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kfquarium's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Incest, Terminal illness, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Blood, and Excrement
mikah_wazowski's review against another edition
sad
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Excrement
bella_cavicchi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Friends, it feels SO GOOD to be back and reading. And what a title to kick off my post-term reading with.
THE PAPER PALACE is sneaky -- I see the Cape and I think immediately 'beach read,' but what Heller has crafted instead is a layered (heavier) story of time and regret and love and longing. I am not as interested in literature that claims a moral high ground as I am in narratives that allow the characters to just 'be,' and I think Heller captures so well the reason why: trauma complicates absolutes, what is 'right' and 'wrong' blurred in response to abuse. I just want to give Elle a hug.
Heller also beautifully depicts Cape Cod as a vessel for memory. She said in a recent interview that "every time [she comes] back, it feels like the opposite of homesickness," and goodness, I can relate. It's a testament to her writing that the setting -- this 'Paper Palace' -- feels like another character.
One I'm happy to own. If you grab it too, please note a significant content warning for rape and pedophilia.
THE PAPER PALACE is sneaky -- I see the Cape and I think immediately 'beach read,' but what Heller has crafted instead is a layered (heavier) story of time and regret and love and longing. I am not as interested in literature that claims a moral high ground as I am in narratives that allow the characters to just 'be,' and I think Heller captures so well the reason why: trauma complicates absolutes, what is 'right' and 'wrong' blurred in response to abuse. I just want to give Elle a hug.
Heller also beautifully depicts Cape Cod as a vessel for memory. She said in a recent interview that "every time [she comes] back, it feels like the opposite of homesickness," and goodness, I can relate. It's a testament to her writing that the setting -- this 'Paper Palace' -- feels like another character.
One I'm happy to own. If you grab it too, please note a significant content warning for rape and pedophilia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, and Excrement