A review by obscurepages
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

5.0

(This review has also been posted on my blog.)

When I first heard about this book, I was already very interested. However, that did NOT prepare me for all the emotions that I went through when I finally read it.

Eliza and Her Monsters was an amazing read, (one that I finished in a record time of four hours) and I definitely enjoyed reading it more than I thought I would. It’s now one of my favorite reads this 2018.

The writing
The writing was so, so good! It was fun, it was easy, and it was so damn relatable. The writing in this book is actually my favorite thing because it was truly relatable, entertaining, and creative.

I found it creative because it was as if there were two stories in the book—Eliza’s life and Eliza’s comic book story. I loved it because the author blended these two stories together in such a manner that leads the reader on to this amazing journey.

I also found it truly relatable because for me, the author captured the emotions and thoughts of an introvert so well. I related to Eliza so damn much with every thought, every feeling, every fear, every doubt. Every emotion just punches me in the heart.

The characters
I loved the characters, of course.

As I mentioned, I related to Eliza so well in the whole story. She was an introvert, and Monstrous Sea, it was her escape—it was a part of her that she wanted to share with the world without actually being the center of people’s attention. I also loved how Eliza’s flaws were also shown, especially when it comes to her family, and she admitted these herself. I would have loved to see a full character development regarding these flaws, but it was still good nonetheless.

I liked Wallace as well. He was gentle and sweet, and such a geek just like Eliza. I was just a bit disappointed and annoyed at him near the end of the book, but of course I’m not telling why.

I also loved the interaction between Eliza and her online friends, and I adored how their friendship wasn’t devalued just because a screen separates them.

The plot
I loved the plot because as simple as it sounded, it actually was very complex as I read through the story. Apart from Eliza’s growing friendship with Wallace, there were also subplots about connecting and understanding your family, friendships both online and not, dealing with mental health, the struggle of artists and writers and their creations, everything. It’s actually kind of amazing for me how the author managed to tackle all of these in just about 400 pages.

I also loved the climax (no matter how heartbreaking it was), because I saw Eliza overcome a terrifying conflict (I really don’t want to go into detail about this because I might spoil you!). It was so good that I spent like the last 20% of the book crying while reading.

Anyway, that was such a good read. Definitely one of my faves this 2018 AAAHHHH FIVE STARS!