Girl Online Going Solo - Zoe Sugg

Girl Online Going Solo is book number three in the Girl Online series by YouTuber, Zoe Sugg aka Zoella. This book starts the new year with Penny being alone. Noah has gone and no one, not even Penny or his family knows where. So when Penny gets an invitation from old school friend, Megan, to go visit her at her new school she jumps at the opportunity. Seems like a good opportunity for her to make new friends but can Penny really ever move on from Noah?

I’ve never been the biggest fan of this series of books yet I still keep on reading the sequels. I think that I just like the idea of them more than the actual book. I picked this book up to take as holiday reading and to be honest it was pretty good for that. It’s a light hearted quick read which is exactly what I want from a book I take on holiday with me. However, once again I sadly just didn’t enjoy it.

I just can’t gel with the characters. Penny however, does make some character progression in this book which actually is great. It’s wonderful to see her finally standing on her own two feet and getting on with things without depending on Noah. She has truly developed as a character and I loved the fact she’s started getting on with her life. I also really liked how much she helped out other characters in the novel too. Yet despite this I still just can’t get enough of an attachment to her to care about her story. Noah, however is a horrible character. I liked him in book one, despised him in book two and in this book he just seemed neither here nor there. I get that he had to stay out of Penny’s way in order for her to develop but he just didn’t feature enough in this book.

I’ve said in previous reviews of this series that I think it’s great that a person with such influence over a young audience writes about anxiety etc and this book is no exception. A character in this novel has severe stage fright and of course Penny suffers from anxiety. The inclusion of this is such a brilliant thing as I feel many people suffer with mental issues and if it helps even one person feel a little better about what they’re going through then I can’t really knock these books. 

I should just realise now that these books just aren’t for me.  If you loved the previous Girl Online novels however you’ll still love Girl Online Going Solo. It provides the same elements as in previous books that lovers of the others will absolutely enjoy.

Synopsis –

As Penny starts the school year she's ready to face the world - alone. Noah has gone off the radar after ending his world tour early and no one, including Penny, knows where he is. So when she accepts Megan's invitation to visit her performing arts school it seems like an opportunity to make some new friends.

Helping everyone else seems to be the right remedy - Elliot needs her friendship more than ever, and she meets Posey, who she can really help with her stage fright. But is charming Scottish boy Callum the right kind of distraction? And can Penny truly move on when Noah's shadow seems to haunt her round every corner?

Book three in the number-one bestselling Girl Online series.