A review by ameliaj_adams
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

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

2.0

This was a really beautifully written book which tackled some really dark themes. This isn’t normally the kind of book that I’d go for (hence the lower rating) and I initially struggled to get into it, however I can definitely see the appeal for others. I struggled to connect and relate to the characters (though this may be because I’m not the target audience) however the setting was very vividly imagined and described beautifully, and the book had an interesting structure that kept me reading, as the narrator continues to switch back and forth between her childhood and life leading up to the present, and the present day itself. The ending was a little underwhelming, but all in all it was an okay read, and one that I can understand why it is so popular.

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