Eliza and Her Monsters

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LadyConstellation is the anonymous creator of the extremely popular fictional webcomic Monstrous Sea, which has millions of fans. Behind LadyConsellation’s online persona is Eliza Mirk, a shy and lonely 18-year-old high school student. What happens when Eliza’s real life collides with her online persona? Find out in this unique young adult novel written and illustrated by Francesca Zappia, author of Made You Up. Recommended By Kim T., Powells.com

Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of Monstrous Sea, a wildly popular webcomic, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she's worked for begins to crumble.

Scott Westerfeld's Afterworlds meets Nimona in this novel about art, fandom, and finding the courage to be yourself. Features illustrations by the author throughout. Perfect for readers of Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, this is the second novel by the acclaimed author of Made You Up.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, smart, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza's persona is popular. Eliza can't imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza's secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she's built--her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity--begins to fall apart. With pages from Eliza's webcomic, as well as screenshots from Eliza's online forums, this uniquely formatted book will appeal to fans of Noelle Stevenson's Nimona and Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl.

"Creator of an astonishingly successful webcomic...Eliza finds her voice...A wrenching depiction of depression and anxiety, respectful to fandom, online-only friendship, and the benefits and dangers of internet fame." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"In her sophomore novel, Zappia gracefully examines Eliza’s complicated struggle with anxiety, depression...peppered with detailed illustrations from Eliza’s webcomic, drawn by Zappia herself. A fervent celebration of online fandom." Booklist (Starred Review)

"Told in a series of letters, instant messages, comics, and prose, this book focuses on relationships and identity....will resonate with teens who write, create art, and love fandom....A must-have for all YA collections, especially where geek culture is celebrated." School Library Journal (Starred Review)

"A love letter to fandom, friendship, and the stories that shape us, Eliza and her Monsters is absolutely magical." Marieke Nijkamp, New York Times bestselling author of This Is Where It Ends

Francesca Zappia lives in central Indiana. When she is not writing, she’s drawing her characters, reading, or playing video games. She is also the author of Made You Up and Eliza Mirk’s favorite, The Children of Hypnos, a biweekly serial novel posted on Tumblr and Wattpad.