I DNF this struggled with it from the beginning, it was slow paced and didn’t captivate my attention.

A poignant coming of age and love story.
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story is for the folks who enjoy some suspense, secrets, and feelings that can't be, but beg to be out in the open.
Though the "tragedy" isn't some catastrophic event, I really did enjoy this story.

I wasn't too sure what to expect from The Tragedy Paper as I was completely unfamiliar with the author and still am honestly. But I do know one thing about Elizabeth LaBan. She's can tell a darn good story.

The alternating story lines of Tim and Duncan were absolutely amazing and worked so well for this particular story. Tim's story was heartbreaking in the ways that he felt about himself and how the world treated him because he was different. It was so sad yet inspiring to follow along with his budding relationship / friendship with Vanessa and how their two worlds collided and affected everyone around them.

Duncan's story was also a great one. A seemingly average boy, starting a new school year, a crush, and memories of a terribly tragedy that befell his peers, through listening to Tim's story, learns a little more about himself, life, love, school, and The Tragedy Paper.

With romance, heartbreak, angst, and amazing characters, it was a great mix of Thirteen Reasons Why and Looking For Alaska.

I definitely recommend this book to fans of John Green.

Rating: 5 Stars

When I found this book in the NetGalley newsletter, the cover interested me. I immediately checked out the synopsis. Once I read the synopsis, I definitely had to read this book. The best part was, I didn't have to request for the book, I got it immediately.

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan is a story within a story. It is about Duncan, who listens to the story of Tim through a bunch of CDs. I have to mention, I really enjoy stories within stories; they have this appealing charm to me.

The Tragedy Paper was very enjoyable for many reasons. First of all, the story of an albino was very intriguing. With Tim, we got to know about his life. We got to know about how people views him, how he reacts to the society and his being an "outcast". Tim was a very well-developed character, and his voice was genuine and interesting. Secondly, the writing technique LaBan used was refreshing and remarkable. Knowing about Duncan's story and listening to Tim's story simultaneously added up to the overall tone of the story. Readers will want to flip the pages, wanting to know what is yet to come. Because it is written in a very realistic way, readers will want to read more and find out what is going to happen with the characters.

In addition, the idea of the tragedy paper itself kept me wondering and wanting to know what it was. As the title suggests, The Tragedy Paper doesn't end happily. Without giving anything away, LaBan should be praised on how she handled her characters and the relationships. She should be further praised on how she revealed everything and everything wrapped up.

I'm not sure how to classify this book because it was many things. Mystery, contemporary, tragedy, experience, and life, all combined in one. This is a book that makes you think. Tim's voice is still in my head. Even though he is different than most people, he is wise, deep, and is understanding. Tim is one of the best characters written in YA literature. I liked Duncan as well, but I found Tim's story and character to be much more interesting.

Overall, stunning debut from author Elizabeth LaBan. This story will haunt you by its reality and poignancy.

Thank you for the opportunity and making this title avaialable to me, but this title did not fit my reading needs at this time.

"The Tragedy Paper" was not a favorite of mine, but teenagers seem to like it.

While I did devour this book and it kept me interested, this was not a book I would necessarily recommend. The story was sort of a male version of Rebecca. You know well enough in advance that the tragedy did not result in someone's death but I felt there was far more build up than release at the end. I don't regret reading the book and I did enjoy it.
I would like to say that this would be the perfect book for the young man in your life. However, knowing my teenaged boy, this book is less action than they may like. I can see this book as an introduction to classics since the theme follows how classics/tragedies reflect real life.