Book Review: Girls of Paper and Fire

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lot has already been said about this very hyped YA fantasy novel so I will try and make this short. Girls of Paper and Fire has some very familiar tropes like: girl is taken away to be a slave, she fights back, she is unique and special, she is a heroine in the end. Now, if this was to be a teens first foray into YA fantasy I could see it becoming their all time favourite. It’s not perfect, but it’s more than good enough to pull in a fan base. I really disliked the ending but otherwise it's not an awful read. There are moments of frustration regarding the 'rules' of this world but they generally iron themselves out, and it's obvious Natasha Ngan is holding back some cultural or magical details of this world on purpose.

The YA Fantasy Tropes
So here's the thing... when we read romance books we don't complain about the romance right? Because we know what we are getting into. So I see no reason why I should have expected anything different from Ngan's series opening book Girls of Paper and Fire, than the YA fantasy tropes I received. Our lead gal is a teen, stolen from her home, trained to do awful things, and of course she's a very special snowflake. This is probably the part I disliked the most (besides the end) is that she was so special over everyone else. I'd love to see someone write a book from the perspective of the non-heroine. Instead maybe from the sidekick's point of view, or the middle of the road girl in the group (the one that isn't awful but isn't amazing). It would be interesting to see if this type of a story could stand-up if not from the heroine's point of view. But I digress...

Characters
I really liked many of the characters that Ngan introduces us to; with one exception, the King. Now it's important to note that he is a 'bad guy'. But that's not why I dislike him. Instead I dislike his character as he is all over the place. Sometimes he seems nice, other times he seems angry, other times he's typical arrogant royalty. There didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it. I suspect Ngan was trying to make us feel a little bit sorry for the king, or find some part of ourselves in him; but instead it just comes off as confusing and disconnected.
That said, our love interest is kick-ass in Girls of Paper and Fire. And I mean kick-ass. Not only is she strong, from a wealthy family, there with a purpose and shockingly beautiful; but she's also intelligent and helps keep our heroine in-line. I'd love to read the story from her perspective.

Lesbians
In case it wasn't clear in the paragraph above, yes the love interest of our lead gal is another gal. This is a perfectly logical choice by Ngan and I love how she clearly understood the dynamics that would happen between a number of women all trapped in a similar situation. They'd argue and be competitive; but also be compassionate and care for one another. It makes sense, that with such little contact from the outside world, these women would fall in love with one another. Now I don't mean to diminish the choice of Ngan to make her heroine gay at all. Just to say that from a psychological standpoint it's a natural progression (gay or not) that our women would become close. Obviously not all of them begin romantic relationships and so that has our lead gal and her partner standing out amongst the crowd of girls.
The flow and transition of the love interest, plus the smart understanding of women's feelings, makes this the best part of the book. Yes, believe it or not the romance in this is actually one of my favourite parts!

The Ending
Alright, yes I know this is a part of a series. And yes I know to expect a cliffhanger ending. BUT, did it have to be the way it is written? No, no it did not.
I liked some aspects of the ending as they felt like realistic problems that would emerge in a natural way. And yet, the final moment is so cliche and convenient it made me throw the book down (okay well my e-reader, but you get the idea). I would have much preferred the convenience of a character showing up at the exact right second be removed and have some sort of (perhaps slightly improbable) thing happen that appears to be a bit of luck.
Obviously I don't want to give anything away; but I do warn you that if you are hoping for a complex ending, like the betrayal, alliances and politics throughout this book, you will be disappointed.

Overall
This is a pretty darn good book. It's focus on rape, physical abuse, slavery and lack of control is just the right amount in my opinion. There's enough there to understand what is happening, without getting into the nitty gritty details (that really no one wants to read) that may turn a reader off. I believe Ngan found a good balance between awful events that give motivation and graphic descriptions we don't want or need to read, and sweet romantic ones.
Certainly anyone who hasn't read the last few years of YA fantasy books would really like this. Others might compare certain aspects to recent stories or feel like there is little truly original here. Ngan gives us a complex (often times a bit too complicated) and interesting world with an Asian-inspired culture, medieval-style setting and royalty driven politics in Girls of Paper and Fire; what more can we expect from a YA writer? If you're a fan of YA fantasy this is a must read. Just remember, you're getting exactly what you asked for by picking this genre, so don't criticize every moment because you can't separate one novel/series from the next.

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Book Review: My Real Name is Hanna

My Real Name Is Hanna by Tara Lynn Masih

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Such a horrifying and yet hopeful book. This is a story of WWII I had not heard in such a way before and so, while it is difficult and sad to read I'm glad to have read it. Unlike most WWII stories of Jews on the run this one doesn't end in a concentration camp, gas chamber or in any Nazi's actually having direct control over this Jewish family. Instead this family 'escapes' in a terrifying way.

Disturbing
As with most stories of WWII, My Real Name is Hanna, is based on true facts. Tara Lynn Masih makes it clear at the end of the book what was changed and what was real. The most important thing however to realize is that a Jewish family did hide-out in the way that is described in the book. This in and of itself is fairly awful but the conditions these women, men and children endured are truly horrific. Do not be surprised to find yourself feeling unsettled (at the least) or even sick to your stomach at points (assuming you are immersed in the novel and characters like I was).

Compelling Characters
The hardest thing to do in WWII books is usually not set-up a plot or story. There are thousands to be told based on true fact, or even rumour, of what happened during that time. The hardest thing is to create interesting characters that the reader wants to live (and possibly die) by. Masih does a superb job of making you feel like you are the teenage girl from whom's eyes we experience the entire novel. Not only do we experience her awkward love situation, her progression into womanhood, but also her fears, desire to help, and despair when it all goes wrong.
There is one thing that is definitely true of our group of stowaways and that is that it required a lot of strength and courage to do what they did.

Overall
I don't want to say much more about this book for fear of giving away too many plot points. Masih does such a good job of creating tension; especially given we know the outcome of the war. As someone who has read a lot of WWII fiction I can say with absolute certainty that this story is one of the most readable novels in a long time. It doesn't drag, stall-out or seem to take it's foot off the break. It helps that each day is a new day to try and survive perhaps; but I also credit Masih for writing the potentially 'boring' parts in such a way that we know time has passed; without feeling like we lived through every minute of it and got bored ourselves.
If you are at all interested in the story in My Real Name is Hanna or have a bit of an affinity for WWII fiction, like I do, then I would definitely recommend this one join your repertoire.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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Book Review: The Night the Forest Came to Town

The Night the Forest Came to Town by Charles Ghigna

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


LOVE this one! I am actually going to go and pick-up a copy to put in the toy box for all the children that visit my house.

Charles Ghigna has done a beautiful job of putting together a story that reads in verse. There is a rhythm to the story, a rhyming tone and pace that is just perfect. Additionally Ghigna has snuck in some complex words like: rendezvous, shimmer, shroud, azure blue; that children can learn as they hear the story over and over again. The illustrations are beautiful and I love how they go from twilight to dark, to darker, to lighter and the to daytime and colourful. The pacing and tone of the whole book is just perfect.

Additionally The Night the Forest Came to Town is a story about what is in the dark that isn't scary or something to fear but instead interesting or cute and cuddly. But unlike most stories about nighttime for children it never references the night as being scary or dark; instead it just talks about all the wonderful things that happen at night. I really like this approach to ignore that children may have fear and instead just talk about good things in the dark. This may help a child to understand that there was nothing to fear in the first place! Sometimes I wonder if books about not being afraid of the dark are just re-enforcing that the dark is scary. I'm sure there are two schools of thought on this and I don't know which is right; but I do love the perspective Ghigna uses here.

I can't give anymore of an endorsement than to tell you that this is on my list to purchase for my own (childless) house. It will go in the kids toy box for visitors but I could easily see myself being excited to read this lovely verse just because.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.


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