Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Паперовий палац by Miranda Cowley Heller

51 reviews

rwlongino's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

2.0

This would have been so much better without the explicit child sex abuse scenes. It felt like trauma porn and took away from the narrative. Would have been four stars if those scenes would have been more subtle/nuanced.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Alcohol

margardenlady's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

Eleanor shares a day with us.  A day of discoveries, both internal and external.  Through this day, we are also invited into flashbacks to her childhood with a neglectful, critical mother, a horrible step brother and a childhood friend/love she has never forgotten. We learn about family dynamics, loyalty, love, friendship, all in a spectrum of honest, raw feelings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Cancer

rnbookworm17's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

0.25

Needs a trigger warning. I was not prepared for the descriptive CSA/rape storylines. I lost all respect for the author and book despite pushing through to finish the book. Do. Not. Recommend 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape

amcgrail's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Cancer and Murder

kyraelisabeth's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

sunshine_2's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

I had not read a book for myself for a while before randomly picking this up at the library. It was an alright jump back into reading novels; it’s an interesting story that also has highly descriptive imagery for the beautiful setting. However, it didn’t entirely grip me as I didn’t find myself rooting for the prominent love story. A large amount of characters were introduced throughout the story, and it was confusing at times to keep track of everybody. Additionally, there were multiple points depicting upsetting acts that I was not expecting. The ending is obscure and is left to the reader’s interpretation. Overall, it was okay, but I’m not sure I would recommend it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

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

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

bookasaurbri's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Rape, and Abandonment

Moderate: Cancer, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Murder, and Pregnancy

nessafurtado's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

Esse livro me fez pensar muito porque por mais que eu tenha amado a escrita da autora e me sentido imersa no livro eu geralmente não costumo ler livros com essa temática; então, PRA MIM,  por mais que a história tenha me prendido, o final pareceu se arrastar e não trazer um desfecho satisfatório. Importante iniciar a leitura sabendo que trata de assuntos como abuso sexual e morte.
Ps. TEAM PETER. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Animal death

serenereadssally's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this book. Within the first 5 minutes of reading this there is an unnecessary description of child sexual abuse, just thrown in a paragraph like it’s nothing. 

This then becomes a theme throughout the book, which also includes abusive neglectful parents, animal abuse, incest, child rape, knife crime and, now seeming tame in comparison, marital infidelity. 

While I understand we should not run from these subjects I’m not sure in this case we should have run towards them. A lot of the descriptions felt gratuitous and not needed. The writing was good, hence the three stars, but this just backs up my opinion that she didn’t need to throw all this at the storyline in such a graphic way. I skipped over the sexual abuse scenes as they were truly stomach churning. 

I also felt that while I know not all stories ‘go somewhere’ the ending left me feeling very flat. But then, I wonder where it could have gone anyway. 

The character building was wonderful, the atmosphere and ambience of the back woods was delicious. She captured guilt and loss and heartbreak perfectly and I enjoyed the unusual timeline, but I feel she didn’t need all the other stuff. 

Definitely think it’s a divisive book. Would I recommend? Probably no, there are much better in this genre. Please make sure you read trigger warnings. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexual harassment