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Paper Castles
Terri Lee, author
IN SAVANNAH GEORGIA, THE GARDENS AREN'T THE ONLY THINGS KEEPING SECRETS.
"I want to know what goes on in your head," Adam said. "What do you think about? What are your dreams?"
"My dreams," Savannah said, picking up her spoon and stirring her coffee again. She stared into the swirling depths as if she could conjure up the specter of the girl who once had dreams to spare. "Funny thing is—I got everything I wanted."
Where do you go when you find out everything you wanted isn't what you need?
Savannah Palmerton picks up a brush and heads to an art class, desperate to find a piece of the girl she used to be, before the country club dances and the boring dinner party conversations. In 1963 the country is still playing in her innocence, but there are rumblings beneath the surface. The fabric of America is just beginning to fray around the edges. So it is in Savannah Palmerton's life.
Love, betrayal and family secrets create a lethal cocktail that has Savannah's world unraveling at her feet. Set against a southern backdrop of garden parties and civil rights marches, Paper Castles is a sultry mix of sweet-tea and murder. Sex and secrets.
Paper Castles is the best kind of love story. Where a woman must first learn to love herself.
Quarter Finalist
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 10 out of 10
Prose: 10 out of 10
Character/Execution: 10 out of 10
Overall: 9.75 out of 10
Assessment:
In this deeply satisfying novel, romance can come in many forms – from the passion-laced lust found between Adam and Savannah to the slow-building fire based on respect and shared goals between Savannah and Phil. Lee’s richly detailed and polished exploration of that romance is bolstered by the insight and oftentimes raw exploration of a person’s inner landscape. While at times the open vulnerability was difficult to read, there was a certain sense of freedom and revelation leading to more personal introspection. The historical references also added dimension and a touchstone glimpse into a time long gone by – yet still relevant. This is an exceptional book.
Date Submitted: July 14, 2016