Book Review: Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia (2017)

Photo credit: Emma K.

Note: Mouseover abbreviations for more explanation.

TL;DR review: I wasn't expecting to get into Eliza and Her Monsters, but I ended up crying for more than fifteen minutes.

Teenage angst levels: A little angsty, but for good reason.

Deadly diseases: Everyone's healthy enough.
Use of Magic: The only magic is in our hearts.
Danger of imminent death: Safe and sound.
Violence: A little bully-fight, nothing serious.
Sexual content: A couple sneaky kisses.
Number of romantic interests: Only the one, really.
Protagonist's moral compass: If it were any farther north, it would go flying from the compass.
Sad factor: Prepare to be emotionally ruined.
Romance cheese: Melty mozzarella.

Dystopia: Modern-day ramblings.
(For more on age-appropriate content, check out Common Sense Media.)

Original image by Gamemasterz (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons. Added text by Emma K.

Books don't make me cry often, yet Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia had me bawling for more than fifteen minutes. The book, which focuses on Eliza, an anti-social high school senior who runs a famous webcomic, Monstrous Sea. Monstrous Sea has a huge following, but Eliza constantly struggles with maintaining her anonymity as its creator, LadyConstellation. When a new kid comes to school who seems to be a fan of Monstrous Sea, Eliza struggles with not revealing her identity as the author and artist behind the comic. Her parents, oblivious to the popularity of Monstrous Sea, often urge her to spend less time working on it, and try to convince her to spend more time working toward a scholarship. What they don't know, though, is that Eliza has made enough money off of Monstrous Sea to get herself all the way through college, and then some. The new boy at school, Wallace, ends up being a fanfiction writer for Monstrous Sea, and succeeds in pulling Eliza out from her internet shell into the real world. But anonymity can't last forever, and the consequences are huge.

Reminiscent of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Eliza and Her Monsters presents a modern-day look into the life of an artist and writer, as well as a chilling but truthful representation of the fandoms of today. You'll find yourself flipping pages to see the next illustration from Monstrous Sea (all drawn by the author), or the next screenshot from the Monstrous Sea forum. You'll love all of the characters (Emmy's my favorite), and the book will make you wish Monstrous Sea really existed.

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Dealing with anxiety, depression, and the pros and cons of life on the internet, Eliza and Her Monsters is a great, quick read, with high emotional impact and lovely writing. I recommend it to anyone and everyone, especially those who enjoy the online community and participate in a fandom, but I will warn that if you are uncomfortable with reading about anxiety or suicidal thoughts, this book might not be for you (even though it's only a few scenes). Despite some of the heavier content, this is a light, enjoyable read that you will be thinking about for days after you finish it. I also recommend Francesca Zappia's first book, Made You Up, for an interesting, heart-wrenching take on schizophrenia, and her web novel, Children of Hypnos, referenced in Eliza and Her Monsters and featuring illustrations by the author.

You can buy Eliza and Her Monsters from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, HarperCollins, or from your favorite bookstore with this ISBN: 978-0062290137. Also, don't forget to check out Eliza and Her Monsters on Goodreads and Epic Reads (plus exclusive character art)!

Have any of you read Eliza and Her Monsters? What did you think of it? Let me know down in the comments if you have any other YA books for me to review, as I'm always open to suggestions!

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