A review by nataliebootlah
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I both liked and disliked this book. 

A young girl meets a young boy at their Cape Cod summer homes and a friendship blossoms that lasts a lifetime.  

It’s not until Elle is fifty that she admits to herself that she has loved Jonas for as long as she’s known him. And then they have sex — even though they both have been happily married for years on end. 

Alternating between past and present, the story of Elle’s life, that has been speckled with harrowing abuse and trauma, comes to life. She must now decide between Peter, her beloved husband, and Jonas, her first and oldest love. 

The Paper Palace is well-written, but contains many dark themes. There were a number of times that I had to put this one down to take a breather. Despite this, it was a good read. 
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