It's time for the tea!
For the month of August, Becca and I chose Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia as our Online Tea Party pick.
If you are new to Online Tea Party, it is a monthly book club held by Becca and I! Each month we announce a new book and come up with a few questions to discuss it, usually while drinking tea. We have tons of fun and usually end up spending all month fangirling and screaming "FEELS" to each other (okay, mostly me...) We then post our discussion on our respective blogs.
Becca and I had both been looking forward to this book because we heard so many good things about it! I am also an aspiring comic artist and so reading a book that dealt with a protagonist who runs her own webcomic sounded AWESOME!
Well.....the book was way different than I thought. Let's discuss it.
***Spoilers Ahead***
1. Did you like Eliza as the protagonist? Why or Why Not?
Um.....I hate to say this but.....no. I thought Eliza was kind of rude, ungrateful, and really ostracized herself. A lot of her problems were her own doing, in my opinion. One example was how she always thought her brothers hated her, even though they had kept her secret for years, without her even asking. It seemed like any time she got some sass from them, she automatically went to "they hate me so much". Wallace touched on it by telling her that's how siblings are, and she doesn't seem to believe it. She also was kind of a really crappy friend. While her friends were going through their own rough times, she was bemoaning about a guy who really liked her!
2. What part did you like the least?
I really got disliked the camping trip scene. I thought it was kind of sad that the family is bonding and she refuses to join them. I understand she was hurt, and her parents weren't completely clear of blame, but it seemed like she pushed them away a lot during this scene. Plus, she didn't even join in on the food!!!
Also, I had a huge issue with suicide scene, where Eliza nearly attempts suicide at the turn. It seemed all of a sudden and way out of pace for the rest of the book.
3. Have you ever felt completely consumed by a fandom and its community?
Yes! I'm a huge fangirl of so many things. It hink most prominently, Harry Potter. I attended all the midnight releases, owned every bit of memorabilia I could get my hands on, and it was my home during a difficult time in my life. It still is a place I go to when I need comfort. Plus, it was my first venture into fanfic (bad, self insert stuff, ughhh....). I think I tend to always jump full force into my fandoms and it makes me feel connected to this fantastic universe, especially on when days feel lonely.
4. Did you go into the book thinking it would take a dark turn in the second half?
I don't think so. Honestly, I had no idea what I expected to find in this book. I expected the book to focus more on her inner demons, or "monsters", but I don't think I saw the book panning out the way it did.
5. Was it worth the hype?
Sorry, Eliza...not really. I found the pacing kind of off, the characters kind of insufferable, and really wasn't feeling it.
Overall, I was not a huge fan of this book. I received the copy in an Owlcrate, but it's not something I would have bought for myself. I give it a 2.5/5 star rating
If you would like to join in on the fun, comment below or visit us on Twitter! You can also check out Becca's blog here!
Our new books are announced on my Instagram (@raineedayze) so be sure to check it at the beginning of the month!
Always, Raineedayze
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