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A review by graysonari3l
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
2.25
Hmmmmm okay so
you know how when you watch a movie based off of a book, things feel rushed. The characters get less time to be developed, extra scenes that build the relationships are cut, and it focuses more on things that look cool for the big screen than the less visually appealing storytelling moments. But its okay because as you watch it you're like "I get that this had to be cut for the time constraints, bc there's more for me in the book that I'm building this knowledge off of. And the premise is really cool that I don't mind if is not fully fleshed out for film"
Well that's how the first half of this book read. Like it was cut and adapted for film, except this isn't the film. This is the book. We jump right in without really knowing our characters or giving them time to build a bond. We learn some about Ceony and that she doesn't want to be a folder, but she seems to change her mind pretty quickly on folding (and Mr Thane) to a point where it felt like her initial dislike didn't matter
Then, the second half of this book happens, that is essentially all flashbacks from our second main character, a character we didn't get the time to really see and know, so its like, why do I care about his backstory when I know nothing about him now. Our main girly is also super passive in all this, just passing through visions of Mr Thane's past without having any effect. And this goes on for wayyyyyy too long. Some of these scenes should have been cut or at least shortened.
Listening as an audiobook isn't terrible because the author does write good vivid descriptions and its easy to listen while doing other tasks, but if I had spent time physically reading this for little payoff I think I'd be more upset.
This would make a great kids fantasy movie. But as an adult book, ehh, its just too little.
you know how when you watch a movie based off of a book, things feel rushed. The characters get less time to be developed, extra scenes that build the relationships are cut, and it focuses more on things that look cool for the big screen than the less visually appealing storytelling moments. But its okay because as you watch it you're like "I get that this had to be cut for the time constraints, bc there's more for me in the book that I'm building this knowledge off of. And the premise is really cool that I don't mind if is not fully fleshed out for film"
Well that's how the first half of this book read. Like it was cut and adapted for film, except this isn't the film. This is the book. We jump right in without really knowing our characters or giving them time to build a bond. We learn some about Ceony and that she doesn't want to be a folder, but she seems to change her mind pretty quickly on folding (and Mr Thane) to a point where it felt like her initial dislike didn't matter
Then, the second half of this book happens, that is essentially all flashbacks from our second main character, a character we didn't get the time to really see and know, so its like, why do I care about his backstory when I know nothing about him now. Our main girly is also super passive in all this, just passing through visions of Mr Thane's past without having any effect. And this goes on for wayyyyyy too long. Some of these scenes should have been cut or at least shortened.
Listening as an audiobook isn't terrible because the author does write good vivid descriptions and its easy to listen while doing other tasks, but if I had spent time physically reading this for little payoff I think I'd be more upset.
This would make a great kids fantasy movie. But as an adult book, ehh, its just too little.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide