Author: Allie Burke
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Dark Literary Fiction
Publisher: Booktrope
Release Date: Sept 9 2014
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Goodreads: Add To TBR List
Purchase Links: Amazon
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Blurb/Synopsis: From the author of the bestselling genre-defining Enchanters series, comes a new literary tour de force about Emily, a young woman balancing two worlds between her fingertips: the one that is real to her and the one that is real to everyone else…
The question is: which one will she choose?
Never romanticizing what it means to be a twenty-something schizophrenic in a world broken by normalcy and half-baked fairytales, Allie Burke’s latest novel unites Emily and her world at large spanning from the streets of Russia, to the sheets of her bed, to the idiosyncratic comfort she gets from worlds that don’t exist at all.
Woven with angst and darkness, bursting with heartache, Paper Souls tells of the irreparably damaged and broken, and how they survive.
“Brendan.”
If it had been a woman’s voice, Brendan would have believed that his guitar had just spoken to him. The voice, however, he knew like the calluses sheltering his fingertips. He would have ignored him but he never called him Brendan so he was definitely pissed or worried or both.
Brendan rolled his eyes up at him. Will was a good looking guy. Darkness intensified him throughout. A shade of darkness that was his black hair spiked around his head, contrasting his green eyes that were almost always scowling against his chiseled jaw and defined features. He kind of looked like Emily, actually.
Will was an asshole. Not to Brendan, but to most people. He had once told Emily to shut up because ‘men were talking.’ At the time, Brendan had been genuinely surprised that Emily didn’t punch him in the face right then and there. It hadn’t always been that way, though. He hadn’t always been that way. Whether or not the world would ever get any genuine piece of William Young back, Brendan didn’t know. Probably not.
“What the hell was that?” Will practically whispered.
Brendan ignored him.
“Bren.”
That’s better. Brendan looked at him underneath lazy eyelids, and Will stared back at him over a clenched jaw. Will would never intentionally pester him. He would never dig sharp claws into Brendan’s temples until he succumbed to the equivalent of torture and spilled his thoughts through his vocal chords. Will understood better than anyone that when Brendan wanted to be left alone, attempting to force him to talk was not only unproductive but impossible. He would walk away. That is, in any situation other than this one, apparently. Will’s expression screamed at Brendan.
“It just happened, Will. There’s nothing I can do about it now.”
“What just happened, exactly?”
“I don’t know.” Brendan closed his eyes and inadvertently sighed. “I won’t remember any of it tomorrow anyway.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Brendan inhaled sharply through his nose, and deep in his chest, he clutched onto his own breath until the blackness overtook him. “Because I’m drunk, and I don’t really love her.”
It was the truth, and Will knew that. He would have never said what he said if he was sober. Brendan didn’t give a fuck about anything or anyone unless he was drunk.
Not even Emily.
An American novelist, book critic, and magazine editor from Burbank, California, Allie Burke writes books she can’t find in the bookstore. Having been recognized as writing a “kickass book that defies the genre it’s in”, Allie writes with a prose that has been labeled poetic and ethereal.
Her life is a beautiful disaster, flowered with the harrowing existence of inherited eccentricity, a murderous family history, a faithful literature addiction, and the intricate darkness of true love. These are the enchanting experiences that inspire Allie’s fairytales.
From some coffee shop in Los Angeles, she is working on her next novel.
Author Links
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Barnes and Noble Author Page
Facebook Author Page
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| B&NBlurb/Synopsis: From the author of the bestselling genre-defining Enchanters series, comes a new literary tour de force about Emily, a young woman balancing two worlds between her fingertips: the one that is real to her and the one that is real to everyone else…
The question is: which one will she choose?
Never romanticizing what it means to be a twenty-something schizophrenic in a world broken by normalcy and half-baked fairytales, Allie Burke’s latest novel unites Emily and her world at large spanning from the streets of Russia, to the sheets of her bed, to the idiosyncratic comfort she gets from worlds that don’t exist at all.
Woven with angst and darkness, bursting with heartache, Paper Souls tells of the irreparably damaged and broken, and how they survive.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author, editor, publisher, or Promo Host. This is my honest opinion about this book and I did not receive any monetary compensation for writing this review nor was I obligated to write a positive one.
“Brendan.”
If it had been a woman’s voice, Brendan would have believed that his guitar had just spoken to him. The voice, however, he knew like the calluses sheltering his fingertips. He would have ignored him but he never called him Brendan so he was definitely pissed or worried or both.
Brendan rolled his eyes up at him. Will was a good looking guy. Darkness intensified him throughout. A shade of darkness that was his black hair spiked around his head, contrasting his green eyes that were almost always scowling against his chiseled jaw and defined features. He kind of looked like Emily, actually.
Will was an asshole. Not to Brendan, but to most people. He had once told Emily to shut up because ‘men were talking.’ At the time, Brendan had been genuinely surprised that Emily didn’t punch him in the face right then and there. It hadn’t always been that way, though. He hadn’t always been that way. Whether or not the world would ever get any genuine piece of William Young back, Brendan didn’t know. Probably not.
“What the hell was that?” Will practically whispered.
Brendan ignored him.
“Bren.”
That’s better. Brendan looked at him underneath lazy eyelids, and Will stared back at him over a clenched jaw. Will would never intentionally pester him. He would never dig sharp claws into Brendan’s temples until he succumbed to the equivalent of torture and spilled his thoughts through his vocal chords. Will understood better than anyone that when Brendan wanted to be left alone, attempting to force him to talk was not only unproductive but impossible. He would walk away. That is, in any situation other than this one, apparently. Will’s expression screamed at Brendan.
“It just happened, Will. There’s nothing I can do about it now.”
“What just happened, exactly?”
“I don’t know.” Brendan closed his eyes and inadvertently sighed. “I won’t remember any of it tomorrow anyway.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Brendan inhaled sharply through his nose, and deep in his chest, he clutched onto his own breath until the blackness overtook him. “Because I’m drunk, and I don’t really love her.”
It was the truth, and Will knew that. He would have never said what he said if he was sober. Brendan didn’t give a fuck about anything or anyone unless he was drunk.
Not even Emily.
My Rant: Paper Souls was an emotionally engaging book about a woman who suffered with Schizophrenia. Each alter personality had its own life and situations and nothing seems to be out of place. The author takes you through this journey flawlessly because she makes this story and its characters real. You don’t know what persona is the main persona of the story. It was interesting to see how difficult it was on the characters which made it difficult for the reader emotionally. You began to feel trapped and just like the character that has to endure this life; you have taken it on with its challenges. The gripping challenges are the hardest to face when you live with an illness that you cannot control. What makes this book beautiful because it tests the validity of how the brain works, and what marvelous functions it has and how it automatically develops a defense mechanism to protect you. Just because you are sane and maybe you think you’re in your right state of mind does not mean that you are actually and truly living a life that appears to be normal. Life is hard and it affects us all differently and sometimes I believe that the abnormal is normal. The author displays this characters vulnerability, but she also showcases her strengths at dealing with her issues of multiple personalities. The authors writing style is emotional with a touch of factual examples of the struggles with dealing with Schizophrenia. This book reminded me of someone in my family that dealt with the constant struggles of Schizophrenia and reminded me that everyone has their own little personal hell, it’s just a matter of how we all handle it but it doesn’t make us any different from anyone else and as an individual we need to realize that maybe one day we may face the same challenges. If you haven’t reads work by this author you are really missing out on such and emotionally gripping story. This book touched me on so many levels that I felt empty once I had to leave it behind.
My Recommendation:
I rated this book 4 out of 5 Purple Rant Hearts and will recommend this book to anyone that enjoys an emotional engaging story.
Her life is a beautiful disaster, flowered with the harrowing existence of inherited eccentricity, a murderous family history, a faithful literature addiction, and the intricate darkness of true love. These are the enchanting experiences that inspire Allie’s fairytales.
From some coffee shop in Los Angeles, she is working on her next novel.
Author Links
Amazon Author Page
Barnes and Noble Author Page
Facebook Author Page
G+
Goodreads
tumblr
Website
YouTube
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