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The Paper Princess by Erin
Watt
1.5/5
Disclaimer: I could understand why people like this book. I could understand the plethora (new word of the day!) of stellar reviews. It's a fun book. This book is the most pure form of escapism. I don't fault anyone for wanting to escape (especially after the crappy year 2016 was). Unfortunately, this book was NOT for me.
I'm a Canadian, so I'm not a ranter by nature.
But, man, this book makes me want to rage.
The worst part? I was warned by all the other reviews on goodreads. They told me that I would dislike everything in the book, but still, I did not heed their warning. Maybe I'm masochistic?
You know who else is masochistic? Ella Harper. She derives pleasure out of being humiliated and put-down by Reed Royal. It's like his hotness gives him the right to be cruel. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
The story starts out with recently orphaned Ella Harper. She does what she has do to survive. Can't blame a girl for that, and in the beginning, Ella was cool. She was tough, independent, and optimistic. Yeah, I ain't ashamed to say it, I cheered for her. But, her life is twisted upside down when she finds out that Callum Royal is her guardian. Turns out, her father, who had recently discovered he had a daughter, is Callum's best friend...and he's loaded. Just before he sets out to meet his long-lost daughter, he dies in a freak accident. So, now it's up to Callum to care for his friend's daughter, and with that in mind, he brings her back to his mansion, and to his 5 sons. None of the sons want her there, especially Reed Royal, and they'll do their best to make sure her stay isn't pleasant. But all Ella has to do is survive until she graduates high school...which turns out to be much harder than it sounds.
Next to me, Callum sighs. “I’m sorry about that. I thought I got through to them before—they’ve had time to prepare for it—but clearly they still need more time to absorb all this.”
All this? He means me. My presence in their home, my tie to their father that I never knew I had before today.
“I’m sure they’ll be more welcoming in the morning,” he says. It sounds like he’s trying to convince himself.
He sure as hell hasn’t convinced me.
Good Points:
-Non-judgemental heroine ✓
(Ella does not judge. Even if someone did something that was kinda shady, she didn't care. To be fair, it was quite refreshing to read about a heroine that did not see herself as 'holier-than-thou')
-Fast-paced writing ✓
-First few chapters ✓
-Female Friendship ✓
Bad Points:
The Passive Heroine
In the first few chapters, I was preparing myself for a tough heroine who doesn't take crap. I enjoyed that Ella, I cheered for that Ella. Unfortunately, as soon as she meets the Royals, passive Ella comes out.
I drop my arms and walk into the cabin. Something about this guy...he issues a command and I obey. I fight it at first, sure. I always fight, but he always wins.
No, Ella, just no. Reed decrees aren't law. His 'masculine' hotness does not mean that he has any control over you. Don't walk away from him, Ella, run!
But, sometimes, she has rare spurts of the 'ole tough Ella'.
You haven't cornered the market on grief. You're not the only one who lost his mother. Oh poor Reed Royal," I mock, "he's turned into an asshole because he lost his mommy."
While this may sound harsh to you...trust me, Reed deserved it and far worse. But just when I think tough Ella is here to stay, passive Ella comes back up again.
The Casual Mentions of Rape
The sexualization of underage girls is really creepy. When Ella first comes to live in the mansion, the Royal brothers think that the only reason their father brought her here is because he's sleeping with her. And they tell the whole school that. Of course, no one blames the 42 year old man for preying on a defenceless, and orphaned, 17 year old girl. It's all Ella's fault.
And, to make her backstory even sadder, Ella mentions being groped at 12 years of age.
"How bad could they really be, though? Five spoiled rich boys? Ha. I’ve dealt with a lot worse. Like my mom’s gangster boyfriend, Leo, who tried to feel me up when I was twelve, then taught me the right way to form a fist after I punched him in the gut and nearly broke my hand. He’d laughed and we were fast friends after that."
Okay, theres one thing to humanize this pedophilloic piece of ape-turd, it's another thing to use molestations as a plot device. People who are molested do not just forget about it, it affects them for the rest of their life. If you want to read an book with realistic portrayals of abuse, read Rising Tides or Speak.
And let's not forget the casual way the Royal brothers sexually harass Ella. And we're supposed to fall for these guys?
My heart stops. I don't like the feral look in his eyes. He stands in front of me. Then his smile widens and he slides one hand insides his pants to cup his junk.
"You're our sister now, right? So come on." He rubs himself. "Help a brother out."
I cant breathe. I'm...scared.
So, this is one of the brothers. The one we're supposed to like. And where is Reed in all of this?
I shoot a glance at Reed, but he's leaning against the counter now, arms crossed. He looks amused.
Good to know that Reed finds sexual assault amusing. RUN, ELLA, RUN.
But passive Ella does not care that Reed is a self-entitled psychopath. Nah, he's too hot for that.
The plot
...or lack of it.
Nothing happens. The only thing that drives the plot is the cruel actions of Reed, such as getting the whole school to hate her. That's it. After all the crap Reed pulled, there should've been some major grovelling. Only then, would I have been satisfied. But no, a Royal NEVER grovels. He called her a slut for a majority of the book, but still passive Ella is in 'luv' with him.
The Insta-Love
He’s hot enough that my mouth dries up and tingles start dancing in places I’d like to think an asshole like him would never awaken. But another lesson I learned from my mom is that your body can like things that your head hates. Your head just has to be the one in charge. That was one of her “do as I say, not as I do” admonishments.
He’s a jerk and he wants to hurt you, I scream at my body. My nipples pucker despite my warning.
This is their first meeting. THEIR FIRST MEETING.
And, is this book really a YA novel? It reads more like a new adult.
The Stereotypical Mean Girl
This plot device just wont die.
(really great movie, though)
Overall, this book wasn't for me. It was very readable, kinda in the same way that reality TV is very watchable. Will I read the next book? Nah, unless I'm in desperate need for pure escapism.
You can read this review and others on my website:
DearWilderness & Books
Goodreads
Tumblr
also, follow me on instagram for all things books:
Instagram
With Love,
1.5/5
Disclaimer: I could understand why people like this book. I could understand the plethora (new word of the day!) of stellar reviews. It's a fun book. This book is the most pure form of escapism. I don't fault anyone for wanting to escape (especially after the crappy year 2016 was). Unfortunately, this book was NOT for me.
I'm a Canadian, so I'm not a ranter by nature.
But, man, this book makes me want to rage.
The worst part? I was warned by all the other reviews on goodreads. They told me that I would dislike everything in the book, but still, I did not heed their warning. Maybe I'm masochistic?
You know who else is masochistic? Ella Harper. She derives pleasure out of being humiliated and put-down by Reed Royal. It's like his hotness gives him the right to be cruel. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
The story starts out with recently orphaned Ella Harper. She does what she has do to survive. Can't blame a girl for that, and in the beginning, Ella was cool. She was tough, independent, and optimistic. Yeah, I ain't ashamed to say it, I cheered for her. But, her life is twisted upside down when she finds out that Callum Royal is her guardian. Turns out, her father, who had recently discovered he had a daughter, is Callum's best friend...and he's loaded. Just before he sets out to meet his long-lost daughter, he dies in a freak accident. So, now it's up to Callum to care for his friend's daughter, and with that in mind, he brings her back to his mansion, and to his 5 sons. None of the sons want her there, especially Reed Royal, and they'll do their best to make sure her stay isn't pleasant. But all Ella has to do is survive until she graduates high school...which turns out to be much harder than it sounds.
Next to me, Callum sighs. “I’m sorry about that. I thought I got through to them before—they’ve had time to prepare for it—but clearly they still need more time to absorb all this.”
All this? He means me. My presence in their home, my tie to their father that I never knew I had before today.
“I’m sure they’ll be more welcoming in the morning,” he says. It sounds like he’s trying to convince himself.
He sure as hell hasn’t convinced me.
Good Points:
-Non-judgemental heroine ✓
(Ella does not judge. Even if someone did something that was kinda shady, she didn't care. To be fair, it was quite refreshing to read about a heroine that did not see herself as 'holier-than-thou')
-Fast-paced writing ✓
-First few chapters ✓
-Female Friendship ✓
Bad Points:
The Passive Heroine
In the first few chapters, I was preparing myself for a tough heroine who doesn't take crap. I enjoyed that Ella, I cheered for that Ella. Unfortunately, as soon as she meets the Royals, passive Ella comes out.
I drop my arms and walk into the cabin. Something about this guy...he issues a command and I obey. I fight it at first, sure. I always fight, but he always wins.
No, Ella, just no. Reed decrees aren't law. His 'masculine' hotness does not mean that he has any control over you. Don't walk away from him, Ella, run!
But, sometimes, she has rare spurts of the 'ole tough Ella'.
You haven't cornered the market on grief. You're not the only one who lost his mother. Oh poor Reed Royal," I mock, "he's turned into an asshole because he lost his mommy."
While this may sound harsh to you...trust me, Reed deserved it and far worse. But just when I think tough Ella is here to stay, passive Ella comes back up again.
The Casual Mentions of Rape
The sexualization of underage girls is really creepy. When Ella first comes to live in the mansion, the Royal brothers think that the only reason their father brought her here is because he's sleeping with her. And they tell the whole school that. Of course, no one blames the 42 year old man for preying on a defenceless, and orphaned, 17 year old girl. It's all Ella's fault.
And, to make her backstory even sadder, Ella mentions being groped at 12 years of age.
"How bad could they really be, though? Five spoiled rich boys? Ha. I’ve dealt with a lot worse. Like my mom’s gangster boyfriend, Leo, who tried to feel me up when I was twelve, then taught me the right way to form a fist after I punched him in the gut and nearly broke my hand. He’d laughed and we were fast friends after that."
Okay, theres one thing to humanize this pedophilloic piece of ape-turd, it's another thing to use molestations as a plot device. People who are molested do not just forget about it, it affects them for the rest of their life. If you want to read an book with realistic portrayals of abuse, read Rising Tides or Speak.
And let's not forget the casual way the Royal brothers sexually harass Ella. And we're supposed to fall for these guys?
My heart stops. I don't like the feral look in his eyes. He stands in front of me. Then his smile widens and he slides one hand insides his pants to cup his junk.
"You're our sister now, right? So come on." He rubs himself. "Help a brother out."
I cant breathe. I'm...scared.
So, this is one of the brothers. The one we're supposed to like. And where is Reed in all of this?
I shoot a glance at Reed, but he's leaning against the counter now, arms crossed. He looks amused.
Good to know that Reed finds sexual assault amusing. RUN, ELLA, RUN.
But passive Ella does not care that Reed is a self-entitled psychopath. Nah, he's too hot for that.
The plot
...or lack of it.
Nothing happens. The only thing that drives the plot is the cruel actions of Reed, such as getting the whole school to hate her. That's it. After all the crap Reed pulled, there should've been some major grovelling. Only then, would I have been satisfied. But no, a Royal NEVER grovels. He called her a slut for a majority of the book, but still passive Ella is in 'luv' with him.
The Insta-Love
He’s hot enough that my mouth dries up and tingles start dancing in places I’d like to think an asshole like him would never awaken. But another lesson I learned from my mom is that your body can like things that your head hates. Your head just has to be the one in charge. That was one of her “do as I say, not as I do” admonishments.
He’s a jerk and he wants to hurt you, I scream at my body. My nipples pucker despite my warning.
This is their first meeting. THEIR FIRST MEETING.
And, is this book really a YA novel? It reads more like a new adult.
The Stereotypical Mean Girl
This plot device just wont die.
(really great movie, though)
Overall, this book wasn't for me. It was very readable, kinda in the same way that reality TV is very watchable. Will I read the next book? Nah, unless I'm in desperate need for pure escapism.
You can read this review and others on my website:
DearWilderness & Books
Goodreads
Tumblr
also, follow me on instagram for all things books:
With Love,
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