Author: Zoe Sugg
Page Count: 352
Publishing Information: Atria/Keywords Press
Penny has a secret.
Under the alias of GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad whirlwind family - and the panic attacks she's suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.
But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever. (Goodreads)
Before I even start this review, I feel that it is necessary to address the scandal surrounding this book. If you are unaware, there was quite an uproar about Girl Online being ghost written. Personally, I didn't know much about what was going one, and if you are on the same boat I was, these articles at The Guardian and The Telegraph explain it beautifully.
I do not think that anyone should attack or be angry at Zoe for having a ghost writer. I think people would be surprised to see how many authors use ghost writers. And, personally, I don't think the book was entirely ghost written. I think Zoe's ideas were there, she just needed help putting it on the page. When I read the book, I could see Zoe's personality shine through at moments, because I watch her videos pretty regularly. I'm not saying ghost writing is okay because I like Zoe as a person, I'm saying it because ghost writing shouldn't be a big deal. It happens all the time, more than we know and most ghost writers don't want to be recognized for writing the book. That's why they're ghost writers! I believe that Zoe did have a part in the writing process because someone cannot really capture what it is like to have anxiety unless they have it, which I can verify having anxiety myself. Honestly, I don't care who wrote this book or any other book for that matter, all I care about is if I enjoy it and I did enjoy this story.
Now, moving on from that little rant, I really enjoyed Girl Online. I loved the characters, how they were all unique with their own little quirks, even the most minor of characters, and I found myself driven to find out what happens next. I thought both Brighton and New York City were captured perfectly. Although I predicted the little twist at the end, it didn't stop me from enjoying the book. A solid 3.5 stars and I most definitely will be picking up the new book. A very cute, funny, and enjoyable contemporary.
