A review by kristakp
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

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

3.75

This book didn't draw me in as much as I thought it would, and I personally didn't find the plot to be all that interesting. The main romance didn't feel earned to me, I didn't get the full sense of yearning because I didn't feel like the characters were fleshed out enough for me to feel the yearning. (I did have a conversation with a friend about whether my feelings were the result of my lack of experience with sapphic books or if it truly is these characters, and I hadn't come to a conclusion about it.) 

I understand why the author went there, but it was still a surprise
that the king brutally raped Lei after Lei initially ran away. I was unsure whether the author would fully take it there, and I'm not sure how I feel about the decision made. I think it was definitely the harder, more adult decision.
 

I knew from about 40% through the book that I probably wouldn't be continuing on with the series afterwards. The world didn't lure me in although the writing was good.
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