Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - The Paper Palace

I was recommended this book as "one to read in the sun" by a close friend who shares my interest in emotional, reflective reads. Miranda Cowley Heller writes a powerful monologue on motherhood and living with multiple forms of trauma. This novel is a difficult read, but one which inspires the importance of the people around us, and encourages us to question who we love and what we would do for them.

Knowledge can be power, but it can also be poison.

There is no such thing as unforgivable between people who love each other. But even as I'm thinking it, I know it's not really true.

Although the ending of this book was a little underwhelming, this captures the nature of this book, demonstrating that whatever we do (or do not do), life continues. Set in a cycle of summers and the Paper Palace, we follow our protagonist as she describes her family, their flaws and losses; as she reflects on her traumatic past.

I wonder if he would love me if he could see inside my head - the pettiness, the dirty linen of my thoughts, the terrible things I have done.

I did not find this book as gripping, powerful, or 'lifechanging' as I had hoped, but would recommend to someone who enjoys a similar writing style.

The passage of time bought only a messy tangle of branches, marking my failure to heal.

Content Warnings

kaitsbooked's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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beatriks's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is great, a family story, mysterious, dark, light, beautifully written, great twists, good jumps in timelines, overall great storytelling.

A great story about the sh*t women have to deal with in this world built by weak and violent men.

Content Warnings

daniela_is_reading's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad

Loveable characters? No

3.25

Please read trigger warning before picking this book up.

There's a theme of sexual abuse throughout the book, and it's quite confronting. What fell short for me is my inability to actually like any of the characters, which is upsetting. Nevertheless, i still didn't mind the read, I just felt frustrated. And....., maybe that's the point. It's complex.

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crownlullaby's review against another edition

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To much on page child sa for me to get through it

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jayjm94's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It’s a beautifully written, emotional novel about love, marriage, family, violence and a very old beach home. I read it in about 24 hours, I couldn’t put it down from the first line. With that said the plot is winding, tense, and brutal at times. I never felt like the upsetting scenes were overwrought though. The main character is flawed and makes a series of choices throughout the novel that ultimately come to make perfect sense. The ending is ambiguous, but I enjoyed it and felt it was earned. To read this book in a beach house or even on a lake would be divine.

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sarahgordon327's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was enjoyable to read and definitely kept me turning the pages. When you take a step back, the story feels like a too-similar reimagination of Where the Crawdads Sing: love triangle, secret murder, backwoods setting, and all. If you like for everything to be resolved at the end of a story, you’ll be disappointed with this one.

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jajajanea's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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