If you follow me on Twitter, then you will have seen that a little while ago I succumbed and purchased "Girl Online"
I say "succumbed" but I always knew that I wanted a copy really.
And yes, by purchasing a copy I did actually realise that I was more than likely the oldest person in the world to be reading it...
...well - that is most definitely probably not totally true in the slightest, but you get my thinking.
I knew that the book wasn't intended to be purchased by a full time working Mum of one, who may now be slightly (ever so slightly I must add) over the age of thirty.
But did I care?
No I did not.
I really wanted to read it - so I bought it - and read it I most certainly did.
I happen to be one of the hordes of people who love watching video's on Zoella's YouTube channel, I think she is great...and has made a mahoosive success out of something I love to do as a hobby.
I most certainly do take my hat off to her.
But, as with everything, she obviously won't be everyone's cup of tea, and that is perfectly OK too - each to their own.
But me personally - I'm a bit of fan.
Anyway, back to this book.
What did I think of it?
Well.
It was very clear to me from quite early on - at about page sixteen I think - that the story was aimed towards young teens...so much so that I actually stopped reading at this point and went straight back onto Amazon and ordered my fifteen year old sister a copy for Christmas - I knew there and then that it would be ideal for her.
(And as it turned out, I was very right - she loved it!)
"Girl Online" was a real easy read for me, and yes, again, I know, probably way too young for me...but I love all kinds of books.
I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and I love Twilight.
I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and I love Twilight.
I enjoy feel good books and this, "Girl Online", fell into that category for me.
...I'm a big kid really aren't I...
In the book, we meet Penny, an almost sixteen year old girl and we follow her story as she - often very literally - stumbles her way through life.
Penny has an amazing best friend, a very bitchy, jealous former best friend, a long-term-admire-from-afar crush and she totally struggles to find a place where she feel that she belongs.
Basically Penny is like each and everyone of us at some point in our young adult lives.
And if I got this totally wrong then I do apologise - but it was certainly how I remember feeling - on more than one occasion - back then.
What I (unfortunately) didn't have the chance to do was to jet off to New York and stay in amazingly fancy hotels and come across cute, guitar playing Noah's who very much turn worlds upside down...but that is exactly what Penny does.
And whilst I won't spoil the book for you, it is this adventure that helps Penny accept herself just the way that she is.
Oh, and Penny also has a blog - Girl Online - something else I didn't have either back then, but this is certainly something important to Penny - a way to set her thoughts straight and help her feel less alone
Overall, the book was a really nice, easy read with some drama thrown in, the odd bit of upset and a lil' bit of romance too...
~ I mean, come on, who doesn't like the odd romantic smooch ~
I also found the "You can overcome anything with the right people by your side" and "You are not alone" themes very much present throughout the story too - which is good, because lets be honest, who doesn't want that sort of positivity delivering to young, impressionable teens.
I most certainly will be buying the next instalment for myself, no matter if I am double (urgh) it's intended age range or not.
And I feel that I should address this a little bit too - yes - of course I read all of the conflicting things wrote about how the story was put together, but for me, well (dare I say it...) that side of things doesn't bother me at all.
A good book is a good book.
My step-mum told me that my sister didn't take her head out of her copy from opening it on Christmas morning to finishing it a few days later and that it was so lovely to actually see her reading.
~ Not on social media
~ Not glued to a mobile phone
Simply sat, peacefully reading and enjoying a book.
And then my sister - who finished way ahead of me - told me how she would love to go to New York to see all of the lovely things Penny had seen...
~ She read the book.
~ She enjoyed the book.
~ She took all of the details of the book in.
Isn't that what picking up a good story is all about after all...
I'm a fan anyway and I can't wait to find out what is next for Penny and Noah
(But I have seen Zoella's Vlog on this subject - no killing off characters...purlease...)
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