Review: A Magical Delight
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 3, 2013
All right, if you've read the title to this review, you know I really liked this book. But I'd like to tell you why: first, it's the ability of the author to weave a fantastic tale using perfectly believable characters,making for an enticing mixture of real and supernatural. It's done so expertly that one starts wondering whether one is not haunted by frightening childhood memories, indeed,that these memories could expand, take shape, become threatening...Fortunately, we are not Revenants, but the idea that one could be subject to this kind of hallucinations has roots in our subconscious. This makes Taylor Blake, the main character, all the more believable.Then there's the excellent writing. This is an author that never lets you down with a piece of aimless, space-filling dialogue or a useless description. Everything matters, everything works. The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns. Obviously, this makes for a page-turner.Some reviewers have suggested that this could be the start of a new genre, and it certainly mixes in an innovative way many elements of mysteries/thrillers with paranormal/magical/fantasy. In addition, there is no doubt that it belongs to Boomer Lit, a new genre aimed at Baby Boomers and featuring characters with whom boomers can identify with. This is a genre that is increasingly talked about, particularly on Goodreads where a group has been created to discuss Boomer Lit (and has now, at the time of writing, reached over 320 members in just 6 months and over 80 boomer books on its bookshelf) The protagonist of The Paper Doll Museum is a mature English teacher who has accumulated over the years both experience and knowledge. But no fear, she is not a boring, aging spinster, far from it! She is full of life, dynamic, with an attractive personality, a strong sense of irony and a lot of courage. And she needs courage to face the ghouls from the past that haunt her... This mixture of experience and courage, sprinkled with self-irony, is typical of Boomer Lit and places this book among the best in this new genre.