A review by sarag19
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
2.0
2 out of 5 Stars
This book gave me a lot of thoughts and honestly, I can't say they are all positive. In fact, the majority of them are not so here we go.
The Good
- The caste system is actually pretty interesting. Its very stereotypical with the powerful Moon caste that is mostly animal with humanoid form (I never got the impression they were demons other than just their name), the Steel cast with their partial animal features and the weak Paper caste which are full humans. Yes its been done but it was still interesting. I wish we could have seen more of them and their interactions outside of the city since inside they are mostly either tormentors to Paper or want to turn on their King. A little nuance would have been nice.
- There is a lot of time spent describing the clothes but I'm a sucker for clothes so I liked that each girl was given their own unique style.
The Not So Good
Uh... Pretty much everything else?
- The plot armor is particularly strong in this book. We are led to believe that the King is ruthless and particularly controlling especially of the Paper Girls but when Lei fights him off and runs away she gets a pass. Even her punishment is minor, my gripe with this is not a unique problem to this book. Main characters are too often given a pass and even applauded for what they do. My guess is had any of the other girls done what Lei did they would have been branded but more than likely killed because that is what we are led to believe the King is more than willing to do. Its even called out, cross the King and you will suffer.
- Speaking of Lei, I had some very serious problem with her and how she is portrayed in this book. The author in her note wanting to convey to reading supportive relationships and friendship, female strength. That would have been a great message if we saw that through Lei. The biggest issue for me was her treatment of Aoki. Aoki is young, she is afraid and it doesn't really help that the other girls taunt her when she is trying to deal with what happened. So the fact that Aoki would be trying to protect herself, to believe that the King loves her and to feed into the kindness he shows the girls (even if it is manipulative) is not wrong. To try to protect yourself mentally (not physically) is not wrong, how the girls react even Blue with her misplaced anger, is not wrong. Every victim reacts to their abuse differently, they find their own ways to work through their trauma and pain and Lei's reaction to it was hurtful, acting like her reaction to always fight back is the only appropriate way. She lives with these girls, she knows they don't want to be there but not everyone can fight back and that is not a lack of courage, it is not wrong. Also poor Lill doesn't even get a pass, while one whole generation is raised to view the Moon caste with suspicion but then a whole other generation is raised to worship them. They are raised only one way, it is not a black and white issue or an age issue. It is being raised to believe one thing, to see only one thing and to know somewhere deep down that stepping out of line will get everyone you know killed.
- Final gripe, one even Lei seems to applaud herself over.
In the end, its got an interesting concept and the potential for a better story but it absolutely does not deliver.
This book gave me a lot of thoughts and honestly, I can't say they are all positive. In fact, the majority of them are not so here we go.
The Good
- The caste system is actually pretty interesting. Its very stereotypical with the powerful Moon caste that is mostly animal with humanoid form (I never got the impression they were demons other than just their name), the Steel cast with their partial animal features and the weak Paper caste which are full humans. Yes its been done but it was still interesting. I wish we could have seen more of them and their interactions outside of the city since inside they are mostly either tormentors to Paper or want to turn on their King. A little nuance would have been nice.
- There is a lot of time spent describing the clothes but I'm a sucker for clothes so I liked that each girl was given their own unique style.
The Not So Good
Uh... Pretty much everything else?
- The plot armor is particularly strong in this book. We are led to believe that the King is ruthless and particularly controlling especially of the Paper Girls but when Lei fights him off and runs away she gets a pass. Even her punishment is minor, my gripe with this is not a unique problem to this book. Main characters are too often given a pass and even applauded for what they do. My guess is had any of the other girls done what Lei did they would have been branded but more than likely killed because that is what we are led to believe the King is more than willing to do. Its even called out, cross the King and you will suffer.
- Speaking of Lei, I had some very serious problem with her and how she is portrayed in this book. The author in her note wanting to convey to reading supportive relationships and friendship, female strength. That would have been a great message if we saw that through Lei. The biggest issue for me was her treatment of Aoki. Aoki is young, she is afraid and it doesn't really help that the other girls taunt her when she is trying to deal with what happened. So the fact that Aoki would be trying to protect herself, to believe that the King loves her and to feed into the kindness he shows the girls (even if it is manipulative) is not wrong. To try to protect yourself mentally (not physically) is not wrong, how the girls react even Blue with her misplaced anger, is not wrong. Every victim reacts to their abuse differently, they find their own ways to work through their trauma and pain and Lei's reaction to it was hurtful, acting like her reaction to always fight back is the only appropriate way. She lives with these girls, she knows they don't want to be there but not everyone can fight back and that is not a lack of courage, it is not wrong. Also poor Lill doesn't even get a pass, while one whole generation is raised to view the Moon caste with suspicion but then a whole other generation is raised to worship them. They are raised only one way, it is not a black and white issue or an age issue. It is being raised to believe one thing, to see only one thing and to know somewhere deep down that stepping out of line will get everyone you know killed.
- Final gripe, one even Lei seems to applaud herself over.
Spoiler
Zelle was the one that incapacitated the King, put the blade through his eye making it so he wasn't capable of fighting back. All Lei did was stab a man that couldn't fight her off and instead of correcting Wren she just takes credit, maybe they will be in for a rude awakening when they realize that Lei is not the capable fighter they assume her to be but plot armor so probably not.In the end, its got an interesting concept and the potential for a better story but it absolutely does not deliver.