Francesca ZappiaReviews

It is a nice and easy read, a real page turner. It shows how sometimes society tends to mark people weird if they like different things. Fandom and online forum part was very good. Will recommend if you want a fast and easy read.

Dark, twisty, and filled with trippy illustrations; this young adult book will stay with you. Cat is stuck in hell, or at least she imagines what hell would be. She's trapped in a living, breathing high school and she and the other students are slowly being transformed into monsters. If that wasn't bad enough something is roaming the halls and killing students. None of the teens have any memory of how they got there or what life was like before, but they are all desperate to escape. As Cat tries to find out who is killing her friends she starts to get flashbacks from her old life. Her life where she was an artist and her best friend was Jeremy. Are these memories a clue to how she got here? Are they clues on how to escape. The whole book is so weird and I had no idea where it was going until the very end. Inventive and unique storytelling. No spoilers, but it's pretty heartbreaking.

Zora is a teen living in a small Indiana town and she’s, essentially, an outcast. This is because her father is in prison for swindling a majority of the townspeople, but also because everyone thinks she’s the one setting fires all over town, when really it’s the Firestarter she’s hunting down, a demon-like creature that possesses human bodies and feeds off ghost energy. The ability to see those ghosts helps her hunting skills, but not her outsideriness, and her prickly nature probably doesn’t help matters, either. When the school janitor dies in a house fire, though, things really, um, heat up, and Zora teams up with another Firestarter – whose motives are suspect but his jaw is chiseled so we’ll give him the benefit – to track down the real culprit before it’s all too late.

I enjoyed this one a great deal. Zora is a cool character: her prickly nature is excellent, and I love that she’s sort of into the Love Interest but it’s definitely a sidebar for her after the mission at hand. There are a couple of nice little twists in the plot, too.½

LOVED this book so hard! This is my favorite Zappia novel to date. I loved this village and all the people in it. The storytelling was beautiful - if the characters aged up, this would easily read as an adult novel. This is one book that I plan on keeping and re-reading. Greymist Fair is a little village in the middle of the woods, some people never make it there and the villagers never leave. They know to stay out of the forests, for death lurks within. Each tale is a retelling of old Grim fairy tales and they all connect to the town. The Grim tales that are "retold" aren't necessarily the common ones and most children would never know them. I myself didn't know a few. The storytelling is beautiful, the setting is beautiful, the characters are complicated and interesting.

Was loving it until the love interest starts acting like a horrible person.

I gave this book 4.5 I really enjoy this book. I had to grow and like Eliza character but that was kind of the point overall. I love how the story was told through writing, drawing, comics and web chats. It made the book seem like i was really in eliza head. She was a hard character to like at the start but at the end i really liked her. I did love wallace as well. It became a super fast pace novel and i hope to read more by this author in the future

I gave this book 4.5 I really enjoy this book. I had to grow and like Eliza character but that was kind of the point overall. I love how the story was told through writing, drawing, comics and web chats. It made the book seem like i was really in eliza head. She was a hard character to like at the start but at the end i really liked her. I did love wallace as well. It became a super fast pace novel and i hope to read more by this author in the future

I finished reading Eliza and her Monsters around 3 and a half months ago or so but never got around to writing the review. So at this point it isn't as fresh in my mind but I decided to go ahead and write a review now before I really forget a lot of it (which is so sad to me that this happens). I read this book in a buddy read with my friend Kat and we had a lot of fun with it! This was both of ours first buddy read and I am glad we chose this book.

One of my favorite parts about this book was how well the author related the experience of anxiety. On this note, I also really liked how the book ended though I won't spoil it ;). The medium of the book was also very interesting, being done in prose, drawings, and chat messages. This seemed a very important element since a big part of the story has to do with how integrated into online life Eliza is. I also loved this because it mixes the kind of art that both Eliza and the boy she meets, Wallace, like to create. Furthermore, the drawings and blurbs from the web comic Eliza is writing make it so, so much more realistic and make me really intrigued in her comic and how she is able to express herself within it in ways she doesn't feel like she can in the offline world.

Another topic that I feel like becomes important in this story is the ever evolving relationship between humans and technology. To what extent does our technology connect us and to what extent does it also disconnect us? That is a question that becomes ever more relevant. I feel like this book kind of pulls for both sides, and calls for a balance between the two-- just as Eliza must learn to balance the two sides of her life.

I enjoyed Eliza and Wallace's relationship and think they are really able to bring each other out of their comfort zones and more capable of interacting with other people and growing themselves. I did think Wallace really overreacted at one point in the book and it really annoyed me and didn't make a lot of since with the extent to which he took it, but in the end I was able to reconcile with his character.

Eliza and her Monsters is a book that is extremely pertinent to our current times. It looks at how technology effects our relationships and our comfort zones. It looks at how much the internet can help in getting artist's work out there. It looks into the idea of anonymity over such a medium where you can be anyone. It looks at how to learn to be yourself. It looks at anxiety and mental issues that are not often discussed. And the topics of webcomics and fan fiction are also not written about all that much, and so this makes the book that much more unique. I look forward to reading other works from this author.

A twisting, interesting lesser-known fairytales retelling in this story about Death and the dark forest he calls home. It weaves together the lives of those who live in Greymist Fair, and the magic that links them through love, hate, and betrayal. I was thoroughly enchanted from beginning to end!

This wasn’t at all what I had expected. I went into this book thinking there would be more interaction with ghosts and like able characters. I found neither of those things. The main character, Zora, sees ghosts but can’t hear them or really speak to them besides asking very simple questions. Zora was awful. I had so much trouble feeling bad for her. Additionally, it felt like the author thought of every way possible to make her characters weird/unique and threw it into the story. It felt like a mess. None of the characters were relatable whatsoever.

After seeing how many people loved this, I found myself a little letdown.

First off, I loved the mental illness aspect of this book. It was great, the author showed off severe social anxiety. She also portrayed an actual panic attack correctly, but... The notes. I understand why Wallace was mute. I get that. But, writing a note when he is upset? Like come on, why couldn't he just talk aloud. I personally found myself cringing with each note passed. It was one thing when I thought he could not speak, but once I realized he has the capability to form words and sentences aloud, I just got annoyed.

Also, the relationship between Wallace and Eliza is so awkward. Like not in a cute high school crush way, but in a 'why am I reading this' way. I actually asked myself that question at least ten times while reading this book.

As for Monsterous Sea, I had zero interest. I didn't care anything about the actual content. It was cool that a high schooler creating that story, but the story itself, boring!

Children of Hypnos was much more interesting. Unfortunately, it was barely mentioned in the novel.

For the most part, I liked how this wrapped up, but the relationship between Eliza and Wallace (and just about everyone) was weird.

The story might seem dark and scary to some, but I found it more lyrical and one I could easily visualize while reading it. Take a prince enamored of his ability to grant wishes so much that he loses perspective, add in death as a lonely fellow, a village that believes itself a prisoner of an evil witch and mythical wargs that pursue and devour those who fear them. Not all is as it seems and when you get further into the tale, you'll find out the truth. I very much enjoyed these discoveries.

Lovely fairy tale about a village, Death and magic.

Two stars for the rich descriptions. Nothing happens in this, but I like how the author describes things. The characters never get to the fair. The title is misleading. This is a character study, and the characters are only tangentially related. I finished it because I was waiting for a more interesting book to come in.

Here we go, another YA fiction. I wasn't expecting anything when I went into this book. I was not exactly that hyped. I didn't think "Made You Up" was that great either. It was poorly researched and I did not think the relationship between Miles and the girl ( I forgot her name already...but she was a much better protagonist than Eliza) was that great. Call me old, I don't think YA is for me anymore.
As I have read "Made You Up", I obviously ended up comparing the character descriptions, writing, the relationships and even the amount of research put into the writing between the two. And I have to admit, I liked the book more than I liked "Made You Up". I don't even know if I liked it own it's own......................................................WAIT I DO KNOW, I DIDN'T :)))))))

The main character was so bland. So bland. While reading about her, I could actually taste a coffee gone cold. I liked her drawings. I liked her family, I did not like her. Maybe at times, but not on a whole. Throughout the novel, I hated the way she acted with her family, mostly her siblings. Maybe I really couldn't understand her feelings and her attachment to her work. If so, I'm sorry, Eliza. But other times I just felt like she was being a douche.
Also, I dunno whether it's just me, mostly it's just me, I am not a fan of these romances. (By these, I mean "Francesca Zappia's fictional character's relationships") I can see why other people might be for it, but I am just not. I thought Wallace, just like Eliza, was annoying. I also noticed a lot of similarities in the general backgrounds of the characters in this novel and that of "Made You Up". The author tried to show why Wallace sort of ended up by the way he is by telling his story, but I really didn't care.
I felt like though the author tried her best, these characters just came off really dry. I couldn't get attached to any of them even if I tried.
Overall, the writing, was not bad but not so great either.
The characters seemed to grow by what seemed to be the size of a bean, also in one chapters (OKAY I'M EXAGGERATING, THREE CHAPTERS!) As someone who has anxiety, I could understand her struggle, but for the sake of the book, I wanted to slap Eliza at some point. SORRY.



P.S. Will add more once I actually get my brains back to life to think more. Thanks for reading.

After reading a bunch of reviews, I saw that a lot of people are unhappy with the portrayal of Schizophrenia in this book and I don't know enough to agree or disagree.
I think I'll just stick to the plot. I like Alex for what she is, she is, I'm sorry if this sounds wrong, by astronomical amounts, less annoying compared to most YA protagonists. The romance in the book was alright, I'm not too thrilled about it but eh okay, I wasn't hurt by it.
There were points where the characters seemed a little too much to me and I have to admit it all made sense in the end.
I think the majority of the story, is something that Alex made up. Ah yes, wait for it, even Miles.
The author tries to drop hints that Alex's condition during the story is much worse than she narrates it to be, which made the whole book even more interesting.
It could be me over-interpreting the book but hey, I think it's much more than the surface.
Alex's ability to humanise and give stories to these "hallucinations" that she has is proof that the entire story and most of the traits that she gave these characters are made up.
However, a book could be interpreted in different ways, to those who interpreted this as a really beautiful YA novel with a great romance, I'm happy you got a happy book. As for the others, I'm sorry you had to go through a depressing story.

P.S. I MIGHT LOWER MY RATING AFTER I LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ACTUAL EFFECTS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA AND IT'S MEDICATION ON PEOPLE.

I personally really enjoyed this book!

Speaking as someone who wants to create a webcomic of their own but has been too intimidated to start.. I could really relate to a lot of Eliza's thoughts. Especially with how the characters and the story are SO important and a big part of who you are as the creator. I also have anxiety and have experienced panic attacks, so seeing that in the main character was another thing to relate to. Mental health was handled well, in my opinion. The feelings felt accurate and the topics were handled with care. There were plenty of times where Eliza was unrelatable as a teenage girl since I am an adult and have matured out of the whole 'my family doesn't get me' phase- but knowing how things felt for me back then this also feels pretty darn accurate. Being online all the time and posting on forums was a great thing to see as well, since that was totally me in high school.

This one was adorable. I loved the family dynamic so much; Eliza's parents were so on point with not being on point, and her brothers were by far my favourite characters.

I really enjoyed this book of interwoven tales centered around the mysteries of Greymist Fair. Each chapter is a different POV, with varying timelines, not always in chronological order. I thought it was fun and interesting. It’s reminiscent of Grimm’s fairy tales.

I would purchase this one for the cover alone. It’s a book you might want to read more than once in case you miss something on the first go round.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Greenwillow Books for this ARC.

CW: Father commits suicide

4.5 Stars

Wow. Just wow.

This started off slow. It was depressing at the start and I didn't really enjoy it much and then out of nowhere it just took off. I came to really love Eliza. I felt so much reading this book. It was very intense. More so than I imagined it was going to be. I thought it was going to be lighthearted - fandoms, artists, writers, weird loners, touch of awkward romance and it was just so much more.

This book tackles mental illness head on and refuses to flinch no matter how much pain and agony is poured into the narrative. Eliza had me crying with the intensity of her feelings. And so many of them are utterly relatable. The trouble she has forcing herself out, forcing herself not to hide. The anxiety about letting people down. I felt so much.

Eliza is brave in confronting her fears and trying to move past her worries. I liked her relationship with her brothers best - they were really understanding of her - even if they didn't quite get it. I loved the acceptance Eliza gives Wallace when he can't speak, I love that she's more comfortable communicating via text or paper. I love that they both were willing to accept that - to understand that it was hard for them but didn't mean they shouldn't communicate. The romance between them was pretty swoony but I also loved that they really connected with one another.

I really liked the format of this book too. The inclusion of the chat logs and artwork and excerpts of the story was perfect. Well written relatable story. 4.5 stars.

I want everyone to read this story. There's a lot in it beyond the plot and the "unreliable narrator" tensions and it feels important. But also, there is such a realistic sweetness that I... I want everyone to read this. Okay?

Okay.

This was so wonderful! I feel like the characters were real, Zappia captures what being a teenager is like so well, it made me so nostalgic! After reading the first chapter I was so glad the book was almost 400 pages, every character and plot had enough time to unfold and breathe.

Brothers - I love that Eliza's brothers were distinct, although they seemed like twins, they had distinct personalities and I could tell them apart, I feel like sometimes the family can fade into the background of some books, they're there but not important to the story - in Eliza the brothers felt like real people, real brothers.

Wallace - maybe not the best or sexist romantic interest but he felt so real, like I've actually met guys like that and I've similar conversations Wallace and Eliza have. Some of their interactions had me giggling and racing to the next page.

The Parents - So, like I totally get Eliza's frustration at her parents, but I also get the parents perspective. Yes, writing makes Eliza happy but there is more to life than working, even if it's something you love. I absolutely love that her character arc comes back to this, she realizes she does like nature, and she is worth more than just what she creates. You need to slow down and enjoy life - not spend it all buried in your phone, darn kids! haha - but you seriously need a healthy balance and I know it's difficult at that age to self-regulate

I enjoyed the sections of Monstrous Sea; it wasn't too much and helped us understand Eliza's character better and what she created. I also loved that she had inspiration in a book series, - again this just expanded her character so much, there is a reason why she creates and why she loves it.

Thank you, Margeaux for recommending this!

I'm not usually a huge fan of YA, but I really enjoyed this one. This spoke to my fandom loving side, as well as the anxious wreck that burrows under my skin.

4.75

I figured fairly early on where this was going, which I was actually happy for. Because the reading gave me time to find the deeper meaning and symbolism Zappia weaved in throughout the alternate storline. This was a sad and difficult read, but it was so well written. This is definitely a new favorite for me.

Warning: There are several triggers you need to look at before reading this.