Girl Online

Last updated

Girl Online
Zoe Sugg - Girl Online.jpg
UK first edition
Author Zoe Sugg
Audio read by Hannah Toin
LanguageEnglish
SeriesGirl Online
Genre Romance / Drama
Published
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint (Hardback) & eBook
ISBN 978-0-1413-5727-0
Followed by Girl Online: On Tour  

Girl Online is the debut novel by English author and internet celebrity Zoe Sugg. The romance and drama novel, released on 25 November 2014 through Penguin Books, is aimed at a teen audience and focuses on a fifteen-year-old anonymous blogger and what happens when her blog goes viral. The novel is a New York Times Best Seller in the Young Adult category. The book was the fastest-selling book of 2014 and it broke the record for highest first-week sales for a debut author since records began.

Contents

Plot

Penny Porter is a 15-year-old girl living in Brighton, with her best friend Elliot and a picture-perfect family. She has an outgrown friend Megan, her long-lasting crush Ollie and a secret-she suffers from anxiety. She leads a mundane life and is not happy with herself. When an incident at school triggers her badly, her family whisks her away to New York, where her mom is planning a wedding. There she meets Noah, the wedding caterer's grandson. The two hit it off instantly and fall in love in the days that follow. After the wedding Penny leaves New York. She returns to Brighton a confident bright girl who realizes her worth and a cute American boyfriend. The next that follows is a twist and that forms the ending.

Background

While based around similar experiences, Sugg has stated that the book is "in no way autobiographical". [1] [2] [3] The book was listed before release by pop culture website ANDPOP as one of "10 Books by Celebrities that are Worth Reading". [4]

Authorship

Penguin stated that "Sugg did not write Girl Online on her own", stating that she "has worked with an expert editorial team to help her bring to life her characters and experiences in a heartwarming and compelling story". [5] [6] It has been reported that young-adult novelist Siobhan Curham was a ghostwriter for the novel, although this has not been confirmed by Sugg, Curham, or Penguin. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Penguin stated that Curham was an "editorial consultant" for the novel. [6] [10]

Publication history

Girl Online was officially released on 25 November 2014, though Penguin stated that due to high demand "every bookseller broke the embargo on its sale" before this date. [2] [11] The book was in the amazon.co.uk "Top 100 Best Seller" list for 67 days prior to release, reaching third position, based on pre-sales alone. [12] [13] [14] The novel entered The New York Times Best Seller list for young adult fiction in position 9 for the week ending 14 December, dropping to 13 the following week. [15] [16] Sugg went on a book signing tour in the UK to promote the release of the novel. [17] The sessions were held at secret locations and ticketed for health and safety concerns, due to the exceptional demand. [12] [17]

The UK and US covers feature different images provided by Sugg's fans, selected via a competition hosted on Instagram. [18]

Release

Girl Online broke the record for the highest ever first-week sales for a debut author since records began in 1998, selling a total of 78,109 copies, making it the fastest selling book of 2014. [19] [20] [21] As of April 2015 343,562 copies have been sold. [22]

Sequel

A sequel entitled Girl Online: On Tour was released on 20 October 2015. [25] [26] [27]

Third book

A third book, Girl Online: Going Solo was confirmed by Sugg on 8 July 2016 and published on 17 November 2016.

Reception

Girl Online received a mixed review from Anita Singh for The Daily Telegraph , who awarded it a score of three out of five. Singh found the romance to be unrealistic and stated that "the teenagers in this book bear no resemblance to any I have ever met", while also acknowledging that she is "not Zoella's target market" and that "times must have changed". She further states that while the book itself is "sugary as a frosted cupcake", "so is Zoella and six million YouTube subscribers love her that way" and that "Sugg has tapped into a truth"; "growing up doesn't have to mean leaving childish stuff behind." [28]

The novel was well received by Daisy Wyatt, for The Independent , who found the novel "difficult to fault", calling it "fun and easy to relate to, while also having a positive message". Wyatt found, however, that "while Girl Online does teach sound advice to teenagers about being cautious of their online activity", Sugg has "found fame and fortune in sharing personal details on the internet" and felt that her fans are more likely to copy her than the fictional Penny. [29] The novel was well received in The Guardian , with reviewer 'lilybelle' stating "I could relate so much to everything" and that "This book inspired me... I literally feel as though I've changed overnight". She also found that Sugg "made Penny a bit too similar to herself", making it "confusing at times", but described the novel overall as "special and inspiring." [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Green</span> American author and YouTuber (born 1977)

John Michael Green is an American author, YouTuber, podcaster, and philanthropist. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including The Fault in Our Stars (2012), which is one of the best-selling books of all time. Green's rapid rise to fame and idiosyncratic voice are credited with creating a major shift in the young adult fiction market. Green is also well known for his work in online video, most notably his YouTube ventures with his brother Hank Green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessie Burton</span> British author and actress

Jessica Kathryn Burton is an English author; As of 2022, she has published four novels, The Miniaturist, The Muse, The Confession, The House of Fortune and two books for children, The Restless Girls and Medusa. All four adult novels were Sunday Times best-sellers, with The Miniaturist, The Muse and The House of Fortune reaching no. 1, and both The Miniaturist and The Muse were New York Times best-sellers, and Radio 4's Books at Bedtime. Collectively her novels have been published in almost 40 languages. Her short stories have been published in Harpers Bazaar US and Stylist.

<i>Vampire Academy</i> Series of young adult paranormal romance novels by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy is a series of six young adult paranormal romance novels by American author Richelle Mead. It tells the story of Rosemarie "Rose" Hathaway, a dhampir girl, who is training to be a guardian of her moroi best friend, Vasilisa "Lissa" Dragomir. In the process of learning how to defeat strigoi in St. Vladimir's Academy, Rose finds herself caught in a forbidden romance with her instructor, Dimitri Belikov, while having an unbreakable psychic bond with Lissa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Kate</span> American writer (born 1981)

Lauren Kate is an American author of adult and young adult fiction. Thus far she has published fourteen novels and one novella. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages, have sold more than eleven million copies worldwide, and have spent combined months on the New York Times Best Seller list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debut novel</span> First full-length work of fiction by an author

A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future. First-time novelists without a previous published reputation, such as publication in nonfiction, magazines, or literary journals, typically struggle to find a publisher.

<i>The Fault in Our Stars</i> 2012 novel by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars is a novel by John Green. It is his fourth solo novel, and sixth novel overall. It was published on January 10, 2012. The title is inspired by Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, in which the nobleman Cassius says to Brutus: "Men at some time were masters of their fates, / The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings." The story is narrated by Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old girl with thyroid cancer that has affected her lungs. Hazel is forced by her parents to attend a support group where she subsequently meets and falls in love with 17-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player, amputee, and survivor of osteosarcoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanya Burr</span> English YouTuber and actress

Tanya Burr is an English YouTuber and actress who began posting makeup and fashion videos to her YouTube channel in 2009. In 2017, Burr began pursuing a career in acting and has since had guest roles in series such as Bulletproof and Holby City, as well as the 2021 film Twist.

<i>Wonder</i> (Palacio novel) R. J. Palacio novel

Wonder is a contemporary children's novel written by R. J. Palacio and published on 14 February 2012. Wonder is in part inspired by an incident where the author's son started to cry after noticing a girl with a severe facial deformity. Inspiration was also pulled from Natalie Merchant's song of the same name. Several spin-offs have been published, including 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts, We're All Wonders, Auggie and Me, and White Bird. A film adaptation was released in 2017, and a spin-off sequel film followed in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Sugg</span> English vlogger, businesswoman and author (born 1990)

Zoë Elizabeth Sugg, also known by her online name Zoella, is an English media personality, entrepreneur and author. She began her career as a YouTuber in 2009 and has since amassed over 10 million subscribers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Sugg</span> English YouTuber

Joseph Graham Sugg is an English YouTuber and actor. In 2012, he began posting videos on the YouTube channel ThatcherJoe, currently at over 7 million subscribers. In 2018, he was a finalist on the sixteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, and in 2019, he portrayed Ogie Anhorn in the West End production of Waitress. He is the younger brother of fellow YouTuber Zoe Sugg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfie Deyes</span> English vlogger and businessman (born 1993)

Alfred Sidney Deyes is an English YouTuber, vlogger and businessman. On 4 September 2014, he released his first book, The Pointless Book. Since 2014, he has released three books in the Pointless Book series and one autobiography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Pentland</span> English YouTuber, blogger and author (born 1985)

Louise Alexandra Pentland is an English beauty, motherhood and lifestyle vlogger, blogger, YouTube personality and author. She is also known by her online pseudonym SprinkleofGlitter or SprinkleofChatter, although she publicly disavowed these usernames in favour of using her own name in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilly Singh</span> Canadian YouTuber (born 1988)

Lilly Saini Singh is a Canadian YouTuber, television host, comedian and author. Singh began making YouTube videos in 2010. She originally appeared under the pseudonym Superwoman, her YouTube username until 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colleen Hoover</span> American author (born 1979)

Margaret Colleen Hoover is an American author who writes primarily novels in the romance and young adult fiction genres. She is best known for her 2016 romance novel, It Ends with Us. Many of her works were self-published, before they were picked up by a publishing house. As of October 2022, Hoover has sold approximately 20 million books. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Butler</span> English YouTuber and model (born 1991)

Marcus Lloyd Butler is an English model and former YouTuber, whose channels have reached over 4.1 million subscribers. In 2015, he released an autobiographical book, titled Hello Life!. Butler co-hosted a radio show with fellow YouTuber Alfie Deyes on BBC Radio 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Chapman (YouTuber)</span> English YouTuber, model and writer

Jim Chapman is an English YouTuber. Chapman began posting videos on his YouTube channel in 2010, and released his first book, titled 147 Things, on 5 October 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celeste Ng</span> American novelist

Celeste Ng is an American writer and novelist. She has released many short stories that have been published in a variety of literary journals. Ng's first novel, Everything I Never Told You, released on June 26, 2014, won the Amazon Book of the Year award as well as praise from critics. Ng's short story Girls at Play won a Pushcart Prize in 2012, and was a 2015 recipient of an Alex Award. Her second novel, Little Fires Everywhere, was published in 2017. The TV-miniseries based on the book premiered in 2020. Ng received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2020. Her most recent novel, Our Missing Hearts, was released on October 4, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social in the City</span> UK social media marketing event

Social in the City, formerly Summer in the City, is an annual three-day multi-genre online video event held in London, dedicated to content creators and community from a range of social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, TikTok and Instagram.

<i>Girl Online: On Tour</i> 2015 book by Zoe Sugg

Girl Online: On Tour is the second novel by English author and YouTuber Zoe Sugg, released on 20 October 2015 through Penguin Books. The book is the second in the Girl Online series and is set six months after the original novel, Girl Online. The romance and drama novel is aimed at a young adult audience and focuses on a teenage girl, Penny, and the events as she joins her musician boyfriend on tour.

<i>Turtles All the Way Down</i> (novel) 2017 young adult drama novel by John Green

Turtles All the Way Down is a young adult drama novel written by American author John Green published on October 10, 2017, by Dutton Books. It is Green's fifth solo novel and his seventh overall. The novel debuted at number 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list in the category of "Young Adult Hardcover Books" and stayed at the top for 15 weeks and remained on the list for 62 weeks.

References

  1. ↑ Adejobi, Alicia (17 June 2014). "YouTube Sensation Zoe 'Zoella' Sugg To Become Novelist After Signing Two-Book Deal". EntertainmentWise . Archived from the original on 24 July 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  2. 1 2 Wyatt, Daisy (25 November 2014). "Zoella: YouTube sensation Zoe Sugg's debut novel set to become overnight bestseller". The Independent . Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Zoella's Girl Online Launch". Vogue . 25 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  4. ↑ Rodrigues, Brittany Goldfield (1 October 2014). "10 Books By Celebrities That Are Worth Reading". AndPOP . Archived from the original on 2 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  5. 1 2 Gibson, Megan (8 December 2014). "Fashion Blogger Zoella Admits She Did Not Write Girl Online On Her Own". Time . Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Flood, Alison; Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (8 December 2014). "YouTube star takes online break as she admits novel was 'not written alone'". The Guardian . Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  7. ↑ Butterly, Amelia (8 December 2014). "Zoella admits Girl Online, her debut novel, was written with 'help'". Newsbeat . Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  8. ↑ Runcie, Charlotte (7 December 2014). "Zoella's publishers confirm that Girl Online was ghostwritten". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  9. ↑ Scholes, Lucy (11 December 2014). "Meet Zoella—The Newbie Author Whose Book Sales Topped J.K. Rowling". The Daily Beast . Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  10. ↑ Eyre, Charlotte (8 December 2014). "Penguin: "Zoella had help with Girl Online"". The Bookseller . Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  11. ↑ Powell, Emma (25 November 2014). "Zoella joined by Tanya Burr and Jamie Oliver at launch of debut novel Girl Online - which is set to become a UK bestseller". London Evening Standard . Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  12. 1 2 Pells, Rachael (26 November 2014). "Zoella book launch: Teens, tears and tissues as YouTube star hits Waterstones". The Independent . Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  13. ↑ James, Richard (31 October 2014). "YouTube Star Zoella's Book Is Already A Bestseller And It Isn't Out For Another Month". BuzzFeed . Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  14. ↑ "Youtuber News: Zoella Will Turn Into A Bestselling Author After New YA Book Releases; Tops Pre-order Sales". Franchise Herald (Press release). 1 January 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  15. ↑ "Best Sellers - Young Adult: December 14, 2014". The New York Times . 8 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  16. ↑ "Best Sellers - Young Adult: December 21, 2014". The New York Times . 15 December 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  17. 1 2 Cicurel, Deborah (27 November 2014). "Hundreds of teens cry at Zoella "Girl Online" book signing". Glamour . Archived from the original on 30 November 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  18. ↑ McGuire, Tony (24 November 2014). "Beauty vlogger and Youtube hit Zoella launches debut book, Girl Online, at glitzy London bash". Daily Record . Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  19. ↑ Gibson, Megan (3 December 2014). "Meet The 24-Year-Old Blogger Who Just Smashed Sales Records With Her Debut Novel". Time . Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  20. ↑ Singh, Anita (2 December 2014). "Zoella breaks record for first-week book sales". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  21. ↑ Drabble, Emily (3 December 2014). "Zoe Sugg's Girl Online is fastest selling book of the year". The Guardian . Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  22. ↑ Drabble, Emily (27 April 2015). "Zoella goes it alone with Girl Online 2". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  23. 1 2 Flood, Alison (17 June 2014). "Zoe Sugg's YouTube success wins her two-book deal for novels". The Guardian . Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  24. 1 2 Eyre, Charlotte (20 July 2010). "Penguin Children's signs vlogger Zoella". The Bookseller . Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  25. ↑ "A second Zoella novel is coming in November". The Guardian . London. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  26. ↑ Bayley, Leanne (31 July 2015). "Zoella Second Book: Girl Online: On Tour Release Date & Cover photo". Glamour . Archived from the original on 25 July 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  27. ↑ Turner, Laura Jane (5 August 2015). "Girl Online: On Tour - Zoella Reveals Her New Book Cover". Look . Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  28. ↑ Singh, Anita (26 November 2014). "Zoella, Girl Online, review: 'sugary as a frosted cupcake'". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  29. ↑ Wyatt, Daisy (19 December 2014). "Book review: Zoe Suggs' Girl Online novel is hard to fault". The Independent . Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  30. ↑ lilybelle (10 January 2015). "Girl Online by Zoe Sugg - review". The Guardian . Retrieved 12 January 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.