Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

24 reviews

kelsharr's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Child death

Moderate: Sexual assault and Death

Minor: Suicide, Terminal illness, and Miscarriage

lsm's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.0

This book is well written but I just wasn’t a fan. It’s tough subject which I can usually handle, but the author went out of her way to drop revolting, unnecessary details throughout the story. The MC said “That’s disgusting” at least a dozen times m, probably more, and she wasn’t wrong. Every possible bodily fluid was mentioned. Even that might be ignored but a cat licking blood off the floor? Why? Mouse urine? Ok, maybe I’ve read that detail somewhere but mouse afterbirth? Stfu. The gross details became a near constant distraction that I came to resent. I know they were all a choice and I’m sure they represented the decay of youth, innocence, and moral compass but in the end they were all too much. For that reason I can’t recommend this one. I doubt I’ll ever read this author again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Infidelity, Infertility, Violence, Terminal illness, Murder, Grief, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage

rubberrosebooks's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Alcohol

Moderate: Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Suicide, Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Cancer

openbookheartmind's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicide

bellarosereads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Incest, and Infidelity

Moderate: Miscarriage, Infertility, and Suicide

Minor: Terminal illness and Cancer

isabezza's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Child death

Moderate: Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Suicide, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity

ashaturnerr's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

loved the way the book is written with flashbacks - very heavy subject matter but a good read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Incest

amberelizabeth7's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

On one hand, I devoured this in mostly one sitting, finding the pace and writing style really engaging.
On the other hand, one timeline is utterly horrific, and the other is 24 hours with some decisions made by adults. The pace was great between the two timelines and it was well crafted and told, but I felt the more interesting long term timeline didn’t come to conclusion in the present day timeline and I felt like the good writing and character development had slightly tricked me into not realising the plot of the present day story that feels like the main one didn’t really go anywhere. 

It seems intended that finding out that Conrad didn’t just rape Elle excuses Elle and Jonas of their complicity in Conrad’s death, and relieves them of their guilt to be together. I don’t particularly buy that, and therefore it feels like I was told all of this history for it not really to be relevant to Elle and Jonas just finally having the courage to admit to themselves and one another how they really feel. That happening also doesn’t feel like a reasonable conclusion to the long timeline of Elle, especially with it left open.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Child death, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Rape, and Misogyny

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Infertility

This book includes significant description and discussion of child abuse, sexual assault inc. rape, and child death. It at times references suicide, sometimes insensitively.

haleymaple's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

Well written. The author does a good job making you see and feel what she’s writing about. This can be very uncomfortable becuase of some of the content (lots of trigger warnings here). But, I know I felt the way I felt in large part because of how it was written. It’s not an easy book at all, as we take a journey about choices, hurt, pain, love, divorce, and how a place can become part of you. The time line used to tell the story was a little too all over the place - it made it hard to follow. But maybe that was the idea? I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, and Child death

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: Suicide and Eating disorder

seconnally's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Suicide, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Rape, Cancer, and Sexual violence