Reviews

Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor

alanismcq's review

funny sad medium-paced

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

3.5

evelynashworth's review

emotional funny slow-paced

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

4.25

angzla329's review

funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

americattt's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

“What was sex but newness? And sensation and conquest and intrigue and desire and fantasy, and specific people sometimes, sure, but not always.”

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol

Moderate: Homophobia and Death

sandpiiper's review

4.0

this fulfilled all my dyke dreams

jbogerhawkins's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I feel like the blurbs really sensationalize this book- there is a lot of sex, but the sex is not really the point. This is more of a magical realism coming of age story set against the backdrop of academia and the AIDS epidemic, as well as a sort of a time capsule of queer American subculture. I was concerned at first that this premise had the potential to get transphobic, and interestingly, trans people who identify as such are almost entirely absent from the story. I found the theme of being an outsider even among outsiders to be very powerful, and Paul's grappling with feeling like an impostor in lesbian and gay spaces was genuinely really sad. Paul is a rolling disaster person whose choices were frequently hard to read, but it is very evocative of being young and unstable, and for that reason it's weirdly nostalgic. I'll read this again later in life and probably get something completely different out if it.

mawn323's review

dark emotional funny hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

4.5

thundrflap's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

cherryredmarlene's review against another edition

5.0

again immaculate, my absolute favorite 

epicinvain's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.5