Book Review: Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

SYNPOSIS

Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of Monstrous Sea, a wildly popular webcomic, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she’s worked for begins to crumble.

​Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

Synopsis from Chapters.Indigo.ca

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PERSONAL REVIEW

I was immediately drawn to this book for two reasons: I love the concept (I’m a huge fan of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell) and the cover completely grabbed my attention. So I was very happy to find that I was equally in love with the story itself. It really drew me in on so many different levels and I couldn’t put it down once I started. So…
 
Why I Loved It:

• Addresses Mental Health: Both Eliza and Wallace suffer from different mental health issues and I thought Zappia’s handling of them was beautifully done. When we first meet Eliza, my assumption is that she is simply shy; someone who prefers the digital world to the real world. It’s only as we continue to read that we realize she suffers from anxiety, something that she herself doesn’t address until later in the book. We are brought on this journey with her and see some of the highs and the incredibly low moments that she faces. I felt very connected to Eliza and thought that the story was beautifully written.

• Real Relationships with Other Characters: I really loved reading about Eliza’s relationship with her brothers and parents. For someone so connected to her own characters and stories, it was heartbreaking to read how disconnected her was from her family. Her realization that she doesn’t know her brothers at all was both sad and great because it forced Eliza to see just how much she’s cut herself off from them.
  
  One of the epic moments for me in this book is when her brothers host an intervention with her parents to explain just how badly they have screwed up (I actually completely understood why the parents did what they did, but MAN was that a bad decision). This was such a turning point for their entire family, but a HUGE moment for Eliza. I think it’s the first time she sees how much her brothers love her and I’ll admit that I cried because I loved seeing how they would stand up for her, even when things have been strained between them all.
  
  This book also makes us realize how important the way we treat each other is. Eliza’s anxiety means that she really depends on the few people that she trusts; when those relationships break down, she starts thinking very dangerous thoughts. It’s clear that Zappia is trying to show how much we influence the people in our lives and to be careful with each other. Wallace’s anger overtook his knowledge that something was wrong with Eliza; he realizes this in time, but that brush off could have resulted in a very different ending to the book.

 
My Only Concern:

• Thinking About Suicide: I understood why Zappia would write about Eliza getting to this point; her anxiety is high and it feels like her world has come crashing down around her. What I hated was the way that Wallace made this all about him; as a writer, he should be able to understand how Eliza has hit a creative block. I also felt like the way Eliza's suicide attempt was handled was poorly thought through. It seemed like she just ended up “getting over it” on her own, when I feel like there should have been more discussion about her therapy sessions and how she heals. The ending felt very rushed after this. I’m so happy that Wallace, Eliza, and her friends and family are on a better and healthier track, but I do wish a little more time was spent talking about the therapy aspect of Eliza’s life and more thought went into Wallace's reaction to finding out -- he basically became a selfish prick and then was forgiven without an issue. Dealing with mental health is not a solitary journey and it should be clear how important talking about it is. 

 
Overall, I loved this book. I’ve already read it twice and it continues to have such an impact on me. There are so many strong characters, moments, and relationships and I love jumping back into this world. I’ve also found the Zappia's actual Monsterous Sea graphic comic online and I love popping in to see if she's posted any new images or sketches!! (http://www.monstroussea.com/)
 
What did you think of Eliza and her Monsters?  

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FINAL RATING: 4.5/5