two close virtual friends, Max and Emmy, who help her manage the active online forums for her thousands of fans and the merchandise shop that's earned her more than enough money for college. Eliza isn't seeking an off-line life, something that baffles her outdoorsy parents and everyone at school. That is, until she meets Wallace, the new kid. Like Eliza, he suffers from social anxiety, so crippling he can't talk in public. He also happens to be one of the most popular fanfiction writers of Monsterous Sea on the forums. Eliza and Wallace bond over their love of the web comic-- he just doesn't know she also happens to be its creator. When Wallace finds out the truth, he's not very forgiving of her secret, and Eliza realizes how much she's come to like and need her relationship with him. There might be value in the off-line world, after all.

For the most part, I thought this was cute and fun. I did struggle a bit with Eliza's parents. As far as I could tell, they are in their early 40s, yet shocked their teen daughter uses her phone a lot. They basically treat her like a space alien. I think most people in their 40s grasp technology enough to understand social media and texting, and I think there's nothing really oddball about a high school senior being attached to her smart phone. How author Francesca Zappia writes parents was also a problem for me in Made You Up, and her sophomore novel is only a modest improvement in that vein. I also really hated Wallace for part of the book. I thought his motives were incredibly selfish. Luckily, the ending worked for me.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and Edelweiss.

4.5/5 stars

Eliza and Her Monsters is a standalone Young Adult contemporary novel.

The narrator is high school senior Eliza. Eliza is shy and socially inept. She has no friends at school. But online her life is the opposite. She has two best buddies. And she writes a very popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea.

I really did not know what to expect from this book. It reminded me a bit of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I really liked that book. And I really liked this book too.

The book was very enjoyable. The story was charming. But the book also dealt with a lot of relevant issues, which was a pleasant surprise.

I really liked Eliza and was fascinated by her. I loved her webcomic and how talented she was as an artist. And I was very intrigued by the fact that her identity was secret.

I enjoyed reading as Eliza had the opportunity to live more in the real world. But I also found it interesting to see how she balanced her two worlds. I really enjoyed Wallace, the new kid at school. And by the middle I was dying to know how everything would play out.

Overall, this was a very smartly written story. It was captivating, but it also came across to me as very relevant. In this age of social media, texting and online activity there are probably a lot of Elizas in the world. I really enjoyed reading her story because it made me feel. And that is what I want from a book. And the webcomic aspect just made the book even better. I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for an enjoyable YA contemporary novel that tackles important issues and with some romance. Very good book!

Thanks to edelweiss and Greenwillow Books for allowing me to read this book.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book! The style was similar to Bookishly Ever After where there is a story within this story. You get to read about Monstrous Sea in between some chapters and I just loved it. Also there was art in here! Gah- it was just amazing! The story itself took me on a rollercoaster of emotions as not everything is happy and perfect in Eliza’s life.

I want to start off by saying that I just know people are going to complain about Wallace or Eliza’s issues and how she deals with them. It’s not healthy, yes I know. But its realistic. People dealing with immense issues like anxiety and depression tend to not think “Oh I’m not taking care of myself, better get some help.” Half the time they don’t see the signs or issues. Everyone is different and everyone deals with things differently. Reading about Eliza we could see the transition of her anxiety slowly eating away at her until she falls into depression. At the end I was near tears at how little Eliza felt and how hard she struggled to just make it through the day.

Parts of this book are swoony, beautiful, and happy. Other parts are so twisted up with so much emotion and longing you can hardly see the warning signs. There are good days and bad days to everyone’s life and I was happy to watch her through both. This was not an all encompassing romance story. This was gritty and harsh and real. Even with the parts I would rather not read about I was thankful for them the same. It made the story so much better in the end.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

ALL THE STARS! This book was absolutely delightful.

I was lucky enough to receive Eliza and her Monsters in my May Owlcrate which not only was an exclusive cover but we got to receive it before publication date on May 30th. What more can i say but BUY AND READ THIS BOOK AS SOON AS YOU CAN!!!

While I find myself tending to lean toward fantasy YA novels over contemporary, I do love a good contemporary and this one is as good as it can get. Eliza is such a lovable character that is just so... human. She has her fears and her anxieties and slowly you see her realize she needs help even while still not truly changing who she is on the inside or out.

Wallace is an absolute delight of a boy to have as a book boyfriend...though he can't top Clark from Matson's Unexpected Everything. But Wallace is definitely a close second, you just want to wrap him up in a blanket and give him a big hug. Such a sweetheart. And while he has moments that are less than stellar, he's human and it shows just as much as it does with Eliza.

The story is absolutely amazing and I just about inhaled it. IT was one of those books I just didn't want to put down. Just as people in EAHM inhaled her Monstrous Sea, I inhaled this story.

Eliza and Her Monsters is definitely going to be one of my top reads of 2017 and I plan to explore more contemporaries that have nerds as main characters. Geeks and Nerds are the best.

I also thought this story handled Eliza's anxiety and introvertedness rather well. I don't know much but I didn't feel like it was fake or wrong.

Seriously guys, pick this book up when it gets released. I wouldn't have if it hadn't been for Owlcrate and I'm incredibly grateful because I ADORED this story.

This was a completely engrossing read that really pulled me in and was a ton of fun. I had a lot of trouble putting this book down. This is going to be a tough one for me to review; it’s one of those books I loved soooo much that I don’t know even where to start.

I stayed up way too late finishing it and absolutely loved the characters, the subject matter, and the journey Eliza goes through. I love how everything comes together in the story and really enjoyed Eliza’s Monstrous Sea story as well as the story of Eliza trying to find her place in life.

All the side characters are very well done and I enjoyed all the twists and turns in the story. I loved the family dynamics as well as the friendships throughout.

My only small complaint was that I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed, but just a bit and this didn't detract from my overall love of this book.

Overall an amazing read that I just loved to bits. I would recommend to those who enjoy YA contemporary romance with a heavy dose of geekdom.

Eliza and her Monsters was a pretty cute book. There were a lot of moments that made me smile and some that made me cry. It took a bit to get into the story just because I didn't like Eliza initially. Her character seemed very much like "I'm not like other girls" but once I got to know her more I moved past this judgement. I loved Wally. He was so sweet and I love the juxtaposition of him being a big football player sized guy but he was a very quiet person. I also really enjoyed Eliza's online friends, Max and Emma. They were really great friends and their banter was wonderful. This book is very similar to Fangirl with the artwork and story of Eliza's Monstrous Sea. The artwork was great but I found myself not really caring about the excerpts, I just wanted to get back to the main story. I didn't really like how a certain person dealt with learning Eliza was the creator of the webcomic, it seemed a little out of character. I also have to say that the middle dragged a bit but the chapters were pretty short so it was easy to get through. Overall, this was a cute contemporary that dealt with some heavy topics in a respectable way.

I have to add a trigger warning: near the end of the book there is a scene where a character is contemplating committing suicide and their thought process might be triggering to some.

At first blush, this book appears to be an atypical teen romance story. A good one. The book is more complicated than that, though, as it's really about the main character’s relationship with herself. The book explores mental health issues, the nature of fandom, the responsibility of artists (to their fans, to their work, and to themselves), the dynamics of parent-child communication, different perspectives on online interactions and friendships, and general pitfalls of the online world. This complicated subject matter is handled realistically and with nuance. This book would make a great addition to any book club that included YA works in their reading lists.

The characters in this book pop off the page. They are not caricatures or stereotypes, and all of their actions and choices make sense in accordance with their previous character-development.

The author’s writing style is clear, crisp, and easy-to-read. The book is 385 pages, and I knocked it out in a day. The book utilizes a first-person point-of-view, interspersed with texts, forum messages, and illustrated excerpts from the webcomic created by the main character. All of these serve to immerse the reader more deeply into the experiences and head-space of the protagonist.

Eliza is a typical anti-social teenager in high school who doesn’t have friends or a very strong relationship with her family because she doesn’t really talk to anyone. But she has an online secret. She is the anonymous creator of a very famous webcomic and is friends with two of her website admins. Then enters Wallace, a new kid in her class who also happens to be the most famous fanfiction writer of her webcomic. She finally opens up to him but never reveals her truth. What follows is the story of the consequences when her anonymity is busted.

Eliza suffers from anxiety and panic attacks and it was hard for me to relate to that side of her. I really liked the depiction of the fandom, her online friends Man and Emmy and also her struggle with finding motivation to continue her comic for the sake of its fans. I think it was very realistic and probably many authors struggle with such issues. But though I understand her issues with anxiety, I couldn’t empathize with her. She blames her parents for not understanding her but when they try, she is very rude and doesn’t even try to talk to them. Her brothers obviously love her but don’t know how to talk to her because she keeps them at a distance too. She doesn’t even try but blames everyone else for being indifferent. Wallace as a character is also pretty boring and comes across as seld-obsessed and very rude towards her when the truth is revealed. Also, the little tidbits of her webcomic felt more like fillers and didn’t add anything to the story.

The book wasn’t really bad and I really wanted to finish it too in the hopes that it would get better, but couldn’t like it very much the end because I couldn’t connect with the characters.

I loved Eliza. And I mean the character. the book is good too, i guess. But ELIZA. She was wonderful. She was so completely relatable too. From her anxiety, to her trying to fit in, to not wanting to let anyone know about her "secret identity." Maybe all girls (and boys) won't be able to relate to her specific problems, but everyone has gone through similar anxieties at some point. And I was rooting for her and crying with her all the way to the end.

Also Wallace. Oh my god. Can we have more nerdy guys in YA? Like, it was so refreshing to have the "love interest" not be the captain of the football team. Or the lacrosse team. Or whatever other team authors pick to "change it up."

I didn't love every single moment between Eliza and Wallace, but I loved 99.4% of them.

I was not expecting to read this one nor actually like it. I do not suffer with social anxiety nor do I know anyone that does, but the story was so well written and the characters were likeable. This story is so on point with parents, their children, & social norms.Today's parents see their kids as not having any problems "that they know of" but are "surprised" when something big and major happens either to their kids or because of their kids. Would I recommend this one, yes especially to parents with "false knowledge" of their children. Pay more attention to mental health! It is just as bad as cancer. People are dying because of mental health issues!

I really loved this story so much. It's basically a love letter to fandom. I really love the friendship/romance between the two main characters, and I love how realistic the internet plays into their lives. You can tell that the author is in fandom, and she understands the way the world works. I did have a couple small problems, and one problem with the way the love interest's character development formed. But overall I highly enjoyed it and I recommend it to anyone who has any sort of online friendships or is apart of any fandoms. However, a character I loved throughout the entire book takes a weird turn and becomes kind of an awful person. Which is unfortunate and I feel like definitely ruined some of the book for me.

Everyone is in love with this novel. Or, at least, it seems that way. For me, the novel was very underwhelming. I didn't care about the characters (I found a lot of them to be rather average people, leading rather dull lives.) I can't remember much about the story, and what I can remember was rather underwhelming. I've been in fandom culture for years (close to twenty, I think) and a lot of the "fandom" stuff in the novel rang false for me. Rather boring.

I like the idea of having someone draw comics online and I think it's a cute idea for this book. I however felt it wasn't very different as most people would say. I honestly thought it would have more depth but I felt like the characters were very 2 dimension and didn't pop out as memorable. I like the comics that were shown and the short story inside the story but it wasn't enough to keep me reading. I had to put this book down and read something else. I was hoping for something a little more unexpected but only got predictable.

I absolutely loved this book. Eliza is a character who has so many relatable character traits and the story was so well written. I am so glad that this book came in my owlcrate this past month because I had not heard of the author prior to this novel. The story is strong and relevant. The artwork is beautiful and makes the story even more magical. I was swept in from the first few pages and read it all in one day because I couldn't put it down!

I just finished: Eliza and her monsters by : Francesca Zappia. I don't even know where to start with this fantastic piece of literature.

By the time I reached chapter 6, I had to put it down, not because it was going on 5 am, but because I knew where Eliza was coming from. I found myself back in High school, being the weird freak of a loner.
By chapter 12, I picked up my laptop and started writing again.
At 20, I started researching different outlets.
By 27, I set to set it down. The pain was to real, but you keep going even if it takes a couple days.
Then the end comes, you just reflect on your own life and those around you.

If you are an artist, writer, introvert, jock, teenager, have anxieties, or just lost a passion for something close to you... read this book.

At first I felt like the main character was immature , overly dramatic and unrealistic but by the end there was enough character development and change that I actually liked the characters and the book. Being a fan is hard when you don’t like a book but being an author if a book is harder when you let yourself read and take to heart reviews, this book spoke to me.

I received this book for free through BookLikes’ Giveaways.

This book definitely lived up to the hype. Great story. Fantastic characters. Lots of heart. Tackled real issues in a realistic way. Plus, the comic excerpts were a nice touch that just elevated this to the next level.

Overall all I can say is: Believe the hype.

Hm. That was disappointing. After reading and loving "Made You Up", I was looking forward to this book, I had high expectations. Somehow, though, I wasn't really invested in the story.

I could never connect with Eliza. I didn't like her. I am a quiet person too but still not as self-absorbed as she is. I don't know if she was supposed to come across that way but that's how I perceived her. I found her to be too self-centered. Once her problems get discussed she gets better and I know that that's the point of this book but it's too little, too late.

What I did like very much, though, was that the relationship between an author or artist with their fans was discussed in this book. It certainly provided me with stuff to think about.

I related to the protagonist so much. Like...I was her in high school. This deeply insecure sweatshirt creature who was able to get through the day because of her fictional creations. This girl who knew her characters better than she knew most real people. This girl who wanted to disappear into that world most of the time.

I was recently not reading books anymore until I came across this one at a book store and now I can't stop! This book is wonderful and the story behind it is so original! I have never read a book like this before! :)

Eliza and Her Monsters was definately one of the best books I've ever read. There was a large character arc, and you can see how Eliza learns and changes over time. Near the end, there is a portion of the book which may not be for younger readers.

I was so incredibly surprised with how much I loved this book. I have never really been too into comics, so when I picked this up I wondered whether or not I would be able to really sink into it and identify with the characters. Instead- I found myself completely unable to put it down. The characters were so likeable and the story kept me itching to turn the page. Definitely would recommend this book!

I really connected with Eliza. She was amazingly flawed and escaped through her writing and drawing. I love how they depicted her troubles and to me it didn’t feel like a lot of other ya books where some silly thing splits up a couple and they can’t act like grown ups and talk about it. He took time to come to terms with what she did and they understood each other better after.

I loved this. The comics and drawings throughout gave it an interesting format. I can relate to the main character, Eliza, as far as how her creative nature works. I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll leave it there. I love that there are more books about introverts these days. It makes me feel good that there is someone out there that understands social anxiety enough to portray it this well in a story.

I was recently not reading books anymore until I came across this one at a book store and now I can't stop! This book is wonderful and the story behind it is so original! I have never read a book like this before! :)

I started reading this book and simply could not put it down. Everything here is a perfect representation of people who struggle with anxiety and depression--so much so that the story begins down a dark but frighteningly real path toward the end.

The only complaint I have is that the included art samples of Eliza's Monstrous Sea really are not the best. I think the publisher could have done better in hiring out an artist for just those few pages. However, the art doesn't physically affect the story in any way. I enjoyed it full heartedly and would 100% recommend!

Eliza and Her Monsters was definately one of the best books I've ever read. There was a large character arc, and you can see how Eliza learns and changes over time. Near the end, there is a portion of the book which may not be for younger readers.

I was so incredibly surprised with how much I loved this book. I have never really been too into comics, so when I picked this up I wondered whether or not I would be able to really sink into it and identify with the characters. Instead- I found myself completely unable to put it down. The characters were so likeable and the story kept me itching to turn the page. Definitely would recommend this book!

I really connected with Eliza. She was amazingly flawed and escaped through her writing and drawing. I love how they depicted her troubles and to me it didn’t feel like a lot of other ya books where some silly thing splits up a couple and they can’t act like grown ups and talk about it. He took time to come to terms with what she did and they understood each other better after.