Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia - OPTIONAL

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia, 385 pages.  Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins), 2017.  $22.  

Content: Language: R (35 swears; 15 “f”) ; Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG.   

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Eliza is the author of a very popular comic book, Monstrous Seas, that she posts online.  She is known online as Lady Constellation, but nobody in the real world knows she is Eliza.  Eliza is surprised when she meets a new kid, Wallace, at school who writes fan fiction for her online comic.   Eliza and Wallace form a friendship over their love of Monstrous Seas bringing Eliza out of her shell and making her more confident in herself.  Can Eliza balance her online world with the real world and will her and Wallace only ever be friends?  

This book is depressing because Eliza isolates herself and wallows in self-pity.  Also, Wallace’s background is heartbreaking.  I like the book because they help each other get through their problems and they find comfort in opening up to one another.  I liked how creative the book was with the double life being online and the real world.  It was easy to relate to because it’s easy to get sucked into the life online, but at the end of the day you need a friend who is real and there for you.  There are references to sex, abortion, mental health issues and drug use.  

Student Reviewer, Isabelle, 9^th grade