History Literature / ElizaAndHerMonsters

** Keep your privacy on the internet.

!! Tropes found in this work include:

* AliceAllusion: At one point, Eliza describes the computer as her “rabbit hole” and the internet as her “Wonderland”.
* AmbiguousDisorder:
** Eliza shows some severe social anxiety, preferring to do most of her socializing online. When she's outed as [=LadyConstellation=], she ends up knocking herself out while in the middle of a panic attack.
** Wallace rarely speaks in public and only will under certain conditions. He makes it a point to say that he wasn't always like this. It's pretty obvious that this is the result of his dad's suicide.
** Speaking of which, it's made pretty clear that Wallace's dad was deeply unhappy in a thankless job that didn't make ends meet and demanded a lot out of him.

* CallingTheOldManOut: Eliza's brothers, Church and Sully, do this to her parents for outing Eliza as [=LadyConstellation=]. Both are fully aware of the repercussions and that their parents don’t really understand what they just did.

* YaoiFangirl: One of the most popular members of the ''Monstrous Sea'' fanbase is Chandra, who draws fanart shipping various characters. One of the drawings Eliza sees pairs two male characters. Cole (another well-known fan) is displeased about Chandra putting his favorite character in "gay situations", to which Chandra goes on a rant describing all their ShipTease. Though Chandra draws heterosexual pairings too (no word on femslash).

Early in her senior year of high school, by happenstance, Eliza meets Wallace Warland, a fan of ''Monstrous Sea'', in fact, one of the fandom's most well-known fanfiction writers. Speaking through written notes or text the two strike up a friendship, all while Wallace remains unaware that he's speaking with [=LadyConstellation=] herself.

However as Eliza begins to step outside her comfort zone -- meeting Wallace’s friends and even dating him -- she struggles to balance her own life and ''Monstrous Sea'', leaving her unprepared when her secret is revealed.

* AdultsAreUseless: Eliza is of this mindset, and her parents have their moments. The most obvious is how little they actually looked into ''Monstrous Sea'' and how much of a big deal it, and Eliza's anonymity was. Even after her identity is made public, they're still under the impression that the comic is "just a hobby" and not something Eliza could make a living off of or that she's no longer safe now that [=LadyConstellation=] has a face. They get better with the help of Eliza's brothers.

** If you're struggling with your big creative endeavor, it's okay to step away for a bit. Try revisiting something you love or loved once and it may feed the motivational fire.

* AliceAllusion: At one point Eliza describes the computer as her "rabbit hole" and the internet as her "Wonderland".

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Eliza sees her younger twin brothers as such since they are loud and messy and constantly tease her. However, they actually respect that she doesn't want it to be known that she's the author of a popular webcomic and are also the ones who explain to their parents exactly what position they have put Eliza in by making her identity public. And although they don't make a big deal about it, they do mention that it's kind of cool that Eliza made ''Monstrous Sea'' in the first place.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Eliza's two younger brothers, Church and Sully. They know more about her online life than their parents, due to actually reading ''Monstrous Sea''. So after they accidentally reveal her secret, they give their parents a nice WhatTheHellHero.

* DrivenToSuicide: A rather dark pun as the method involves driving off a steep curve into a ravine.
** Wallace's father as a result of his minimum wage, soul-crushing, thankless job. He was in his right mind enough to make Wallace get out of the car though.
** Eliza considers going in a similar fashion at the end of the book. She's able to talk herself out of it.

* MemeticMutation: InUniverse; "You found me in a constellation" and "There are monsters in the sea" are the most popular quotes from ''Monstrous Sea''. The former has been known to be used as a marriage vow and the latter tends to be the subject of tattoos.

* NoEnding: An in-universe example with the ''Children of Hypnos'' book series. The author never finished the fifth and final book, causing the fandom to cannibalize themselves. However, is this that lead Eliza to create ''Monstrous Sea'' to fill the void.

** In-universe, Wallace has a knack for picking up on the metaphor, being a writer himself. He's certain that the monsters in ''Monstrous Sea'' are a metaphor (though he doesn't say what), and that the setup in ''Children of Hypnos'' is a metaphor for depression.

* ShowWithinAShow: Besides Eliza's creation, ''Monstrous Sea'', there’s also ''Children of Hypnos'', Eliza's favorite book series. Plus ''Dog Days'', a cheesy soap opera that Eliza follows and seems to ironically enjoy.

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Hard boiled eggs for Eliza. So much so that her father and twin brothers have nicknamed her Eggs. The brothers often twist it into something like Rotten Eggs or Eggs Benedict to tease her.
* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: In-universe, all signs point to Eliza being a "pantser" when it comes to writing her webcomic. She seems to have some idea of where the story will end up, but a lot of it just comes to her as she goes. She even admits that she didn't know what one of the comic's most popular meme's "(He) found me in a constellation," was supposed to mean when she wrote it.

Eliza Mirk is the last person you’d expect with a secret identity. By day she’s the awkward loner, left alone by her classmates. At night she's [=LadyConstellation=], the anonymous author of the phenomenal webcomic, ''Monstrous Sea'', the mother of a fandom.

* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Eliza's two younger brothers, Church and Sully. They know more about her online-life than their parents, due to actually reading ''Monstrous Sea''. So after they accidentally reveal her secret, they give their parents a nice WhatTheHellHero.

** This comes up when Wallace reveals himself to be rainmaker, one of the ''Monstrous Sea'' fandoms most popular fanfic writers.
** Eliza averts doing this for most of the book. So when Wallace inevitably dose learn that she's [=LadyConstellation=], he's understandably upset with her.

** Speaking of which, it's made pretty clear that Wallace's dad was deeply unhappy in a thankless job that didn't make ends meat and demanded a lot out of him.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Eliza sees her younger twin brothers as such, since they are loud and messy and constantly tease her. However they actually respect that she doesn't want it to be known that she's the author of a popular webcomic and are also the ones who explain to their parents exactly what position they have put Eliza in by making her identity public. And although they don't make a big deal about it, they do mention that it's kind of cool that Eliza made ''Monstrous Sea'' in the first place.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Eliza's two younger brothers, Church and Sully. They know more about her online-life than their parents, due to actually reading ''Monstrous Sea''. So after they accidentally reveal her secret they give their parents a nice WhatTheHellHero.
* BigEater: Wallace. Justified, he was a varsity football player.

* FandomLifeCycle: An in-universe example happened with the ''Children of Hypnos'' fandom. Because the last book was never finished the fandom ended at stage 6B. ''Monstrous Sea'' appears to be at Stage 4, having a dedicated and active fandom with its own forums, and Eliza mentions how a couple even quoted the work when exchanging their marriage vows.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: After Eliza introduces Wallace to ''Children of Hypnos'' he compares it to a [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall mental health book]] and how most end with the main character deciding not to commit suicide. [[spoiler:In the climax Eliza does seriously contemplate suicide, but she manages to talk herself out of it.]]

* OceanPunk: ''Monstrous Sea'' is this kind of fiction, as it takes place in a largely aquatic planet dotted with some islands.

** In-universe Wallace has a knack for picking up on the metaphor, being a writer himself. He's certain that the monsters in ''Monstrous Sea'' are a metaphor (though he doesn't say what), and that the setup in ''Children of Hypnos'' is a metaphor for depression.
** Textually monsters are used to describe Eliza's personal problems, her depression, her anxiety, eventually even ''Monstrous Sea.''

* ShrinkingViolet: Eliza struggles to be social and struggles with anything outside of her comfort zone. As the book continues and her relationship with Wallace deepens she does eventually consider his friends her friends.

* ThereAreNoTherapists: There are, and Eliza even believes Wallace could benefit from seeing one. However, when given the offer Eliza, herself, is a little hesitant. She ultimately goes through with it though.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Hard boiled eggs for Eliza. So much so that her father and twin brothers have nicknamed her Eggs. (The brothers often twist it into something like Rotten Eggs or Eggs Benedict to tease her.)
* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: In-universe all signs point to Eliza being a "pantser" when it comes to writing her webcomic. She seems to have some idea of where the story will end up, but a lot of it just comes to her as she goes. She even admits that she didn't know what one of the comic's most popular meme's "(He) found me in a constellation," was supposed to mean when she wrote it.

* AnAesop: You made your creations, not the other way around.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Eliza sees her younger twin brothers as such, since they are loud and messy and constantly tease her. However they actually respect that she doesn't want it to be known that she's the author of a popular webcomic and are also the ones who explain to their parents exactly what position they have put Eliza in by making her identity public.

* NoEnding: An in-universe example with the ''Children of Hypnos'' book series. The author never finished the fifth and final book, causing the fandom to cannibalize themselves. However, is this that lead Eliza to creat ''Monstrous Sea'' to fill the void.

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Hard boiled eggs for Eliza.

* ReclusiveArtist: Olivia Kane, author of ''Children of Hypnos''. Despite what rumors say.
* ShowWithinAShow: Besides Eliza's creation, ''Monstrous Sea'', there’s also ''Children of Hypnos'', Eliza's favorite book series.

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Hard boiled eggs for Eliza.

* CallingTheOldManOut: Eliza's brothers, Church and Sully, do this to her parents for outing Eliza as [=LadyConstellation=]. Both are fully aware of the reproductions this did and are also fully aware their parents don’t really understand just what they did.
* FandomLifeCycle: An in-universe example happened with the ''Children of Hypnos'' fandom. Because the last book was never finished the fandom ended at stage 6B.

** Eliza shows some sever social anxiety, preferring to do most of her socializing online. When she's outed as [=LadyConstellation=], she ends up knocking herself out while in the middle of a panic attack.

* BigEater: Wallace.
* DrivenToSuicide:
** Wallace's father as a result of his soul-crushing, thankless job.
** Many believe this is what happened to author Olivia Kane. She's alive and well.
** Almost happens to Eliza at the end of the book. She's able to talk herself out of it.

* {{Novelization }}: In-universe, Wallace starts working on one for ''Monstrous Sea''. He's even offered a book deal late in the story.

Early in her senior year of high school, by happenstance, Eliza meets Wallace Wayland, a fan of ''Monstrous Sea'', in fact, one of the fandom's most well-known fanfiction writers. Speaking through written notes or text the two strike up a friendship, all while Wallace remains unaware that he's speaking with [=LadyConstellation=] herself.

"There are monsters in the sea"