A review by seventhswan
Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor

adventurous reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

I can easily get behind a book where not a lot happens plotwise - some of my favourite books are this way. This is certainly a book more focused on the internal lives of its characters than dramatic events, but unfortunately I didn’t really warm to Paul, and got bored over the course of the story as he didn’t seem to develop or change (besides the obvious physical changes) at all. 

That said, the various settings in the book really came to life and shone. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the various places and the queer communities there, as well as the minor characters that popped in and out of Paul’s life. 

I’ve accepted by now that magical realism just isn’t for me and I tried not to let my personal preference affect my review when I knew there would be magical elements going in. But… what did Paul’s shapeshifting really add to the story that couldn’t have been achieved by just making him a genderfluid or non-binary character? 

Overall I didn’t dislike this book, it was a well-paced read stacked with queer culture and I don’t regret reading it - I just thought I would enjoy it more than I ended up doing. 
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