Reviews

The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar

sullenschemer's review against another edition

Stockholm Syndrome entered the chat

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Misogyny

Minor: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts

faeriequeenofthewest's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

labwa_0712's review against another edition

3.0

Leylah Attar has an exceptional writing style. Its beautiful and poignant. I love her [b:53 Letters for My Lover|22449572|53 Letters for My Lover (53 Letters for My Lover, #1)|Leylah Attar|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402617767l/22449572._SY75_.jpg|41132961]. This one is also written beautifully but I did not enjoy it as much. This book is morally grey men to a high level.

Esteban plotted against Skye's father to avenge his mother. I get that he hates him but why was he so cruel to Skye? She was just a child when they left. He could hold onto his anger but he was horrible to her and cut off her pinky finger! The moment he realized she had remembered him always, they kiss and make up, living on an island, hidden from reality and living their dream lives.

First of all, I dont understand how, after all these years, anyone could hold onto a love that formed at eight years old. That is too young. I find it hard to believe a feeling can sustain for so long when the person is not even with them. Secondly, how could Skye just forgive him like that? Despite the fact that she loved him, he did horrible things to her and a delusion and fantasy of love does not erase than even if he loves her now and treats her like a queen.

hbrooks's review against another edition

3.0

KU. 3.25 stars. I almost DNF’d this around 60%. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, but it definitely wasn’t keeping my attention. The ending made up for it and was so sweet. The ending made everything come full circle, so I gave the rating a little bump.

readfrenzy's review against another edition

3.0

It was a good day for Louboutins. I hadn’t planned on wearing statement heels on the runway to death but if this was it, if I was going to be killed by some random psycho with a thirst for blood, what better way to go down than with red-soled “fuck yous” to my murderer?

The very first sentence of The Paper Swan captured my attention and I felt a rush of excitement anticipating a great story. Dark reads aren’t typically my thing. I’m more of a heart-tugging, angsty-goodness romance reader with some humorous, light and fluffy thrown in to cleanse my palate. I went out of my comfort zone with this book and, surprisingly, I was able to handle the violence. In the end it was the execution of the plot that was the biggest pitfall.

The beginning of the book is really quite gripping but it soon falls victim to pacing difficulties. The plot drags on in some places and is extremely rushed in others. My believability flag was raised on far too many occasions as a result of rushed pacing. Unfortunately, I can’t go into detail without spoiling the story.

I had difficulty with the style of narration the author chose. Skye and Damian are both wonderfully complex characters. Parts of the story are told from Skye’s point of view in the first person. Damian’s chapters are told in the third person and while they give Damian’s perspective, the author sometimes lapses into telling Skye’s point of view as well. It’s all rather confusing. Personally, I’m not a fan of third person storytelling. I feel like it detaches me from the character’s emotions. That said, I think if you’re going to write a story in the third person you should commit to writing the entire story in that style.

The themes of revenge and redemption are compelling but sometimes come across as preachy. I’m sure many people will find this to be a powerful book. It just fell short of my expectations.

ipariszara's review against another edition

1.0

maybe it's just me but i still can't get over the fact he CHOPPED A FUCKING PIECE OF HER PINKY and i can't give it more than 1.5 stars knowing the fact that she still loved him x_x

smolbean_reads's review against another edition

5.0

So this is....a romance novel...

annica_reads_books's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

 I read this book in one sitting!

Was it worth it to stay up past 2 am to finish this book? Absolutely, 100% YES. What an epic love/life story. I loved these characters so much, especially Damian 🥹. I also loved the Mexican culture and the authentic way that it was integrated into the heart and soul of this story. 

dmitterhofer's review against another edition

3.0

In one word this book was entertaining, which is very obvious since I read it in two days. This story was not what I expected it to be AT ALL; there were a lot of layers which I liked, but I could've done without the overly described sex scenes. On certain chapters I felt like I was reading a "Telenovela" which made the book feel a little bit trashy but would I recommend this book? Yes, if you are looking for a fast read with lots of twists, and a guy named Eduardo, read it.

oliviamcgirr's review against another edition

3.0

Had so much potential

I loved the characters and I thought the plot had so much potential but in the end the back and forth was extremely annoying to me.