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 anxiety/agoraphobia & Jackson, a homeless teen who is striving to keep his grades up and get into college despite a rough background. While the synopsis makes it seem like most of the book will be centered around Zoe and her plot, I thought that there was a good balance of Zoe narrated chapters, Jackson chapters, and online conversations between the two as they play chess (not knowing who the other is behind screen names).

Zoe's situation, her social anxiety spiraling into full blown agoraphobia, had a somewhat strong story. From the event that caused her anxiety to become more intense to the point of staying in her parents' penthouse apartment for over a year, to the relatively positive therapy rep...these scenes were pretty good, the therapy especially. As of the beginning of this book, Zoe's on therapist #6. Finding one that will listen & help rather than patronizing can be difficult. Gina (#6) seemed like someone that was actually helping Zoe, as opposed to the previous therapist, Dr. Edwards, who pontificated rather than assisted.

Jackson's story was a bit more interesting to me. It's possible because I haven't read that many, if any, books involving homeless teens whereas I have about teens with agoraphobia/social anxiety. It was intense, reading about the things that Jackson did to stay not only alive without relying on anyone, but about what he did to stay off the radar as a homeless kid. Being discovered would've been disastrous for his plans, necessitating moving his car constantly, sneaking in showers whenever and wherever possible, and figuring out how to get enough to eat without tipping someone off.

There were some amazing descriptions of visual elements that Zoe created. Her Milky Way paper art sounded spectacular. It made me wish that there were illustrations of it or even photographs of samples that someone had made based on the concept. Zoe's use of origami/kirigami to cope with her anxiety was an interesting facet of her character. It broke my heart, her decision regarding her "paper room" at the end and I have to say, it was one that I couldn't wholly understand/believe.

The pacing in the second half of the book was my biggest problem with the book and ultimately made me aggravated with the reading process. While the story was engaging enough and enjoyable for the first 50%, there was a point at which it felt like everything ground to a halt. It took so long for anything to actually happen that I got frustrated with the characters and especially the author. It felt like maybe she didn't quite know how to end the book, resulting in a longer book than was necessary.

I'm not sure how to explain my feelings regarding Zoe's family, either. While both her parents were present, there were times when I questioned it because it almost felt like her parents were, at least, getting her therapy and being understanding-ish of her condition, but also that they weren't present other than physically. Her sister Mae reactions to Zoe's anxiety & their parents' dealing with it felt like it might be realistic, but she said a few things that felt particularly insensitive that amounted to "just get over it" or "stop being scared if you're so unhappy". It was a strange imbalance in Mae's supportive/insensitive moments that had me wondering whether I liked and/or cared about her all that much.

I could see recommending this in general with the caveat that the second half can feel like slow pouring molasses, but also to fans of Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall (not a book I cared for, but the similarity in a teen girl dealing with anxiety/agoraphobia may appeal to some readers).

This was a good story, that was a tad unrealistic, but I don't read romance for it's realism. I really enjoyed this story, as someone suffers from anxiety, this book intrigued me. Lets face it Zoe is a mess. She is a mess mentally and emotionally but she makes beautiful things out of her paper. Jackson the boy brought in to tutor her is such a kind soul. I love his character. Sometimes it was hard to follow Zoe's behavior, but all in all this was a great book. The story is told in dual pov.

Excellent read. I feel that now that mental health is being more talked about, many can relate to these young characters struggling to overcome these type of issues.

This book is unique and will suck you in from the start. I finished it in one sitting you'll have to trust me. The author makes you care about these characters and makes them very relatable.

4.5*

The first thing that made me want to know what the book was about was the cover, it just caught my attention, and then I read what it was about and it intrigued me because I never read a book about agoraphobia (the fear of the outside world).

Zoe is the “Paper girl”, she likes to make paper art and hasn’t left the apartment in a year after an incident at school and her first panic attack.

Jackson is the other POV of this story, he has his own problems with being homeless and his problems with his dad. I think he was a great character but something towards the ending I started to want to hit him, but he got better, I guess it was just a little fase… Anyway, he and Zoe love chess and the universe and he becomes her tutor and they become friends then more and yeah, a love story.

One thing I loved about this book is that the stereotype of “love will save you” didn’t become a part of this, she was actually trying to get better because of her and her family, not a boy, so I was really happy about that outcome. She did things at her own pace and even though it felt rushed some parts it was still a very enjoyable read.

It was total coincidence that I downloaded this DRC right after reading Underwater by Marisa Reichardt, but it ended up not being a great thing.

Because they are essentially the same book.

Agoraphobic teenage girl meets cute boy with his own family issues (including an absentee father). Boy inspires girl to go out into the world. Girl has a sibling who desperately wants them to attend an event, which then becomes The Goal. Both girls have quirky, hip therapists and over-protective but supportive parents.

Because of those similarities, I just couldn't stop making comparisons and getting the two stories confused--which clearly dragged down the enjoyment factor. I liked most of the characters...I just didn't care about them all that much. *shrug*

This was a cute young adult romance book. Okay so Zoe suffers from agoraphobia and Jackson is homeless. They try to help each other. I love the plot but i wish we read more of their life and how they deal with it. Because agoraphobia is a serious topic and i felt like everything handled very quickly. I loved the title and the cover. I can feel whole fragile thing. Overall it was a good book but i couldn't get what i expected. And i tried to do 3D paper heart.

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 entertaining that you will love every page. When you read the description of the paper room and they are in such descriptive details that you can see the comets on the walls. This story will have you looking up origami and if you are anything like me trying to find easy pieces to try out. I hadn’t read anything by this author before, but I will be making sure to check anything she releases as I can’t get enough of this writing. If you have ever suffered from anxiety then this novel will speak to you, and if you know anyone with anxiety this will help you to understand them better, Cindy R. Wilson has a great talent for showing you the good, the bad and the beautiful of anxiety and how to deal with it.

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 becomes Zoe's math and Physics tutor as also something more.

This book feels like it doesn't get the attention it deserves. The cover first caught my eye and then the summary. Only one another similar book made me so emotional and that was *Under Rose Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall*. Both characters have their own struggles but you can't miss the humor, the emotions and the tender moments. Also, Zoe's family tries to be supportive in every way and also help her through her own fight.

Also, Jackson was a sweetie with his smiles and support. And the beauty of this book is that both protagonists deal with their families and try to work through their own past.
Truly a beautiful book!

Paper Girl by Cindy R. Wilson tackles anxiety from two distinct viewpoints—the person dealing with the illness, and the people on the outside who want to help but don’t know how. This novel is told through three narrative perspectives: Zoe, a teenage girl dealing with anxiety that renders her unable to leave the house; Jackson, Zoe’s crush who struggles with self-imposed homelessness due to his father’s alcoholism; and then short chat logs between Zoe and Jackson’s online personas who have unwittingly crossed paths on a site called Chess Challenge.

When I first began reading this novel, I was super excited. As someone who suffers from social anxiety, it was very validating to see someone like me reflected in a book. However, the story never really dives deep into the emotions of anxiety. The writing style is very simplistic, which worked for Jackson’s point of view, but not so much for Zoe.

Another point of tension in the novel is the Chess Challenge website. Zoe and Jackson both play chess on the site, and their screen names become friends without either of them knowing who they’re truly speaking with for most of the plot. Jackson eventually figures out Zoe is the girl he’s been playing online with for months, and he’s nervous to tell her. While this aspect of the novel was interesting at first, it’s relevance fell off once Jackson discovers who he’s been chatting with—but the chat log chapters still continue, even after they are rendered meaningless.

Then, there is Zoe’s sister, Mae. I really struggled with this character because although I understood her frustration with Zoe and how useless she felt, her methods were toxic. She yells at Zoe multiple times in the story, gets angry with Zoe for her reluctance to go outside, and makes Zoe’s anxiety about herself. This happens in real life and it was fine that the story explored the many reactions people have to a loved one suffering from mental illness—even the toxic ones. But there is never any pushback against Mae’s methods. Zoe just feels guilty and believes Mae is right. Mae is NOT right. I’d have appreciated a session with the therapist where the therapist tells Mae that her reactions are harmful.

Although I enjoyed this book, it didn’t end up giving me what I really wanted. The emotions weren’t deep enough to grip me, which may have been due to the multiple POVs. If Wilson had chosen one character to focus on, I believe the narrative would’ve resonated much more, but as it stands, the exploration of anxiety is much too surface-level. However, this may just be my preference for more lyrical writing. This story was a quick read and I’d certainly recommend it to someone who has a family member dealing with anxiety—not so sure I’d recommend it to a sufferer themselves, though.

Paper Girl isn't groundbreaking. But that doesn't mean that it isn't a delight to read. I'm a sucker for You've Got Mail, 'I wanted it to be you so badly', shop around the corner, all that, so it wasn't really a surprise.

Imagine if You've Got Mail had taken place on an online chess website's instant messenger, then put them in high school - that's your premise. Sold? Why not through in some super cliche teen romance? And less cliche representations of social anxiety and teen homelessness? I wouldn't say this book deals very seriously with these issues, but they certainly aren't trivialised either; it's nice to see them represented in YA contemporary.

I will say that I found the first maybe 70% of the book much more engaging than its finale. But, not altogether disappointed. Overall, very glad I read this. 3.5-4/5

Thank you Netgalley for this advance copy!

2.5 stars

Zoe is a 16 year old girl who suffers from Agoraphobia. Jackson is a 17 year old boy, who sleeps in his car.
Keeping their real identities hidden, they have become best friends while playing chess together online, not knowing that they use to me schoolmates.

There are clearly flaws in this story.
Zoe has panic attacks going to the lobby of her building, but a couple chapters later she is going to the grocery store.
I felt like the agoraphobia premise was big when it needed to be and then quickly swept under the rug with no clear indication as to how she overcame it.
It was hard for me to look past this and the more I think about it, the more it bothers me.

This is a cute story, I liked the characters and I really liked the authors writing, but I think if you are going to tackle any kind of mental illness, you need to do it properly.


**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

I have been in a mini review mood lately, so this will most likely be just a short review. I liked the premises of this book very much. I had a feeling it was for me when I first read about it and I like it when my intuition is right about this type of thing.

The main character tries to spend most of the book trying to get over the fear of leaving her house after not going anywhere for a year. I liked the fact that her hobby was building things out of paper, her room sounded so cool to visit. I liked the friendship she had with Jackson and (slight spoiler, but not really since the synopsis hints towards it) I also liked the romance between them too. I didn’t think it took over the book the way some romances do.

There is a side online plot going on in the book that I don’t want to spoil too much, but it’s a trope that I enjoy and it was another reason why I liked the book also. The cover is also pretty too!

This book was a five star rating based on the characters, pace, and engaging plotline. I received this book from Netgalley but this has no impact on my thoughts, my thoughts are my own. Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this!

I received a copy of PAPER GIRL on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author.

Five stars and here's why:

The book cover first captured my attention. The cover suggests that “Paper Girl” is fragile, and that her life could disintegrate at any given moment. Entangled and Cindy R. Wilson did a great job with this book. “Paper Girl” is one of these books that resonate with you long after you finish reading it. It’s a typical YA contemporary romance, but what makes this book special is that both characters are dealing with real issues that are not magically resolved just because they fall in love.

Zoe, 16, suffers from agoraphobia and social anxiety, and Jackson, 17, is on track to be valedictorian but is essentially homeless without a functioning parent to provide the basic necessities in life. They find each other online via a chess game, and the chapters alternate between their chess online screen names and then each other. Over time, they learn to trust each other, where they can’t place their trust in the world. When he becomes her math tutor, their real worlds collide and their love and respect for each other blossoms.

I really enjoyed this story. Its authenticity hooked me from the get-go and I devoured it. I had to know what happened to both Zoe and Jackson, as their struggles are often what I see with some of my teen students. This story is identifiable and real and raw. I highly recommend it.

You could really feel Zoe's anxiety and fears in this story. Jackson's story was heartbreaking and how he dealt with things was very mature. Ended well and wasn't rushed. Liked the online conversations between the two of them.

Thanks for the early review copy!

I picked this because of the cover and the plot. It was well-written. I recommend this to people who enjoy young adult novels about important topics.

3.5 stars

"Paper Girl" is a sweet YA contemporary romance that follows Zoe (a.k.a Rogue2015) and Jackson (a.k.a BlackKNIGHT). They had interacted a couple years before, and it had changed their paths. Zoe had mentioned chess, and Jackson had mentioned astronomy. As a result, Zoe is making paper origami art of the solar system, and Jackson joined Chess Challenge online. They frequently play the other without knowing who the person is behind the screen name. In that time, both of their lives have changed.

Zoe has severe social anxiety, which has led her to be house confined- she hasn't left the house in over a year. Even inside the house, she avoids other people unless she absolutely needs to interact with them. Her parents have hired therapists to come to the house to help her work on it. Jackson's mother died of a brain tumor and since then, his father's drug and alcohol abuse have gotten out of control. Two years before, he moved out of the house and just stops by for his mail and bills, so that social services won't put him in foster care. He lives in his car and spends most of his time at the library and Starbucks. He works odd jobs, like tutoring so that he can have money to pay for his cell phone and car insurance, and also to pay for college.

Zoe has a goal of going to her sister's graduation. Jackson wants to make it to 18 and go to college fully paid with scholarships for which he is applying. Zoe would love to avoid everyone, even Jackson, the boy she has long had a crush on, but as she is failing math and physics, her mother has hired Jackson to tutor her. Cue the cute romance! Chapters are told with the conversations between them on Chess Challenge, then Zoe and then Jackson- a format that really works well. Their romance was very cute and the writing moves fast.

However, I wish the social anxiety was addressed in a better way. Zoe's sister, Mae, tells her frequently to just get over it. Zoe accepts this- and seems to think her therapist would say the same. If so, her therapist is not really doing a great job. You wouldn't tell someone with cancer or another disease/illness to just get over it, so why would mental illness be any different? The therapy we see is minimal- I am assuming the idea is exposure therapy. However, the therapy sessions are maybe too brief, and we don't really see her help Zoe with coping techniques (what to do when a panic attack happens or strategies to revise her thinking).

Considering the severity (hasn't left house in over a year), I would also expect some kind of medication to be necessary. Maybe Zoe is on medication, but none of this is mentioned in the book, so I am not sure. Instead, the therapist seems to help her set goals without giving her clear skills or anything to help accomplish them. I think it would have been a much stronger book if we could have seen how she gets the help and treatments she needs to accomplish the goals set for her (even if these were happening behind the scenes, bringing them to the foreground/having them be more explicit would be helpful).

Overall, I think it was a cute romance, but I would have liked to have also seen some clearer treatment for Zoe that would aid her in accomplishing her goals. Jackson's story is also very sad, but it was less prominent in the book; I think it was handled OK, and I was glad Zoe talked to her parents (a good strategy for such an issue) even if that didn't help in the resolution. The pacing and writing was great and really drew me in to their lives.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

As someone who sufffers from severe social anxiety, I really enjoyed this book. It was great! It was very original. Some of the aspects definitely hit home for me. I immediately related to Zoe and her struggles. This is one book I would definitely love to have a physical copy of! I can’t wait til it comes out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

*i received an e arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Paper girl follows our Zoe and 16 year old with agoraphobia and Jackson and 17 year old who struggles with his home life. We follow these two as they try to figure out how to fix their lives, eventually coming together to help one another out. I loved this book so much. Although it was tropey, I really enjoyed the story. I loved Jackson and Zoe’s relationship so much. I cannot speak for the agoraphobia rep, but I believe it was done well. 4.5 stars.

Very interesting book. I thought it sagged a little in places and I was a little thrown off by the book starting with a videogame chat.