More detailed review coming once I put my heart back together again. A disarmingly simple book about real life monsters.
Do monsters beget monsters? Are people born bad? There is so much in this book that catches you unawares. It's the nightmare version of Cinderella's story with a chilling account of child abuse and how it destroys lives. I'm just too emotional to say any more so please just excuse me while I curl up in the foetal position and sob Four stars. Feb 15, Karen Whittard rated it it was amazing.
Thank you to Netgalley, Egmont Publishing and Lisa Heathfielf for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance reader copy of this book. You can find my review on both Goodreads and Amazon. On Goodreads from today under Karen Whittard and on Amazon under k. More people need to read this book. Simply to understand what a brillia Thank you to Netgalley, Egmont Publishing and Lisa Heathfielf for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
Simply to understand what a brilliant author Lisa is, and to raise awareness of child abuse. This is a heartbreaking, traumatic but yet addictive and at times beautiful book. One that will definitely pull at your heart strings and one that had me addicted to it from the the very first page to the very last. I should warn you that at times this is an extremely hard read but something just made me pull through all those horrible nasty pages and complete the book. I wanted to reach though the pages and rescue June from her horrific life.
This is the story of June. Her life is full of traumatic abuse, physically, mentally and emotionally. June's mother had died in what people are lead to believe the river after she got untangled in some vines and couldn't get out. But are things ever as simple as they first appear? June's father has remarried to a woman who he believes is wonderful. June now has a step mother and step sister.
Who are sweet and light on the surface when other people are around. But are bitterly cruel -and unkind to June subjecting her to abuse everytime her father isn't there and let's just say that's a lot of the time. June doesn't have any respite at school either. She is horrifically bullied to the point where the children abuse her whenever they can. Holding her down and painting her skin white to match theirs is a scenario I will not forget. No adults or teachers or her own father believe June's call for help. They believe that she is just acting up. After her mother died and so no one steps in to help her.
Not one single person believes or helps June and it breaks my heart. One day June is out on her bike and stumbles across some caravans. There she meets a boy named Blister who makes beautiful animals and decorations out of paper. Blister is the only one June can count on.
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She finds solitude, peace, understanding and friendship with Blister. Something she has never had before. Their friendship helps June survive her horrific life every day. This book is not told through the eyes of June as an adult looking back at her life. But told by the eyes of June when she is a child through to her teen years.
When she is going through this horrific ordeal. Which for me makes it even more heartbreaking. This book isn't completly sad on every single page. The parts with Blister are happy and it is wonderful to see their friendship grow. I always wanted a happy ending for June. But the ending of the book takes a surprising turn. One I certainly didn't see coming. Lisa writes this book, so fantastically. She really takes the reader on a journey and is a master crafts woman. I felt every single inch of pain like it was happening to me and I was an emotional wreck.
This is clever skills. I will be looking out for more from this author in the future. View all 3 comments. Young Adult Tough read. Maybe a little slow in places. I had a slight issue with some transitions within the chapters. It was definitely a tough read, there were times I had to pause but overall a book worth reading. View all 4 comments. Mar 28, Dannii Elle rated it really liked it Shelves: Thank you to the author, Lisa Heathfield, and the publisher, Electric Monkey, for the opportunity. This was completely traumatic, completely beautiful and completely broke my heart!
This is the story of mental and physical child-abuse experienced through the eyes of the victim. June is a girl of mixed race who finds herself in an entirely white family after the tragic, "I'm so sad that I don't know how my heart carries on beating. June is a girl of mixed race who finds herself in an entirely white family after the tragic, early death of her mother and her father's remarriage.
This is a classic tale of the evil stepmother but there was nothing dated about the heartrending and harrowing depiction of her ordeal. June's recounted tales of the tragedy of her young life are intersected with glimpses at her full-grown self and how she is struggling to cope with and to accept her abuse.
Primarily, however, this isn't an adult telling a memoir, but is viewed through the child's perspective as she relives her ordeal. It feels real and each moment is made more heartbreaking because of it. I devoured this novel in just two sittings as the beauty of the writing and the poignancy of the tale compelled me to keep going until I discovered the light at the end of the tunnel.
This tale wasn't sad in its entirety however. The sadness was alleviated by June's happiness when with her only friend, Bliss. Seeing their relationship progress gave me real joy and a hope for a better ending to her miserable existence. The plot took an unforeseen turn, however, that still gives me chills to think about. This was a strong novel with an even stronger novel and handled a touching subject matter with the grace and beauty it deserved. Nov 14, Aoife rated it it was amazing Shelves: I read this in a little under two hours.
Once I started it I just couldn't put it down even though my eyes were filling with tears and I could feel my heart physically aching inside my chest. This is a very tough read but an extremely powerful one. At times I felt myself actually recoil when I read about Kathleen pretending to hug and caress June in front of her dad as if I was actually in the story.
This is a book that will stick with me. Dec 28, Bookread2day rated it it was amazing. The most tearful story that I have ever read. Lisa Heathfield is certainly a very talented author and is definitely going on a high adventure to the top. More readers should read Paper Butterflies. Every word every sentence every chapter every character had my full attention. I know for certain that other readers will love it too. June was ill treated by her wicked stepmother and stepsister to the point it had me in tears. What is more upsetting no one would believe what her stepmother or stepsi The most tearful story that I have ever read.
What is more upsetting no one would believe what her stepmother or stepsister was doing to her.
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In school June had no friends, the kids in her class did the most awful things to her. For June it was an impossible loneliness. A silence inside that stripped away her soul. Then one day while June was in the woods she meets a boy, Blister who is very creative making things from paper and he becomes June's only friend. So much happens in this page-turning novel that it is going to be one of those stories that I will never forget.
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Please read it as I very, very highly recommend it. I am at a loss of words when it comes to this book It rips your heart out and then it places it gently back in it's place. Reading this book has been for me like riding a emotional carousel, took me all the way through from anger, revolt to peace, love and empathy. I completely loved this book!!!
May 28, Jenny Baker rated it really liked it Shelves: This book made me feel like I was the one abused instead of June. I ignored the warnings, because the story was intriguing. I decided This book made me feel like I was the one abused instead of June. I feel like a true survivor of abuse. This is hard to rate.
Part of me wants to give it one star for making me feel so broken and another part of me wants to give it five stars for having the writing talent to evoke that feeling. I wanted to beat Kathleen within an inch of her life. I had to fight back the tears so many times. He was such a savior and the most amazing friend you could ever imagine. It was such a blessing for June to meet him on that day.
I really understood June. I know what it feels like to be paralyzed with fear and feeling like everyone around you is ganging up on you. She faced abuse at home and bullying at school. It was about opportunity and faith in human nature. Yet your faith in that was being destroyed. I had relatives say and do hurtful things physically hurtful things to me only to be told, Jenny, stop being oversensitive. You need thicker skin. You need to learn to speak up to them. God, I just want to fucking scream! Sorry, the soapboxing is over. My mind is still racing from this.
Mar 10, Maddie rated it it was ok.
I don't know what to say about this book, apart from the fact that I hated it and somehow couldn't stop reading! I needed to know June was OK after all the horrible, cruel, downright evil things her stepmother did to her. I cried a lot while reading this. I had no idea where the book was going.
I only enjoyed reading the parts where June was with Buster. Literally the most depressing book I've read. Only read if you're mentally prepared for something extremely sad, with very little hope. Lisa He I don't know what to say about this book, apart from the fact that I hated it and somehow couldn't stop reading! Lisa Heathfield redefines my ability to give star ratings, and the two stars are not reflective of her writing style and excellent management of plot. Mar 15, Michelle Fluttering Butterflies rated it it was amazing Shelves: It's been a long time since I've been so thoroughly destroyed by a book.
Review courtesy of http: Depending on the story line, separating fiction from reality triggers a toll on one's heart, if they're unprepared. For me, child abuse remains number one on the subjects I find difficult to experience. Despite the good writing of this book, I yearned to "DNF" Did Not Finish, in bookworm terms , simply because some scenes tore at my heart. But, to support t Review courtesy of http: But, to support the book, I continued.
I met June, before and after a monumental moment in her life, a young black girl living with her father, stepmother, and stepsister, after her mother's death. To say her early years disturbs understated the truth.
Paper Butterflies
Every day reflected torture: One point to consider the depth of this book: Her father adored her, but the other two, particularly her stepmother's a bigot, which added layers to her abuse. For example, June's called ugly and her stepmother insisted on over-feeding her to fatten her. Sadly, the abuse never stopped. School, a respite for abused children, failed to provide the breath required to get through each day She had friends - two girls, but children can only provide so much when they do not know what you're experiencing at home.
Bullied and ignored by students and teachers alike, they inflamed her pain. Year after year, she persevered through abuse, until she turned sixteen, where desperation led to an ultimate act of freedom. In her after moments, June learned forgiveness - not necessarily for her parents, but for her sister's role in the abuse.
They reached an understanding as Megan suffered by her mother's hands, which does not excuse her, but offers a discussion of cyclic abuse. Yet, Blister, her one true friend, and his eccentric but lovable family, served as the one bright side among the dark. As a reader along for the journey, I thanked Lisa Heathfield for offering him and his family as respite because, as aforementioned, I wanted to leave this story incomplete.
Heathfield wrote a good story, pinging my heart and soul, while tearing at my anger. She created harrowing scenes I wished to skip, but could not. Some scenes set clear and bleak instances of abuse, especially if one's experienced similar mistreatment. I felt I witnessed these abuse while standing behind June.
While I did not cry, I yearned to help a fictional character I know truly was not fictional. I kept screaming to myself , "Speak up! I never truly spoke up myself and saw myself projecting what I should have done in my past. Heathfield's characters despised me. When the story progressed, one's lead to see clear reasoning: More so, her father, his name escaped me, turned a blind eye to his daughter's pain and enabled Kathleen's torture. Why bother remembering his name?
Finally, her stepsister, Megan, showed more of an arc, as both victim and victimizer. Jan 02, Charles C. Very good intro for young child to a miracle of nature While written for the very young child this book offers many oppose. Recommended to imbue children with respect and awe for living things.
Aug 29, Kristine Mejia rated it it was amazing.
Life of a butterfly I loved this book. It was very informational, easy to read, and easy for my 8 year old to understand. It showed how short the butterflies life span really is and where they travel. Feb 13, Monica rated it really liked it Shelves: This is a fun factual book with lots of pictures geared to new readers. The narrative is simple and easy to read with fun facts primarily about Monarch butterflies.
Pictures of the topics covered are on every page. Overall, a cute read. Jan 09, Breanne added it. Dec 28, Raymond R Ward rated it it was amazing. I love this book Xxawefwef f2f n ddAa salve to make it work for a baby girl to shower by herself. I'm going to the world cup in South Carolina. Jan 31, Valentin Eni rated it it was ok Shelves: Text is almost unreadable because the improperly chosen font.
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Sep 08, Cheryl rated it really liked it Recommended to Cheryl by: Excellent presentation of basic facts about Monarch Butterflies. One of the better free kindle books for children. Jan 02, Leigha Campbell rated it it was amazing. Wonderfully full of wonder! We will read this again. Full of fascinating information. And stunning pictures, maps, etc. I would recommend this to anyone! Jan 04, Amanda Kay rated it it was amazing. Great and informative love the information and the pictures were wonderful!! This is a perfect picture ,and educational book for all!
May 24, Angie Fehl rated it liked it. Enjoyed the vibrant pictures but the writing is pretty bland. The facts are there but not very engaging. Charesea rated it did not like it Apr 09, Shelby rated it liked it Apr 08, Kristin Crosslin rated it it was amazing Dec 30, Cristina rated it liked it May 26, Vollman and Stephen D. Marvel Fearless and Fantastic!
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