mixedblessings89's review against another edition
3.0
I think if I had read this book at school, I may have given this 4 or more stars, but I found that I've lost much of my patience or any sense of understanding at all for the kind of teenage angst Eliza thrives upon. I suppose one must find adulthood at some point in life. Sigh.
stephaniebookish's review against another edition
4.0
**MILD SPOILERS**
“There is a small monster in my brain that controls my doubt.
The doubt itself is a stupid thing, without sense or feeling, blind and straining at the end of a long chain. The monster though, is smart. It's always watching, and when I am completely sure of myself, it unchains the doubt and lets it run wild. even when I know it's coming, I can't stop it.”
This was a solid 4.5 stars read. I was very surprised by this book for many reasons! For one, I have been sucked into the comic world, hard, these past couple of months and to read a story that focuses on someone behind the comics was a really interesting experience. I loved how dedicated Eliza was to her comic and how consumed she was in this world she created. I felt like Zappia has a realistic grasp on the idea of creating and fandoms (and generally the crazy world that is the internet).
But what really blew me away was the aspect of mental health, I really was not expecting mental health to be the heart of this story. Eliza was able to express my inner-most feelings about anxiety and depression. At times, when Eliza was describing the feelings going through her mind or the way that anxiety and panic took hold of her body I couldn't help but feel that same bitter friend pulse inside of me. It would seem I should hate this book for that very reason, but in reality it is very hard to find a book that describes how I feel so acutely. And not to mention Wallace, his grief hit incredibly close to home.
But above all else, what really made me ultimately love this book was the fact that Eliza and Wallace chose to get help, separate of each other and their relationship, they chose to seek out a way to cope. I think the idea of seeking out help can feel like an abyss, so of course when you have anxiety about talking and people, talking about your anxiety is near impossible.
“There is a small monster in my brain that controls my doubt.
The doubt itself is a stupid thing, without sense or feeling, blind and straining at the end of a long chain. The monster though, is smart. It's always watching, and when I am completely sure of myself, it unchains the doubt and lets it run wild. even when I know it's coming, I can't stop it.”
This was a solid 4.5 stars read. I was very surprised by this book for many reasons! For one, I have been sucked into the comic world, hard, these past couple of months and to read a story that focuses on someone behind the comics was a really interesting experience. I loved how dedicated Eliza was to her comic and how consumed she was in this world she created. I felt like Zappia has a realistic grasp on the idea of creating and fandoms (and generally the crazy world that is the internet).
But what really blew me away was the aspect of mental health, I really was not expecting mental health to be the heart of this story. Eliza was able to express my inner-most feelings about anxiety and depression. At times, when Eliza was describing the feelings going through her mind or the way that anxiety and panic took hold of her body I couldn't help but feel that same bitter friend pulse inside of me. It would seem I should hate this book for that very reason, but in reality it is very hard to find a book that describes how I feel so acutely. And not to mention Wallace, his grief hit incredibly close to home.
But above all else, what really made me ultimately love this book was the fact that Eliza and Wallace chose to get help, separate of each other and their relationship, they chose to seek out a way to cope. I think the idea of seeking out help can feel like an abyss, so of course when you have anxiety about talking and people, talking about your anxiety is near impossible.
rainmisoa's review against another edition
3.0
ksophialydia's review against another edition
2.0
This isn't a negative two stars. I use GR's system exactly as they intend. For me this book really was just okay.
I was frustrated with Eliza the entire novel because she kept placing the blame for things on other people without taking responsibility for her own actions - or as was usually the case, the lack thereof. Unlike the heroine and her brothers, I don't believe their parents are entirely at fault so everything related to the fallout sat uncomfortably with me, too. I couldn't tell if Eliza was on the autistic spectrum or not, it would have been interesting if she had been, but the way her arc is resolved also left me feeling underwhelmed.
The book does get points for not going the route I was expecting it to go, which made it less predictable. Wallace's family was also a surprise.
Monstrous Sea itself sounds fascinating and I really wish it was an actual webcomic that I could read.
I think fans of Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl might enjoy this book's take on fandom and its perspective on the life of a BNF. While I did find it a little difficult to believe a high schooler achieved the type of success Eliza had entirely independently, the way Monstrous Sea was talked about it reminded me heavily of the Homestuck phenomenon so it wasn't entirely unbelievable.
I was frustrated with Eliza the entire novel because she kept placing the blame for things on other people without taking responsibility for her own actions - or as was usually the case, the lack thereof. Unlike the heroine and her brothers, I don't believe their parents are entirely at fault so everything related to the fallout sat uncomfortably with me, too. I couldn't tell if Eliza was on the autistic spectrum or not, it would have been interesting if she had been, but the way her arc is resolved also left me feeling underwhelmed.
The book does get points for not going the route I was expecting it to go, which made it less predictable. Wallace's family was also a surprise.
Monstrous Sea itself sounds fascinating and I really wish it was an actual webcomic that I could read.
I think fans of Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl might enjoy this book's take on fandom and its perspective on the life of a BNF. While I did find it a little difficult to believe a high schooler achieved the type of success Eliza had entirely independently, the way Monstrous Sea was talked about it reminded me heavily of the Homestuck phenomenon so it wasn't entirely unbelievable.
notesonbookmarks's review against another edition
4.0
This is quintessential YA, and I really enjoyed it, even if the characters are, in typical YA fashion, rather whiny.
debi_g's review against another edition
3.0
Gradually, I was drawn into the life of Eliza and Wallace. I was never pulled into the Monstrous Sea portions of the book and skipped most of them, to be honest. Zappia truly seems to understand the characters she brings to life, yet I was disappointed by the handling of one concept late in the book. To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that no one can expect others to be mind readers or saviors and that people must voice their needs and fears and problems in order to receive help. 3.5
Lovable lines:
"Truth is the worst monster, because it never really goes away."
"School is a terrifying beast.
You spend seven hours a day walking around inside it, and when the day ends it grows small so it can hitch a ride home with you. It burrows into your car and whispers all the things you can expect for the next day. Your choices won't fit right. Your hair won't behave. You'll forget your homework.
You'll get more homework. You'll have to fight for your lunch table.
Everyone everyone everyone will judge you."
"Creating art is a lonely task, which is why we introverts revel in it, but when we have fans looming over us, it becomes loneliness of a different sort. We become caged animals watched by zoo-goers, expected to perform lest the crowd grow bored or angry. It's not always bad. Sometimes we do well, and the cage feels more like a pedestal."
"Like life, what gives a story its meaning is the fact that it ends. Our stories have lives of their own--and it's up to us to make them mean something."
Lovable lines:
"Truth is the worst monster, because it never really goes away."
"School is a terrifying beast.
You spend seven hours a day walking around inside it, and when the day ends it grows small so it can hitch a ride home with you. It burrows into your car and whispers all the things you can expect for the next day. Your choices won't fit right. Your hair won't behave. You'll forget your homework.
You'll get more homework. You'll have to fight for your lunch table.
Everyone everyone everyone will judge you."
"Creating art is a lonely task, which is why we introverts revel in it, but when we have fans looming over us, it becomes loneliness of a different sort. We become caged animals watched by zoo-goers, expected to perform lest the crowd grow bored or angry. It's not always bad. Sometimes we do well, and the cage feels more like a pedestal."
"Like life, what gives a story its meaning is the fact that it ends. Our stories have lives of their own--and it's up to us to make them mean something."
_duskicreads's review against another edition
5.0
Ho-ly hell! For some reason I left this book for the end of the month and I wasn't that excited to read it, but then it turned into the best thing I've read in a really long time.
I am genuinely amazed how something this incredible exists in this world! Please, please, do yourself a favor and read it!!!
I am genuinely amazed how something this incredible exists in this world! Please, please, do yourself a favor and read it!!!