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  1. Unless you've been living in the deepest climbs of Outer Mongolia these past four years, then you've probably probably heard of her. But if you haven't, Zoe Sugg, better known as  Zoella is a popular Youtuber and Internet personality who has scooped up masses of awards during her years on YouTube, coupled with the 6 million subscribers and subsequent book deal. Add to that, the beauty collection Zoe is really making waves in the beauty and media world. With her easy-to-follow tutorials and often humourous follow-me-rounds (commonly referred to as Vlogs in the Youtube world), it's easy to see why Zoe has gained all the media attention, Zoella is a role model for many of the younger generation and this shows in her easy-going videos and yet like any Internet personality, she faces backlash on an almost daily basis. Mostly from people who don't even think before posting their comments. She's very open about her struggles with panic disorder and anxiety, and it's this more than anything that gives me the utmost respect for her, having had panic attacks and anxiety since I was too young to even use the Internet. Expanding on this, Zoe has just been announced as an ambassador for the Mental Health charity Mind to raise awareness on Anxiety and Panic Attacks, a subject which still very much has a stigma attached to it. 

    But now, to why we came here in the first time. Her book!

    Review

    Having discovered Zoe through Youtube and not through her blog, I hadn't really had a feel for her writing. So I was going in quite blind. And even though her book is aimed at a younger audience (12-18?), It was the cute sort of contemporary romance that I just devour in one sitting.

    Girl Online revolves around Penny, who is suffering from panic attacks after a car accident. She blogs about this in her blog (Girl Online) which at first has a small but dedicated following.  Her best friend Elliot is the only person who knows of her blog, so it's something of a secret. What I love about Penny is that she's so relatable. I actually thought I was reading a pen and paper version of me. What I love about her, is she's real. She's not too fierce or sassy, but she's clumsy, awkward and just completely kind-hearted. She's so relatable and unique in that she's actually the first character that I've read of that suffers from anxiety. I found myself getting attached to her immensely.

    Zoe's writing itself is cute and simple. There were so many times that I just laughed out loud at certain lines, and then in other parts, I was a blubbering mess (No spoilers, that's naughty!). The whole story had me hanging onto every word, wanting to read more and more. By the end of the book, I felt a little hollow, which is rare for me. In all, this is probably one of my favourite books I've read this year, and even though the target audience is quite a lot younger than me -because you know, I'm an old fart apparently - I couldn't recommend this book highly enough.  Loved. Every. Single. Freaking. Second. Of. It.