Unbelievably, this year marks the ten-year anniversary of Girl Online, Zoe Sugg’s first book. At the time of its release, I’d just turned fifteen. All of my classmates watched her weekly videos and every girl I knew had purchased her book, most of whom had never expressed any interest in reading in the previous four years I’d known them. It wasn’t just them; the summer homework for the incoming Year 7’s that year was to recreate a book cover using a cereal box. They hung up the projects around the English department, and it seemed 90% of the cohort had recreated Girl Online. I remember seeing a few of the recreations with real, battery-powered fairy lights. It was a Zoella epidemic.
As I always do with trends, I hopped on the YouTuber hype late. I reached a point in Year 10 when I began to question how to apply the makeup I was suddenly allowed to wear, and whilst I hated admitting it, hearing my peers talk about Zoella’s new video every Monday morning did leave me feeling left out. I did give in, and I enjoyed myself; I loved Zoe’s personality. I had spent the better part of my secondary school experience anxiously withdrawing from every social activity my peers involved themselves in, and Zoe’s advice videos helped me, in her own words, ‘say yes’ to the things that scared me. I loved Joe’s videos, too; I recall counting down the days to Sugg Sunday. His videos cured any trepidation I felt about the upcoming week at school. I was present for the Prank War between Joe and Caspar as well as the release of their DVD. I never watched the film, though. And I told myself I’d never purchase a YouTuber book.
I think a part of me was reluctant to dive entirely into the YouTuber trend. Furthermore, as a lifelong avid reader, I couldn’t see how a YouTuber would be able to write a text with any kind of substance. Recently I watched Jack Edwards’ video in which he reads, and roasts, YouTuber books. Admittedly, he did compliment Girl Online’s potential as a story. I’m glad someone did. The book broke every record left and right when it was released. He also called Marcus Butler’s book a total waste of time, which doesn’t surprise me at all.
Anyway - ten years on from its release, I told myself I’d read Girl Online and immerse myself in the one and only book my peers expressed any interest in reading.
Jack was correct, the book does have potential. Zoe claimed at the time of release that the book wasn’t based on her real life, though the novel is set in Brighton and the protagonist, Penny Porter, is also a blogger. I found myself relating to Penny in an instant; she began an anonymous blog prior to the book’s setting, anonymously venting about her situation in school. She writes about outgrowing lifelong friends and her feelings of anxiety, topics we’ve all got experience in. These are topics I’m reluctant to write about in my 20’s, despite my teen years being long behind me. Her character is flawed, and it's inspiring to read of her confidence rising throughout the text. Though, her rise to success is very unrealistic. Blogging is probably the hardest media to gain attraction on. No matter how much you wear your heart on your sleeve, it would be impossible to obtain Penny's following in the time frame she describes. Penny spends next to no time connecting with others or reading other blogs. All she seems to do is write her own.
Penny’s best friend Elliot is my favourite character and I thoroughly enjoyed the family dynamic in the text. Elliot, initially, is the only person who knows about the panic attacks that Penny has began suffering from. The protagonist was involved in a car accident prior to the novel’s setting and, whilst she assured readers that nobody was hurt, her mental health has seemed to have taken a knock. When her parents are made aware, they are comfortingly supportive. Penny’s clumsiness was also extremely relatable; I’ve historically tripped in front of every boy I’ve ever liked. Granted, I’ve never had an experience as embarrassing as flashing my underwear at a school production, though I don’t find it hard to imagine the shame that followed her home.
Penny’s parents, like my own, are self-employed. They run a wedding business and are asked to run an event in New York. The request comes at extremely short notice, but since the travel and accommodation are paid for, they take the offer, and bring Penny and Elliot along. Whilst in New York, Penny meets Noah, an upgraded version of Ollie, the handsome, self-centred classmate who she had a few awkward run-ins with back in England. He’s got all the traits of a typical, contemporary, young adult male lead - it's difficult, however, to ignore the fact that he's over the age of consent. Meanwhile, Penny isn't. Had I read the book at fifteen, I don't think this is an anecdote I would have noticed.
I struggled with the prose; the book reads like a long blog entry. Perhaps this was the intention given how the protagonist is a blogger, though I found the amount of exclamation marks at the end of every other sentence really frustrating. It's almost as though Zoella is telling the story, not Penny; there's a likeness between the beginning chapters and Zoe's 2009 blog entries. Penny's voice as a character doesn't come through until about halfway through the text. The picturesque descriptions of New York at Christmas read as too good to be true, what with the snow and the fairy lights and the high-end fashion. That said, if you've just finished a wordy, tedious classic, this might be the perfect text to switch to. For younger readers struggling with secondary school and the feelings that come with it, the book offers some helpful tips. For instance, reimagining your anxiety as a shape in your stomach whilst you repeat the words 'I'm okay' to yourself - each time you tell yourself this affirmation, the shape gets smaller until it vanishes.
I have no plans to read the sequels anytime soon, though please let me know if they're good. I didn't hate Girl Online; I'd give it a solid 3/5. The storyline itself is cheesy, and predictable but so are the Hallmark films I watch at Christmas time, and I love them. It's the prose that lets it down. And as a fellow blogger, I found Penny's overnight success too unrealistic. Perhaps I'm just salty.
Thanks for reading everyone!
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Lots of love always,
Karisma
xxx