Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Renowned British fashion-and-beauty blogger Sugg (also known as Zoella) brings her expertise about navigating Internet culture to the world of fiction in her debut novel. Penny, 16, decides to start an anonymous blog where she can share her innermost fears and feelings with the world. Under her alias, Girl Online, she writes about everything from friendship to crushes to her anxiety attacks. When an embarrassing video of Penny goes viral, she is all too happy to escape to New York, where her parents have been hired to plan a wedding over the Christmas holiday. The caterer's cute, creative grandson, Noah, is an additional distraction, one that Penny isn't sure she'll be able to leave behind, and the feeling is mutual. Just when it seems everything is finally going her way, Penny discovers a secret about Noah that threatens her life both in the real world and online. Sugg's obvious understanding of the complexities and pitfalls of the online world, coupled with her sensitivity to adolescence, make for a compelling and satisfying coming-of-age tale in the digital age.--Peckham, Amber Copyright 2014 Booklist

Library Journal
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After falling victim to an embarrassing viral video, 15-year-old Penny Porter is whisked away by her parents on a trip to New York in hopes that the whole mess will blow over. Within days she's hopelessly in love with cute musician Noah, but all may be ruined when she finds out he's hiding something. If the plot sounds utterly dull, it's because it is. Sugg (Zoella of YouTube fame-the reason she was offered a book deal, to be sure) relies on clichés and tired quirks in her lackluster debut. It would surprise no one to learn that Penny's greatest flaws are the freckles that perfectly dust her nose and her endearing clumsiness, or that Noah's hair is so artfully disheveled. Filled with endless lopsided grins, fluttering hearts, a desperate abundance of pop culture references, and penchants for vinyl and black-and-white photography, this offering is laughable at the best of times and just plain boring at the worst. Conflicts are brought up and resolved within pages, never giving the reader a chance to care about these half-realized characters. Verdict Sugg's status as an Internet celebrity will certainly draw fans, but they will be sorely disappointed with her unremarkable attempt. New adult readers would be better served delving into the works of authors such as Rainbow Rowell or David Levithan. [See "Famously Firsts: Fall/Winter 2014/15 First Novels," LJ 10/1/14.]-Kate DiGirolomo, Library Journal (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.