Eliza and Her Monsters
Author(s): Francesca Zappia
“A love letter to fandom, friendship, and the stories that shape us, Eliza and Her Monsters is absolutely magical.”—Marieke Nijkamp, New York Times–bestselling author of This Is Where It Ends
Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she’s worked for begins to crumble.
Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl meets Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona in this acclaimed novel about art, fandom, and finding the courage to be yourself. “A must-have.”—School Library Journal
In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community.
Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.
With pages from Eliza’s webcomic, as well as screenshots from Eliza’s online forums, this uniquely formatted book will appeal to fans of Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl. The paperback edition includes bonus material and never-before-seen art from the author.
Young Adult Library Services Association Best Book
Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten
Kirkus Best Book
Texas Tayshas Pick
Review(s):
“A love letter to fandom, friendship, and the stories that shape us, Eliza and Her Monsters is absolutely magical.”
★ “Creator of an astonishingly successful webcomic...Eliza finds her voice. A wrenching depiction of depression and anxiety, respectful to fandom, online-only friendship, and the benefits and dangers of internet fame.”
★ “In her sophomore novel, Zappia gracefully examines Eliza’s complicated struggle with anxiety, depression...peppered with detailed illustrations from Eliza’s webcomic, drawn by Zappia herself. A fervent celebration of online fandom.”
★ “Told in a series of letters, instant messages, comics, and prose, this book focuses on relationships and identity. ...will resonate with teens who write, create art, and love fandom. ...A must-have for all YA collections, especially where geek culture is celebrated.”
“We’ve seen variants on this premise before, but Zappia uses it to focus on introversion and isolations, panic disorders, suicidal ideation, and a preferable online existence that offers more control...Readers involved in fandoms and those who wish to understand and think about their reach are the audience for this.”
“Zappia punctuates prose sections with Monstrous Sea artwork and online chats...she pointedly delves into the way fandoms can smother the creators they live. ...a compelling read on the labyrinths of imagination and the simple pleasures of ordinary life.”
ISBN: 9780062290144