Ever since I heard that Zoella was launching a novel, I had been counting days until it was released. I’m putting this out there because my review might have been a bit biased.Anyway, this turned out to be one of those books that I couldn’t put down until I finished reading it. This book has certainly made it to my favourites list and I’m really hoping it is adapted into a film soon.
Introducing Penny Porter
Penny Porter is your average awkward teen, facing typical teenage traumas (most of which include public embarassments) except, she runs an anonymous blog called ‘Girl Online” which has a huge following. Her GBF, Elliot is the only one to know about her blog. One of her oldest friends, Megan, hasn’t been acting like much of a friend recently and her crush, Ollie, keeps giving her mixed signals (and is also way too narcisisstic).
Penny, in midst of discovering her true friends and dealing with panic attacks, flies to New York with her parents and Elliot where she meets Noah, a.k.a. Brooklyn Boy. They click instantly and sparks fly between them. But, as her relationship grows with Noah, her relationship with Elliot begins to grow distant. A happy ending for Penny isn’t as simple she would want it to be because she has to leave for the UK in a couple of days, leaving her love story incomplete. Also, Noah has a secret that could drastically affect her- online and offline.
Relatable
The reason this book appealed to me so much was because I could relate to Penny to quite an extent. Except for the fact that she ran a popular blog, she was almost as clumsy and awkward as me and, although I do not own a blog like hers, I like to put my thoughts put on social media just as much. Penny’s character is so lovable and her relationship with Noah will hit you several times.
Her friendship with Elliot is just as adorable. I don’t know if this is just me, but sometimes I like to imagine myself as the protagonist, which I did this time. For some reason, I imagined Noah to look like Brad Simpson from The Vamps and Elliot like Nat Wolff. My imagination can get weird sometimes…don’t judge.
This might answer some of your tweets! X pic.twitter.com/NCuC3VhxiG
— Zoë (@ZozeeBo) December 7, 2014
Those controversies
I am aware about the ghost writer controversies that this book has been facing but after reading it, I am certain that the story was actually Zoe’s idea. If you watch her videos, some parts of the book will surely remind you of her, especially the descriptions of various places in Brighton and the way Penny talks about her panic attacks. Also, what should really matter is the story, and it was pretty good.
Whether or not you are a fan of Zoella, I believe this book is worth your time, especially if you spend most of your day scrolling through or posting on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and all that good stuff. It’s a cute story about love and friendships with some social media drama, what’s not to like?
What do you think of the book? Have your say in the comments section below.
