Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia: Book Review

Guess what? I have finally finished a book, and I am finally putting a review up! Let’s all give me applause and cookies. The motivation I feel is definitely translating into my reading and blogging. It’s a really good feeling. So, with all this motivation, yesterday I finished listening to the audiobook of Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia, and it was such a fun and cute read.

I put Eliza and Her Monsters on my Goodreads TBR because I saw many people talking about the anxiety rep in the book. I was fresh into my anxiety, and I wanted to read other’s experiences. Of course, this was about 6 years ago, and I only got around to reading it now but what’s new?

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Rating: 4/5 Stars

Content Warning: Anxiety, depression, suicide discussion, almost suicide attempt

This story was filled with so much passion, joy, and anxiety, I was hooked until the very last chapter. The main character, Eliza, is the anonymous author of a very popular (millions of fans popular) webcomic entitled “Monstrous Sea.” She spends all day drawing new pages for her fans, with nobody knowing what her real identity is. One day, the new kid at Eliza’s school reveals himself as a huge fan of the webcomic, and a relationship develops between them. But what would happen if everyone found out she was the famous artist with over one million followers?

This book was surprisingly intriguing. I was expecting the portrayal of anxiety and the romance that blooms but I was surprised by how much I loved reading about Eliza and her webcomic. It was interesting to see how she dealt with the fame of her account and the money she made from it. Honestly, I was pretty jealous, considering that my whole goal in life is to make money from my writing. So, I was rooting for her in every step of this story.

I was also such a huge fan of the relationship between Eliza and Wallace. They both worked so well together, and the way they communicated warmed my heart. We all have different communication needs, and Eliza and Wallace adapted so well to each other’s needs. I love seeing a healthy portrayal of relationships in YA media. With all the romanticization of abusive relationships, you see in terrible books like Twilight and After, it was nice reading this for a change. Although Wallace’s communication of anger to Eliza when he finds out the truth was problematic, it was not out of view of the plot and the characters that the author created.

Eliza’s family was also interesting to read. From the main character’s perspective, the family was overbearing and didn’t understand why she was spending so much time at her computer. This is something I think a lot of young readers will understand and relate to. However, by the end of the book, the reader sees a huge shift in the family, especially in Eliza’s younger brothers. Eliza is shown so much beautiful support, and this is something everyone deserves.

Overall, the characters in this book were the star of the show. The plot was there, but it wouldn’t have mattered if you didn’t care about Eliza and Wallace. I am hardpressed to find a book that actually makes me feel the emotions the characters do, and Eliza and Her Monsters had just that. I also loved seeing the positive representation of therapy in this book. It is happening a lot more in young adult literature, but it is still so important to show that to young readers.

Now currently accepting any recommendations for books that will make me FEEL. I feel like feeling, you know?

I am currently planning for Blogtober this coming year, so stay tuned for that. And let me know in the comments below if you are participating so I can add you to my list of blogs to check out every day. I participated last year, you can see some of my favorite posts down below!

5 Graphic Novels Perfect for the Autumn Season

List of my Comfort Reads

Halloweentown Book Tag (My Original Tag)

Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic day!