Girl Online
Zoe Sugg
Genre(s): Contemporary, Romance, Young adult
Published: November 25th 2014
Pages: 352
Rating: 4 stars

“Penny has a secret.

Under the alias 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.”

Review written before the ghost writer scandal. While I am disappointed, my thoughts on the novel itself remain unchanged.

Zoella's debut novel, Girl Online, is the perfect christmas pick me up for when you get those winter blues. 

Following Penny and her anonymous blog, Girl Online manages to tackle anxiety, friendship troubles, family, and romance in a very light hearted, easy way. While it wasn't perhaps the most complex or mind blowing in terms of writing and execution, it was fun. As I read it I was going through a bit of a rough patch mentally and was struggling to cope with a lot of things going on in my life, and this was perfect for cheering me up and just taking my mind off things for a while. Even though I thought it was a rather cliche story, it seemed to work - especially given Zoe's online personality. I thought it was very fitting for her and felt her voice throughout. 

And the twist at the end! I did not see that coming; I was so wrapped up in Penny and Noah's relationship that it honestly took me by surprise. Normally, I can see twists coming from a mile away, but I was under the impression that this was a straight forward, sweet romance. I'm very pleased I was proved wrong. I'm also pleased with the ending, even though I'm not a fan of this genre. 

For a first book, I think this is a good starting point. I look forward to any more books Zoe puts out, which I'm surprised by, as I didn't expect to enjoy this.

Winter is Coming

As you may or may not have known, the Game of Thrones exhibit returned this year. And this year, it came to London's O2 Arena. I was lucky enough to get tickets and, like last year, I'd like to share the experience.

Would You Rather Tag

The Would You Rather book tag was originally created by RayKayBooks over on Youtube, but I was tagged by Alma over at Diary of a Booklover. I'm ashamed to say that she tagged me a few months ago, and I'm only just getting round to doing the tag. I'm so sorry Alma, but I'm answering the questions now!

Book Review: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

The Geography of You and Me
Jennifer E. Smith
Genre(s): Contemporary, Romance Young adult
Published: October 9th 2014
Pages: 337
Rating: 2 stars

“Owen and Lucy are stuck in a life. As they await help, they start talking...

Though brief, the time they spend together leaves a mark. And as their lives take them to Edinburgh and San Francisco, to Prague and to Portland they can't shake the memory of the time they shared. Postcards cross the globe when they themselves can't, as Owen and Lucy experience the joy - and pain - of first love.

As each makes their separate journey in search of home, they will discover that sometimes it is a person rather than a place that anchors you most in the world.”

A copy of this book was provided by bookbridgr. This in no way influenced my thoughts. 

Jennifer E. Smith wastes no time in jumping straight into Lucy and Owen's story, a fact I would be able to overlook if it weren't for the writing style. It was very simple and came across as trying too hard to be funny every time someone spoke. I got a very John Green vibe from the dialogue - meaning it felt pretentious, cocky, and unnatural coming from a teen - and I did not enjoy it. At all. The whole 'meeting in a broken down elevator' felt way too convenient and contrived to me, as well.

It was nice to see that, from the beginning, Lucy and Owen had different situations and personalities. But that didn't mean I connected with them, or really care or like them. Everything just felt so... easy. Whether that's because I'm not a fan of romance or contemporary, or whether everything magically and conveniently fell into place, I don't know. All I can say is that it felt extremely contrived.

I didn't like the romance in it, either. In fact, I felt that there was none. Lucy and Owen met for a day or so, then they both moved away and did a bad job of keeping in touch for months before meeting again. All the while there were lots of 'what ifs' and meandering internal monologues that I felt were trying too hard to be thoughtful and poetic. And don't even get me started on the ending. It was incredibly unbelievable and I am not satisfied with it.

I think I just need to stay away from young adult contemporary and romance, because it really doesn't do it for me. Overall, this was just a let down.