I was extremely intrigued when I read the synopsis of this book. Let me start by saying that the content of this book may not be for everyone. It focuses on abuse of a child and I know that that may be hard for some readers. And to be honest it was extremely hard for me. But the writing is excellent, and I continued reading hoping that June would prevail.

June's mother dies in a tragic accident and her father, Bradley, marries Kathleen who has a daughter (Megan) who is June's age (10 at the beginning of the story). June is half black and while her father tells her she is beautiful, Kathleen and her daughter tell her how ugly she is all the time. The level of abuse that June suffers at the hands of her step-mother is horrific and was hard to read. And the involvement of her step-sister was also hard to read. And while she makes some attempts to tell people what is happening to her, it falls on deaf ears to everyone, including her father. That is until she meets Blister.

Blister is her one true friend, and to see how their relationship blossoms throughout this novel was one of the few things that kept me reading. It was the light in a book that is littered with dark. Blister is the one person June can turn to, and even his family accepts her. But she knows she has to keep him hidden or her family will ruin the one positive thing she has in her life.

There were enough twists and turns in this novel to keep me turning the pages, my only complaint is that it seemed a little rushed at the end and not quite as detailed/fleshed out as I would have liked. But, other than that it was a great read with a hard topic.

Cool. I love a good cry at 1 a.m. Paper Butterflies broke my heart.

The book alternates between present day and the childhood of June, a mixed-race child now growing up in a white family. She suffers psychological and physical abuse from her vindictive stepmother and her stepsister, who acts as accomplice, while her biological father remains none the wiser. Desperate for a respite, she finds a friend in Blister and his family.

It's kind of obvious by now that books like this are kind of my bread and butter, and "Paper Butterflies" was so good. I felt a deep, visceral reaction to June and the abuse she suffered at the hands of her family and classmates.

If you can handle these kinds of books, "Paper Butterflies" is written so well and has a heartbreaking narrative to tell.

This was quite a difficult read for me, but important nonetheless. A story of friendship, child abuse, and secrets, I couldn't help but read it in one sitting. Characters like Blister show that beauty can thrive in a world of thorns.

What a tough read, this one was. Still, compelling enough to keep me going.

June has it bad. Her mom's been dead for years, which is tragic enough. But her stepmom makes it even worse. She's an evil stepmom in the most horrible way. There's abuse, both physical and emotional. The saddest part is that her dad is oblivious to everything. Through it all, June retreats inside herself to escape.

And then she meets Blister. On a walk through the woods one day, he's just there. And he becomes the most important person in her life. His family becomes her safe haven as well. Still, she can't share her deepest darkest secrets with them. Because if she had, maybe tragedy would have been averted...

A good story, both sad and hopeful at times. Parts of it were hard to take, but it is what it is.

June's suffering at the hands of her stepmother and stepsister make life at home unbearable, and school is no better. Her mom is dead, her dad doesn't have any idea of what is happening to June, and her teachers ignore the bullying she suffers. Then one day June meets Blister in the woods, a boy who is home schooled nearby, and he provides an escape from her reality.

The alternating time periods were difficult to follow at first, but the intended effect was not lost. Beautifully written and heartbreaking.

The story of abuse in this novel is emotional and raw. It tears at the soul. But the non-linear timeline really detracted from the story for me. I kept wondering why we were always flashing forward and backwards and to what value did this literary device add to the narrative.