The Paper Swan
Leylah Attar
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Description
They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.
They lie.
For 21 days she held on.
But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death.
Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves.
A haunting tale of passion, loss, and redemption, The Paper Swan is a darkly intense yet heartwarming love story, textured with grit, intrigue, and suspense. Please note: This is NOT a love triangle.
A full-length, standalone novel, intended for mature audiences due to violence, sex and language. Subject matter may be disturbing for some readers.
Customer Reviews
An unforgettable story with epic themes!
When I read a great book, I often find it difficult to put into words how magnificent it is. I want to run pillar to post grabbing everyone shaking them while yelling, "Oh my goodness, you have to read this book! You have no idea what you're missing out on!"Of course that tends to scare people more often than not, but I'll try my level best to do this book justice.
There are some books that just read better in the silence of the night. I didn't start reading this book until 1 AM. I figured I'd read a chapter and then go to sleep. I didn't stop until I'd finished it at 3 AM. Even then sleep wouldn't come. My mind was wide awake even if my body was tired. I was trying to process how amazing the book I'd just finished was. It was truly a struggle. I must say the blurb is totally deceptive, but in a good way. You think you have an idea about what the story will be about, but then you're jolted by the very first page. It captured my attention and didn't let it go until I was finished. This story is dark, poetic, a deep romance, and even philosophical. It has some of the most profound lines I've had the pleasure to read.
Leylah Attar took me on this incredible journey with Damian and Skye. I experienced so many emotions, among them pain, fear, heartbreak, hope, and love. There were innumerable tears. I couldn't help myself. It was impossible to foreshadow so many events in this book. Damian might have been explosive in his anger, but there were revelations in this book that rocked him as much as they did Skye and me. I couldn't believe the turns this book took. They were gut wrenching; some were easier to understand than others. The themes in this story are universal and unforgettable. The one that stood out to me the most was the power of love and revenge.
The Paper Swan is an epic story of loss, love, revenge, redemption, and forgiveness. From the first page to the last, it's just unbelievably amazing. It's best to go into this book as blind as possible so you have the best reading experience. The hangover this book leaves will last for days. It's impossible for it not to. Damian and Skye had an undeniable chemistry and a connection that is soul deep. When the connection the characters have with one another is so deep it shows in their mannerisms, speech, and movements. Words are not always needed to convey thoughts, emotions, and feelings.
This is my first Leylah Attar novel. She's published two other books before this. She shows such maturity and promise. If she writes at this level now, I can't wait to see the heights she achieves. This book will leave a lasting impression on you as it did me. Pick it up today and find out why!
From the good, the bad, and the ugly. 5,4,3,2,1. Impressive.
Skye, Esteban, and Damien POV's.
It's amazingly written. Bit by bit clues unfold. Past memories surface. It's an interesting and clever storyline. The story is full of surprises. Never an expected moment or action. The story is unfolding nicely. I'm greedy for more. I'm unable to put it down. The only thing I currently care about is discovering more answers and finishing this brilliant piece of work. The way the story unfolds is impressive. First we have Skye's dyer situation of being held captive and uncertain of her future. Then we get Damien's unveiling past circumstances which led to Skye's current situation. Every angle is covered leaving nothing unanswered. The story transitions nicely giving the reader something new to chew on. I was all in and feeling every word.
Skye and Esteban were innocent pawns in a very dangerous deal against very bad men. As children they had no understanding for the type of lifestyle their parents were involved in. This set the course for what is currently taking place.
These are the types of stories that I treasure. It's challenging to find authors who can carefully craft an interesting tale without following the footsteps of others. ORIGINAL. Bravo! Leylah for writing this most intriguing story. It will touch your heart, make you cry, make you think, make you laugh, and make you love. Leylah wrote a beautiful story that was suspenseful. Leylah chose a different route into the cartel world and introduced the reader to a clever tale of choices and consequences.
Consequences. Peoples actions and choices in life change the course of other people's lives both indirectly and directly.
Ultimately, the book suffered from dramatic overload, which kept me from liking the book.
Leylah Attar's debut novel, 53 Letters for my Lover , was an incredibly moving love story. Her newest release, The Paper Swan , is a mix of several elements: a suspenseful thriller, a love story full of loss, sacrifices, and twists and turns. The first quarter of the book I enjoyed, but ultimately the book suffered from dramatic overload, which kept me from liking the book.
I struggled with how to rate this book. On one hand, I didn't hate it. In fact, there were moments that I liked and the writing style was overall good. But on the other hand, I had a lot of issues with it. I had originally given it a 2-star rating upon finishing. After gathering my thoughts and writing this review, I realized that I needed to edit my rating to reflect my review.
The first quarter of the book had this great momentum, packed with suspense and secrets brewing beneath the surface. In 53 Letters, Leylah Attar had a knack for telling an unconventional story and taking characters you otherwise might hate and introducing you to their vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to fall in love with Damien in her follow-up. He was someone I really began to loathe. He continued doing horrible things to Skye with no apparent remorse.
"...the human psyche is a such a fragile thing, a yolk contained within a brittle shell—one crack and out it spills: a neighbor goes on a suicide mission, tribes massacre tribes, countries turn their faces away from injustices. And it all starts within, because within is where all things begin."
This is a fiction novel, and I get that we as readers are asked to suspend disbelief often in fiction. Reading is an escape. But when you cross the line from suspending disbelief and venture into the absurd it becomes impossible to truly escape. Such is the case with this book for me. I couldn't get lost in the book due to issues that only multiplied the further I read. The romance between the hero and heroine was not romantic to me. (I will go into more detail on that in the spoiler section). The story unfolds partially through flashbacks, but Damien's backstory was a too long and caused the story to drag.
This book felt like the backstory was all manufactured around the romance this author wanted to tell, instead of having these characters and creating an organic story from them. Readers who don't mind a lot of ups and downs, twists and turns, will probably like this book more than I did. I'm finding that as I read more books, I don't need there to be a shocker at every corner to keep me interested, some are totally okay for me. But my issue is when the plot is laden with them. Here the conflict between the captor and captive was already strong enough to keep the story going without many of the added twists and extra drama.
There were some moments of this book I liked, especially the suspenseful first quarter. But after that point, the story fell apart. Leylah Attar is a good writer and she took risks with this book. I look forward to seeing what she comes out with next.
It truly makes me sad that I didn't like this book.
1 star
* I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
FULL REVIEW w/ SPOILERS POSTED on READING BOOKS LIKE A BOSS
- $3.99
- Category: Suspense
- Published: Aug 04, 2015
- Publisher: Leylah Attar
- Seller: Smashwords
- Print Length: 369 Pages
- Language: English