Paper Princess is an objectively terrible book. It’s drama is at 5,000 megawatts of WTF, the dialogue is straight out of every porno you’ve ever seen and every 5 or so pages introduces a new random fact that literally has you rearing back going “what?” It’s also more than vaguely problematic the entire length of the story.
But damn if I couldn’t put it down.
Ella is a 17 year old girl who’s had a hard life. Her parents are dead, she’s been supporting herself through seedy means and she’s hard to the world. Then she is ‘claimed’ by an extremely wealthy family who was friends with her father. The Royal family introduces her to all the money and support she could want in the world, but also the 5 sons who decide to make her living life a hell.
It’s a trainwreck of a book that has you flipping through the pages like mad trying to make heads and tails of it. It certainly stretches your limit of being able to accept outlandish character points. She’s a 17 year old stripper who tells everyone she’s 34? SURE. She’s been forging government documents for years? FINE. Her father died in a hang gliding accident? YES, GOOD.
I mean I just don’t know where to start with this. Everything I have to say makes it sound terrible, which IT IS, but I also want to stress how entertaining of a read it is. You will lose yourself in it for hours.
It is also definitely not “YA”. There are some serious sex, drugs, and rock and roll going on in this book. The characters ages maybe 17, but their actions scream depraved early-20s.
Reed is such a douchebag. My god, but he’s certainly someone I would have been unfortunately into when I was Ella’s alleged age.
I just, this might be a book I am at a loss for words with. If you do read it, it’s one of those ones that you cannot take seriously as what a proper relationship– or even how two characters are writing– should behave. You need to read it, letting go of your inhibitions and ready & willing to lose yourself in its ridiculousness. Some people will absolutely not be able to and some will.
*throws hands up in the air*
2.5/5
Chill With Jill 