Winter Reads: Girls of Paper and Fire

AMAZON

I no longer even attempt to keep up with all the new YA books that are being published, as there are just way too many new titles out there. The only reason why I even knew Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan even existed is because I happened to see it listed on author James Patterson's website. And, no, he's not a co-author of this book, but the title is published under his Jimmy Patterson children's book company, which is a division of Little, Brown and Company.

Girls of Paper and Fire (336 pages; $18.99) is set in a fantasy world that's a mixture of Malaysian and Chinese culture. The main character is Lei, a Paper Caste (a human) from the oppressed class in Ikhara. She is kidnapped by a kingdom guard that presents her as a gift to the Bull King, a Moon Caste (a full demon), so she can become the King's mistress.

Despite the cruel world she has been placed in, Lei finds the courage to fight back against the kingdom.

Final Thoughts

With an amazing art cover and an intriguing premise, I was looking forward to reading Girls of Paper and Fire. However, I had a bit of trouble getting into the story. The narration and the way the author has written the novel is great, but I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Maybe I'm just too old for the book's target readers.

I thought the human/creature hybrid characters were weird, but intriguing at the same time. The overall writing (a.k.a. - the descriptions) and dialogue were pretty good.

Overall, Girls of Paper and Fire was an alright read for me. I didn't love it nor did I hate it. While I couldn't connect with the plot or characters, I did like the author's writing style.

*Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes.

All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Natasha Ngan is part young-adult author, part yoga-teacher, part habitual nap-taker. She grew up between Malaysia and the UK, speaking Chinese with her mother mainly as a way to talk about people without them understanding. She studied Geography at the University of Cambridge and later worked as a fashion blogger, social media consultant and freelance writer. Natasha recently moved to Paris, where she likes to imagine she drifts stylishly from brasserie to brasserie, notepad in one hand and wineglass in the other, but in reality she mostly spends her time lost on the metro and offending locals with her French.