Unboxing Zoella

 

Finally! I received my copy of Girl Online by Zoella (aka Zoë Sugg). Don’t know who she is? (Where have you been?) Go check out her channel, Zoella .

This book was released 25 November 2014. I had to wait a long time for my package to arrive! I missed the whole hype of it. Well not entirely though, I did follow the madness (and it was quite a madness on all the social media platforms) and of course the whole “scandal” of a ghost writer. I waited (actually against my will-I will get to this point now) before I wanted to give my point of view on the whole Girl Online-madness.

Getting back to the “against my will” part. I wanted this book for Christmas, but a bookstore (whose name will not be mentioned) left out some minor detail that the book will actually only be available in January in SA. So, I had to wait. But, on the other hand this is good. Now that everyone has said what they wanted to or had to, I can give my opinion and feelings without it seeming like “Quick, I have to get my opinion out there”. I had the time to really think about this.

Just a side note, I have not read the book yet. So, this will not be on the book itself, but more the hype around it.

I am really excited to read it. Now, you may or may not know that I am in my late (very late) twenties. Some people might wonder “Elré, why do you want to read a novel aimed at young adults (like 13 year olds)?”.  It is simple. I love reading. I will read any book if I want to, even if it is aimed at children or young adults. Who ever said you are not allowed to read books aimed at them (when you are an adult according to “age classifications”)?

I like Zoella. When I heard she is going to write a book, I wanted it. I wanted it because I like her as a person and she is quite the writer (Go check out her Blog which I thoroughly enjoy reading) and I am curious to see how the book is going to be. Then it came out that the book was ghost written. This was a fact that Penguin (the publisher) and Zoella “failed” to mention. Yes, she did say in her blog that she is getting some help with the process, but help and ghost writer is quite a difference from each other and kind of a big fact to just leave out of the conversation. I was a bit disappointed in her and Penguin.

At the same time I felt sorry for Zoë. I felt sorry about what was going on in the media. She was really picked on, even bullied quite a bit. People were saying that she bought this on herself, she should have said that the book was ghost written, she should have been honest and so forth and so on. I can understand the last part because she does “sell” herself as an honest, open individual and this was seen as a huge lie by many fans. I am sure there was some kind of contract or understanding between the ghost author, the publisher and Zoella. I feel somewhere between the 3 parties somebody overstepped a boundary. You and I will never know what exactly happen.

The only thing I saw was that Zoë was attacked by the media and people were mad because they said “real new authors” who is struggling to get a publisher to notice them doesn’t get a chance like this. Parents and some individuals felt this is unfair for her to call it her book although it was ghost written because she did not write it herself and because she already had a fan base of 7mill subscribers (who will support her no matter what) and without them the book never would have sell. How do you/they know that? We don’t. We will never know what would have happened if the book was published and she did not have this fan base.

I still see it as Zoë’s book. Who cares if it is was ghost written? My point is that it was her plot, characters and ideas. She was the creative one with regard to that; she needed help with the writing. So what? Yes, maybe she should have phrased it differently, there I will agree. I am sure there are other authors who have ghost writers as well. Who knows?

In conclusion, I decided that I am still going to buy the book. I am still going to read it. I am really looking forward to it. And yes, I will probably put my thoughts onto paper afterwards.

I enjoyed unboxing Zoella. It was the greatest thing when my package arrived and I could have my own little “hype and madness” party!

Speak to you soon...or sooner!
xoxo