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alyssamarie87 's review for:
Paper Ghosts
by Julia Heaberlin
***Four and a half stars rounded down to four***
Carl Louis Feldman is a complex character that I actually grew to enjoy quite a bit, despite the fact that he may be a serial killer. He supposedly has dementia, but it’s unsure whether or not he is actually suffering from the disease or if he’s faking it. Is he really seeing these hallucinations? His requests throughout their road trip are very unique and random, which made me wonder throughout the whole novel if he was just playing around being difficult. He spent his life as a photographer, and the main character who plays his daughter believes that many of his subjects are relevant to other murders of young women throughout Texas.
The main character is just as complex as Carl. We really don’t know her real name until the very end of the novel, since she’s playing different roles throughout their trip to minimize exposure to themselves. She has spent much of her time since her sister’s disappearance trying to hunt down her killer, and has put all of her eggs in one basket believing that Carl is the true culprit.
What follows between the two is a twisted road trip throughout many of Texas’s major cities, many of which Carl has spent much of his life photographing. The main character is sure that she can convince Carl to remember what he’s done regardless of his dementia symptoms, if he’s even sick to begin with. Their dynamic is humorous at times, but can get quite sad and makes you wonder if the main character is taking advantage of a sick, innocent man. But is anyone truly innocent?
Despite its slow beginnings, I loved every minute of Paper Ghosts. Many late nights were had trying to find out the truth, and I was satisfied with the ending. I definitely think anyone who is interested in psychological thrillers will enjoy this story and Heaberlin’s unique writing style. She creates crazy imagery using her words, and I’m slowly becoming a huge fan of her work!
Carl Louis Feldman is a complex character that I actually grew to enjoy quite a bit, despite the fact that he may be a serial killer. He supposedly has dementia, but it’s unsure whether or not he is actually suffering from the disease or if he’s faking it. Is he really seeing these hallucinations? His requests throughout their road trip are very unique and random, which made me wonder throughout the whole novel if he was just playing around being difficult. He spent his life as a photographer, and the main character who plays his daughter believes that many of his subjects are relevant to other murders of young women throughout Texas.
The main character is just as complex as Carl. We really don’t know her real name until the very end of the novel, since she’s playing different roles throughout their trip to minimize exposure to themselves. She has spent much of her time since her sister’s disappearance trying to hunt down her killer, and has put all of her eggs in one basket believing that Carl is the true culprit.
What follows between the two is a twisted road trip throughout many of Texas’s major cities, many of which Carl has spent much of his life photographing. The main character is sure that she can convince Carl to remember what he’s done regardless of his dementia symptoms, if he’s even sick to begin with. Their dynamic is humorous at times, but can get quite sad and makes you wonder if the main character is taking advantage of a sick, innocent man. But is anyone truly innocent?
Despite its slow beginnings, I loved every minute of Paper Ghosts. Many late nights were had trying to find out the truth, and I was satisfied with the ending. I definitely think anyone who is interested in psychological thrillers will enjoy this story and Heaberlin’s unique writing style. She creates crazy imagery using her words, and I’m slowly becoming a huge fan of her work!