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Paper Girl
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I haven’t left my house in over a year. My doctor says it’s social anxiety, but I know the only things that are safe are made of paper. My room is paper. My world is paper. Everything outside is fire. All it would take is one spark for me to burst into flames. So I stay inside. Where nothing can touch me.
Then my mom hires a tutor. Jackson. This boy I had a crush on before ...more
Then my mom hires a tutor. Jackson. This boy I had a crush on before ...more
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The idea of a story about Agoraphobia has always intrigued me and when I read the synopsis for Paper girl I knew I had to get my hands on it. I’m so glad it didn’t disappoint.
Zoe is our paper girl. She likes crafting with paper and has made an out of this world solar system. She also likes playing chess. All her hobbies can be done in the home. In fact, everything she does can be done in the home. Zoe hasn’t left her house in over a year. Her anxiety has taken over her life. She is missing out ...more
Zoe is our paper girl. She likes crafting with paper and has made an out of this world solar system. She also likes playing chess. All her hobbies can be done in the home. In fact, everything she does can be done in the home. Zoe hasn’t left her house in over a year. Her anxiety has taken over her life. She is missing out ...more
"The real world was like paper, and one screw up, one spark, and the whole thing would go up in flames."
Paper Girl surprised me in a plethora of ways – all of which for the better. Having dived into this contemporary without many preconceived notions of how it’ll turn out, proved to be a wonderful occurrence! This is a beautiful story about love, discovery, and ultimately, confronting our fears and inner demons, regardless of the pain that may arise. I fell in love with Zoe and Jacks ...more
Find this review and others at Carlene Inspired.
Rogue and BlackKnight have progressed from just playing online chess matches to chatting on a regular basis. They hide behind their usernames, sharing more about themselves than they'd willingly share to friends offline. At the same time, at just seventeen Zoe battles agoraphobia and a panic disorder, leaving her unable to leave her home and incapable of maintaining personal friendships. Her older sister's friend, Jackson, is the one she misses the ...more
Rogue and BlackKnight have progressed from just playing online chess matches to chatting on a regular basis. They hide behind their usernames, sharing more about themselves than they'd willingly share to friends offline. At the same time, at just seventeen Zoe battles agoraphobia and a panic disorder, leaving her unable to leave her home and incapable of maintaining personal friendships. Her older sister's friend, Jackson, is the one she misses the ...more
Zoe is an adolescent with agoraphobia and social anxiety who loves chess and constructing amazing things with paper. She uses an on-line chess app where she plays under another name, and there she meets a guy who also loves chess and talking to her, and in their on-line world they can trust each other without judging, and bit by bit they open up to each other.
This guy she plays chess with turns out to be Jackson, a guy from school who also is gonna began tutoring her and who used to care for her ...more
This guy she plays chess with turns out to be Jackson, a guy from school who also is gonna began tutoring her and who used to care for her ...more
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I flew through this book so quickly. It was such a great read and exactly the kind of book I was needing right now. I needed something light and entertaining with some good feels, and that's exactly what I got. I loved the characters and their struggles that were so realistic and relatable. I loved their dynamic and how everything unfolded. Such a great read, and perfect for if you're in a reading slump and need something to get out of it!
...more
DNF at 65%
Throwing in the towel with this book.
There isn't really anything wrong with it, but there isn't anything right, either. There's no real plot, no conflict, nothing to pique my interest, and even less to hold it.
Yes, it was kinda cute. And I'm sure this will work for actual young adults a lot better than it did for me.
I, however, felt incredibly bored.
No rating as I didn't finish it. ...more
Throwing in the towel with this book.
There isn't really anything wrong with it, but there isn't anything right, either. There's no real plot, no conflict, nothing to pique my interest, and even less to hold it.
Yes, it was kinda cute. And I'm sure this will work for actual young adults a lot better than it did for me.
I, however, felt incredibly bored.
No rating as I didn't finish it. ...more
Nov 21, 2018
Hristina
marked it as dnf-shelf
DNFed at 57%
While I do believe that this book is beautifully written and the premise interesting I have found myself at a bit of a crossroads. I really want to know how this book ends, but I'm also suffering from panic attacks as the main character, and I face a portion of the same judgment and pressure she does in the book, which has in turn proven itself to be a trigger for me. Ever since I did my last update yesterday, it's been one panic attack after another. I've been starting to notice the ...more
While I do believe that this book is beautifully written and the premise interesting I have found myself at a bit of a crossroads. I really want to know how this book ends, but I'm also suffering from panic attacks as the main character, and I face a portion of the same judgment and pressure she does in the book, which has in turn proven itself to be a trigger for me. Ever since I did my last update yesterday, it's been one panic attack after another. I've been starting to notice the ...more
A debut author and some deep topics like a high school girl with an anxiety disorder and a high school guy hiding that he is homeless made this new YA Contemporary become a book I was curious to read.
Paper Girl begins with two on-line chess partners who know nothing about each other, but meet up to play chess. Black Knight wishes to become friendly and chat, but Rogue remains aloof as she kicks his butt in chess.
In real life, Zoe doesn't leave her family's high rise apartment because she has ag ...more
Paper Girl begins with two on-line chess partners who know nothing about each other, but meet up to play chess. Black Knight wishes to become friendly and chat, but Rogue remains aloof as she kicks his butt in chess.
In real life, Zoe doesn't leave her family's high rise apartment because she has ag ...more
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of PAPER GIRL by Cindy R Wilson in exchange for my honest review.***
Zoe, who has agoraphobia and Jackson, who is homeless play online chess under screen names. Unbeknownst to either, they were schoolmates before Zoe’s anxiety escalated and she stopped leaving the house. When Jackson becomes her tutor and figures out Zoe is his online friend and opponent he struggles with disclosing the relationship and having the girl he likes realize ...more
Zoe, who has agoraphobia and Jackson, who is homeless play online chess under screen names. Unbeknownst to either, they were schoolmates before Zoe’s anxiety escalated and she stopped leaving the house. When Jackson becomes her tutor and figures out Zoe is his online friend and opponent he struggles with disclosing the relationship and having the girl he likes realize ...more
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Jackson was homeless, and Zoe never left her home. When their online lives clash with their real world lives, they both may find the courage they need to tackle their respective issues.
• Pro: I really liked Jackson. He was forced to take on grown up responsibilities sooner than he should have due to his mother's death and his father's alcoholism. This could have made him jaded or bitter, but he didn't let it get him down. He kept his focus on his future and kept pushing ahead.
• ...more
Jackson was homeless, and Zoe never left her home. When their online lives clash with their real world lives, they both may find the courage they need to tackle their respective issues.
• Pro: I really liked Jackson. He was forced to take on grown up responsibilities sooner than he should have due to his mother's death and his father's alcoholism. This could have made him jaded or bitter, but he didn't let it get him down. He kept his focus on his future and kept pushing ahead.
• ...more
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*4.25 Stars*
Zoe hasn't been outside in a year. A series of things happened and now, when she thinks about leaving her apartment, she gets panic attacks. So she doesn't. And she doesn't like it but at least she can escape through chess and her paper art. Everything changes when she gets a new therapist and when Jackson, a friend of her sister starts spending more time at their place.
I really enjoyed this. The character were laye ...more
*4.25 Stars*
Zoe hasn't been outside in a year. A series of things happened and now, when she thinks about leaving her apartment, she gets panic attacks. So she doesn't. And she doesn't like it but at least she can escape through chess and her paper art. Everything changes when she gets a new therapist and when Jackson, a friend of her sister starts spending more time at their place.
I really enjoyed this. The character were laye ...more
What. A. Book.
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I am so happy I was able to read this in May which is also Mental Health Awareness month. This book just touched my heart so deeply as someone who struggles with anxiety on a daily basis. This book is about Zoe King, a girl who's anxiety and panic has consumed her life. Her fears keep her contained to her penthouse. Zoe spends the majority of her time in her room creating a paper universe and playing chess online. She is working really hard each day so that she will be able to att ...more
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I am so happy I was able to read this in May which is also Mental Health Awareness month. This book just touched my heart so deeply as someone who struggles with anxiety on a daily basis. This book is about Zoe King, a girl who's anxiety and panic has consumed her life. Her fears keep her contained to her penthouse. Zoe spends the majority of her time in her room creating a paper universe and playing chess online. She is working really hard each day so that she will be able to att ...more
Paper Girl by Cindy R. Wilson a five-star read that will rip you into pieces. What a book, I honestly didn’t expect this to be as amazing as it was, it had me in tears several times not just sad tears either. This was so nicely done, as we read Zoe’s story you will get drawn in and realise that everyone at some point in their lives could be a paper boy or girl, ripped apart so easily and at times pieced together again just as easy. This is a deep story but also at times comedically funny and so
...more
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Review can also be found on *Milky Way of Books*
Zoe lives in her family's penthouse...and hasn't left it for a year. Making galaxies from paper and enjoying her online winning as a chess master, and having one online friend, she tries to gain back her self-confidence, because she wants to go to her sister's graduation and because she wants to become a better person.
Then there's Jackson; homeless, but nobody knows it, who become ...more
Zoe lives in her family's penthouse...and hasn't left it for a year. Making galaxies from paper and enjoying her online winning as a chess master, and having one online friend, she tries to gain back her self-confidence, because she wants to go to her sister's graduation and because she wants to become a better person.
Then there's Jackson; homeless, but nobody knows it, who become ...more
YA contemporaries that mix mental health issues and romance can be tricky. There is a chance that the romance can overwhelm the actual representation of mental health and warp the most interesting part of the novel into a mere subplot in comparison to the romance.
I would like to give the caveat that I do not have firsthand experience with mental health, so take my opinions with a grain of salt and please also seek out own voices reviewers.
However, Paper Girl has the prefect mix of exploring Zoe ...more
I would like to give the caveat that I do not have firsthand experience with mental health, so take my opinions with a grain of salt and please also seek out own voices reviewers.
However, Paper Girl has the prefect mix of exploring Zoe ...more
I have a very good friend who suffers from agoraphobia and a daughter with social anxiety. I’ll admit I never really understood these feelings. I’m the opposite, a consummate extrovert who loves the hub of urban life and exploring everything the world has to offer. But PAPER GIRL takes me inside the life of Zoe, an agoraphobic who hasn’t left her home in over a year. Zoe was always more shy and reserved than her outgoing older sister, Mae, but before a series of events pushed her into seclusion,
...more
I was provided an ARC through NetGalley in return of an honest review.
This book is wonderful and I think it's a very important book to read. It's one of the few books I've found that is so pro-therapy, which made me beyond happy.
First off, I love the way the chapters work. I love how one chapter is both characters talking online through their chess games, the next is from Zoe's point of view, and the next is from Jackson's. I feel that this was the perfect way to do this and to show what each ch ...more
This book is wonderful and I think it's a very important book to read. It's one of the few books I've found that is so pro-therapy, which made me beyond happy.
First off, I love the way the chapters work. I love how one chapter is both characters talking online through their chess games, the next is from Zoe's point of view, and the next is from Jackson's. I feel that this was the perfect way to do this and to show what each ch ...more
This book was a real page-turner. Both of the characters were really developed in a way that you felt all of their pain and anxiousness. I know that I was rooting for both to figure out that the other was actually their anonymous chess partner online, but until they did, it was very interested to see just how much they'd share. Reading the descriptions of Zoe's paper galaxy made me want to actually see pictures of it. I did my best to picture them in my head, but I'm sure I had nothing anywhere
...more
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this great YA read!
Zoe is home schooled. She has not left the house in a year. In that time, she's created a world made out of paper. In addition to the paper, she finds an escape playing chess online with a dude. They open up to each other.
Jackson is super smart and on track to becoming valedictorian. His mom passed away, and he can't live at home because his dad has turned to alcohol. He finds an escape playing chess online...
Jackson is fr ...more
Zoe is home schooled. She has not left the house in a year. In that time, she's created a world made out of paper. In addition to the paper, she finds an escape playing chess online with a dude. They open up to each other.
Jackson is super smart and on track to becoming valedictorian. His mom passed away, and he can't live at home because his dad has turned to alcohol. He finds an escape playing chess online...
Jackson is fr ...more
First let me address the cover... wowzers! It's one of my favorite covers of 2018! Cindy is a beautiful writer who takes you into the world of Zoe and Jackson. Zoe suffers from social anxiety and is afraid to leave the house. She connects with the outside world through online chess and befriends a player named Jackson. But little does she know her online friend has struggles of his own, and Zoe and Jackson are more connected than they realize...
I loved the characters, the storyline, and the swe ...more
I loved the characters, the storyline, and the swe ...more
3.5*
What I did not like: that a boy had to come along to get the girl to leave the house, giving the impression that a) romantic love cures mental illness and b) the girl needs to be saved by the boy. The whole rest of the book I loved.
What I did not like: that a boy had to come along to get the girl to leave the house, giving the impression that a) romantic love cures mental illness and b) the girl needs to be saved by the boy. The whole rest of the book I loved.
CW: scenes dealing with panic attacks
Told in alternating perspectives, Paper Girl by Cindy R. Wilson is more than its title. Zoe, the titular Paper Girl, and Jackson, a determined student who has become homeless before the opening, are two characters that have levels of engagement for the reader. Readers interested in books about severe social anxiety, agoraphobia, and homelessness re: teens may well find themselves enjoying this story.
There are two main stories in Paper Girl: Zoe and her social ...more
Told in alternating perspectives, Paper Girl by Cindy R. Wilson is more than its title. Zoe, the titular Paper Girl, and Jackson, a determined student who has become homeless before the opening, are two characters that have levels of engagement for the reader. Readers interested in books about severe social anxiety, agoraphobia, and homelessness re: teens may well find themselves enjoying this story.
There are two main stories in Paper Girl: Zoe and her social ...more
The cover of this book was the first thing that caught my attention. It implies that the 'Paper Girl' is fragile and that her life could turn to ash at any moment. I thought it captured the essence of the book really well.
The 'Paper Girl' is Zoe, an almost-seventeen-year-old who hasn't left her apartment in over a year. After a socially painful incident at school, she has her first panic attack and becomes trapped in her apartment, unable to face the world. Paper becomes her comfort blanket. Sh ...more
The 'Paper Girl' is Zoe, an almost-seventeen-year-old who hasn't left her apartment in over a year. After a socially painful incident at school, she has her first panic attack and becomes trapped in her apartment, unable to face the world. Paper becomes her comfort blanket. Sh ...more
I started this book initially back in April, but had to put it aside. Nevertheless, I had been really compelled by it from the what I’d already read, so I decided to reserve it at the library and I wasn’t disappointed.
If you’re looking for a good, own voices contemporary novel that deals with a main character struggling with anxiety disorder, or mental health in general, then I highly recommend you pick it up. There’s also a strong narrative around teenage homelessness, agoraphobia, familial al ...more
If you’re looking for a good, own voices contemporary novel that deals with a main character struggling with anxiety disorder, or mental health in general, then I highly recommend you pick it up. There’s also a strong narrative around teenage homelessness, agoraphobia, familial al ...more
"Paper Girl" is a YA novel that talks about a girl with social anxiety. As someone who experiences anxiety in social settings from time to time, I thought the author managed to craft a story with a character I can somewhat relate to. I enjoyed reading about the representation because the author doesn't shy away from portraying the difficulties of having and/or experiencing anxiety. I especially enjoyed the familial aspects in the story and how they helped the main character in times of difficult
...more
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When I first recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review I was beyond excited. For weeks I’ve been denyed every single request. I absoulety love the cover for this book it fits perfectly.
Zoe has suffered a panic attack that has forced her to become a shut in. Why? Because the real world is scary. She spends most of her time playing online chess and transforming her study into a galaxy made from paper.
Jackson has a troubled relationsh ...more
When I first recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review I was beyond excited. For weeks I’ve been denyed every single request. I absoulety love the cover for this book it fits perfectly.
Zoe has suffered a panic attack that has forced her to become a shut in. Why? Because the real world is scary. She spends most of her time playing online chess and transforming her study into a galaxy made from paper.
Jackson has a troubled relationsh ...more
Dec 06, 2018
Lynda Dickson
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Ages 14+
Shelves:
young-adult
Zoe is a sixteen-year-old shut-in, while Jackson is seventeen and homeless. She never leaves her house, while he doesn’t even have a house. They are total opposites, but they find each other through an online chess game, where they tell each other their most intimate secrets, not thinking that they could ever meet. Little do they realize that they already know each other. What will happen when Jackson discovers Zoe’s secret identity? Can a relationship be built on lies? And what will happen when
...more
Loved this, and especially loved the positive therapy rep.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge Corner: Paper Girl by Cindy R. Wilson -> Starting December 7th, 2018 | 1 | 2 | Oct 28, 2018 07:41AM | |
| YA Buddy Readers'...: Paper Girl by Cindy R. Wilson - Starting December 7th 2018 | 1 | 15 | Oct 27, 2018 08:50PM |
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Cindy began creating worlds as a kid, entertaining her siblings with spontaneous ghost stories before bed. She filled notebooks with novels and ideas and realized quickly she wanted to be a writer as an adult.
Now Cindy lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and loves using Colorado towns and cities as inspiration for settings in her stories. She’s the mother of three girls who provide plent ...more
Now Cindy lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and loves using Colorado towns and cities as inspiration for settings in her stories. She’s the mother of three girls who provide plent ...more
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“Sometimes what you’re looking for finds you first.”
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“I get that. You can be yourself when you’re anonymous, but in real life you have to answer to who you really are. And sometimes, that’s the scariest thing of all.”
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