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12/22/2024 04:03:12 pm

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Fashion Blogger Zoella's Big Reveal: She Had 'Help' Writing Best-Selling Novel

Fashion blogger Zoella, otherwise known as Zoe Suggs, was outed this week for not being the sole author of her recently published novel that has shot up to the top 10 of the New York Times Young Adult Best-Sellers List.

While the 24-year-old Brit rose to prominence on YouTube for viral breakout videos about fashion, make-up and boys, boys, and more boys, her writing skill came under immediate fire following publication of "Girl Online" last month.

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"The book screams ghostwriter or great editing ream," one Amazon review cited by the Britain's Sunday Times screamed this weekend. And sure enough, Suggs on Monday admitted she had considerable help rom a ghostwriting team.

How popular is Sugg in the U.K.? Her fashion-style video blog has racked up nine million viewers, more than watch BBC's leading drama, "Eastenders." Opening week sales of "Girl Online" reached almost 80,000 copies in the U.K..

Surprise! As some reviewers note the striking resemblance in style to that of British author, Siobhan Curham, the big reveal finally came out this week. Curham, indeed, was among a team of writers who had "helped" write the book.

Penguin UK who had signed Sugg to a two-novel deal was compelled to issue a statement as a result of the controversy and guess what, "For her first novel, 'Girl Online,' Zoe has worked with an expert editorial team to help her bring to life her characters and experiences in a heartwarming and compelling story," it said.

As could be anticipated, social media was not amused. As one member of Twitter-verse noted: If you're not smart enough to write a book, admit it. don;t take credit for someone else's work #zoella."

For her part, Sugg posted a statement on Twitter that was re-tweeted more than 15,000 times. It said, in part, "for the doubters out these, of course I was going to have help from Penguin's editorial team in telling my story."

Curham has written six novels. She didn't respond to media requests for comments on the situation. However, the Sunday Times said she issued a blog post in August commenting on what it took "to write an 80,000-word novel in six weeks."

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