I have a girl crush on Zoe Sugg, or better known as, Zoella. I know many of you have no idea who I am talking about, so, just let me explain. Zoella is a young British Youtuber, who has become well-known around the world. She originally began with just a blog and then, expanded into a Youtube channel. Now, her youtube channel has over 7 million subscribers and more than 337 million views. On her channel, you can find everything from fashion hauls to cooking tutorials, but my favorites are her honest videos on mental health. From the beginning, Zoella has been very forthcoming with her struggle with anxiety and used her public platform to raise awareness about mental health disorders.
One way she has shed light on mental health disorders is with her debut novel, "Girl Online." "Girl Online" had record-breaking sales that even surpassed legendary authors, JK Rowling, and EL James. "Girl Online" is a fictional novel about a young woman with hardships, secrets, and love. If you’re looking for a thrilling and mysterious storyline, this book is not for you. But if you would like to experience life through the eyes of someone with anxiety, you better start reading. Although Zoe states that “Girl Online” is completely fictional, there are many parts of Penny’s story that are parallel to Zoe’s; they blog, struggle with anxiety, and their love for onesies. Those are just a few of the similarities I found behind the book cover.
Although everyone’s personal journey with anxiety differs from Penny’s, many can relate to many aspects of her day to day life. My favorite part of this book is it doesn’t hold back and goes into the delicate details panic attacks. Also, this book depicts how anxiety can consume every part of your life. It is one of the first youthful fictional books that sheds light on anxiety and mental health. The best part of this book is it has a happy ending. For some who live with anxiety, they find it hard to imagine their lives ending with a “happily ever after” but this book gives hope to those struggling with anxiety. I absolutely love this book, and I couldn’t put it down. As you read this book, you’ll find yourself falling love with the every character's story and becoming emotionally invested in their well-being. Girl Online is a great read for anyone struggling with mental health or anyone wanting to view life through the eyes of someone with anxiety.
I commend Zoella for shedding light on such an important issue that affects so many. Mental health disorders have such a bad stigma attached to them, and I love how she’s trying to change how society views them. Zoella inspires so many young women to be themselves and not apologize for it. She continues to take the world by storm, and I will continue to support all her future endeavors.
If you’d like to watch her videos, just type “Zoella” into the Youtube search box, scroll through her channel and watch a few of her videos. I promise you won’t regret it.
