An extremely difficult read, with harrowing scenes from the start. But you find yourself really rooting for the main character, who has a truly awful time of things. I thought the book was different, refreshing and thought-provoking.

I started this book whilst reading something else, bur found I yad to abandon the other book in favour of 'Paper Butterfiles '. I just had to know the outcome. I won't spoil the ending ending, but it left me emotional. An excellent read.

While I cannot fault Lisa Heathfield;s writing in any way - it is brilliant - this particular book was just too raw and brutal for me. It was horrendous to read and stayed with me long after I finished. Although the story may not have been to my liking, I know that this will resonate with a lo of readers.

This book made me cry. For real. Actual tears people, actual tears. I read it on holiday, alone in my hotel room after a day skiing. Or rather, I started it on the plane and then finished it in my hotel room and I had to text My Best Guy and tell him I needed rescuing because I had a massive sad. When he rang me to ask what on earth I was talking about I burst into tears, which, well way to go Jo, way to go.

‘What’s it about,’ he asked me when he came to save me and take me for vin chaud, and then ‘Jesus Christ’ when I told him.
‘What happens in the end?’
I don’t know,’ I told him, ‘I’ve got a few percent left to go.’
Then a pause….’is it not a true story?’
‘No.’

And then he laughed, because (and this is not the first time this has happened) its apparently hilarious that I can get so emotionally attached to things and people that aren’t even real, except of course they totally are real in my head and I kind of feel like it’s a testament to how good a book is, if it can move me like that.

& I mean sure I was feeling a little bit emotionally fragile before I started this book and that might have possibly been a contributing factor the mess I was when I finished it but fuck, I was not ok. It got under my head – which was totally a typo but which I am leaving because it made me eyeroll at myself and is clearly a combination of under my skin and inside my head and as it did both those things I feel like that’s ok. Anyhow, it got to me and that makes it really hard to review and made it really hard to rate because did I like it? Nope. No, I didn’t. Do I think it’s really freaking good? Yes, damn straight I did. & you know, read it (not you Helen, not ever you Jesus Christ you’ll be like Alice swimming in her own tears) but wait please until you are the most emotionally stable you’ve ever been.

This book – which is about a teenage girl called June who is suffering this awful abuse from her stepmother and who is trapped and suffocating and is so lost and so desperate that it crushes your chest almost to read it, who meets this boy, Blister, and gets a taste of what life should be like – it scared me.

It scared me because somehow when I was reading it I was June and that shows incredible skill as a write but it’s a skill I kind of wish was less because it hurt. It moves from ‘Before’ to ‘After’ and back again and you don’t know really what ‘After’ is but you kind of have an idea and the whole entire thing, it’s heart-breaking – June’s stepmother who’s just evil, her stepsister who is an accomplice in the torture and it’s very questionable as to how unwitting an accomplice she is, and her Dad, who in some fucked up way is as bad if not worse because even though he loves June and even though he never actually participates he’s so blind to it all and yak, it’s all so terrible. I mean the abuse June suffers hurt me, but her Dad, he just made me so angry, so angry it made my eyes sting.

I think it’s about failure this book – about failure and the devastating power of a lie because let’s be honest here, is there anything more terrifying than telling the truth and not one. single. person. believing you? What do you even begin to do in that situation, when the worst things are happening and the people you’re supposed to trust don’t believe you. What are you supposed to do? & where is the line between right and wrong and victim and perpetrator and oh, so many of the questions.
It ripped out my soul this book, it made me question all that is good and right in the world and the unfairness (and fuck if unfairness isn’t a strong enough word) of the whole damn thing just shattered me. It’s powerful writing - more powerful than Seed and I thought that was pretty impressive - and it really is phenomenal writing. I might have given it 5 stars except for you know, it broke me. The story is (devastating) well considered and sensitive and honest – sometimes brutally. The characters are well developed; seriously, this is villainy at its best, and the whole slow development of June’s friendship with Blister will burn you with its simple beauty and the language has moments of sheer gorgeousness.

If you can see past the fact that the subject matter means this is one of the hardest books you’ll read for a while, then it’s absolutely worth giving it a go. I’d say I’m glad I did, but I’m not sure I’m quite there yet.

Wow, I finished this book last night and I didn't think I could make it what with the words starting to blur with tears. I actually started reading this book in a reading lesson as part of the scholastic book fair. The cover is striking and beautiful which exactly reflects the book inside as well as out. I read the first few pages of the book and I knew I had to continue it...

{From the first page - what I read at the book fair - no spoilers.}
June's being forced to drink warm milk and water, her bladder full, needing the loo. She's not allowed to go. Her step-mum Kathleen, says it's time for school, she ties a ribbon in her hair and off she goes with her step-sister, Megan. She gets to the bus stop, she see a elephant in the clouds so she focuses on that, anything that isn't...well wet. She gets on the bus and sits. It's so painful, she can't help it, she couldn't hold it in...

June lives with father, after her mum died, Kathleen and Megan came into their lives as step-mum and step-sister, but the worst possibly family you could imagine. When I first read this I thought it was going to be like a Cinderella sort of storyline - only so much darker. Kathleen despises June, so she torments her everyday, feeds her huge portions of food to make her go fat, make her ugly and basically brings out the worst in June. Megan just follows like the good little daughter she is. June wants to cry, shout, talk about what's happening even to a stranger but she can't find the words...she was too scared and I don't blame her.

Not until she meets Blister with his taped up glasses and his paper figures that she actually finds some solace and safety in their relationship. Their friendship, their bond, their love for one another you were totally transfixed.That beyond everything that was happening, Blister and his family were the only ones that really treated her for her. They made June a stronger girl for it whilst not letting Kathleen and Megan strip her down till there is nothing left of her own persona for anyone to care about... Blister is her escape, she is the butterfly that is able to fly free.

This book gives you so many feels, good and bad. Miss Heathfield's writing is moving and addictive at the same time. The structure of the book is split in two times Before and After. For each After we get a glimpse at what life is like for her presently but not really knowing what has happened and I loved that. I felt that the After chapter was a light relief of the heavy and the emotional that came with each passing week and year that June has to endure this suffering. What you felt for this book was the most out of body experience because you couldn't compute what it was that's happening or feeling. It was horrific at time, it was hard to read, it was raw to imagine a child going through this abuse. But that's why I couldn't stop myself from being dragged in, you totally at the mercy of the author and how uncontrollable your emotions are. The passion you find yourself feeling towards the characters and not always good, speak volumes as to how magnificent this book really is.

This book is a roller-coaster of emotions and it will rip you apart from each page of the book. Paper Butterflies is a darkly heartbreaking and raw novel with such a gentle touch. Miss Heathfield's book is like a fold of each of Blister's paper creations, constructed passionately and yet beautiful to see (and read). Nominated for the Waterstones Children's Book Award and the YA Book Prize 2017, Paper Butterflies is well deserved to have both of these nominations and you all need to read it.

Rating - 5

Thank you to Electric Monkey (Egmont) for a copy of this book provided on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Breathe.

I don't know how to start.

I was warned before reading this book that you should read it when your in a good mental place. Unfortunately for me this book kinda made me go the opposite. If your highly sensitive like me, you might not want to read this book about child abuse.

Paper Butterflies was extremely difficult to read at times because of the subject. This book tore my heart, I was hyperventilating several times, had to put it down as a wave of sadness came over me.

I don't know how the author did it, but the writing was so convincing that I felt I was part of June's world.

I'm still grieving but I understood the message, forgiveness is important, and everyone deserves another chance.

This is a very important subject and the author has done a good job. I hope more people get to read this book.

A beautifully written harrowing tale of the saddest thing a child has to endure. I genuinely sobbed as I finished this book. June goes though some of the worst times with all of the people in her life failing her - her parents, her teachers - yet finds a ray of sunlight in her darkness. I cried MOST of the way though this story.

Cover- I actually really like this cover. It does look like a typical contemporary cover with the pastel colours and the simplicity of it but it's still gorgeous. I don't feel like it is a good representation of what the book entails however, it looks more like a cutesy romance.

Plot- This was such a beautifully heartbreaking book from start to finish. I cried from the first page right until the very last. If you're looking for an upbeat and happy read, this is definitely not the one. I know a lot of readers are wanting to read more diverse books this year so I would recommend this book if you're trying to achieve that as well. I found this so real and honest, which is maybe what crushed me the most. A story about an innocent child, being abused and never believed when she tries to speak out is a horrific concept, but worst of all, it's true. It happens all over the world and I love that this book raises awareness of that and really makes us think, and realise how blessed we are. The plot twist was something I completely did not see coming at all, I'm still shocked about it now but it was brilliantly done. Although romance was a small element of this book, it wasn't the main focus and I'm glad there are still books out there focusing on things other than romance. Family and friendship is shown to be an important and at times, life saving thing. I cannot explain to you enough how emotional I was reading this. I must warn, it is quite a triggering book as you feel connected to, and almost inside the main character's head.

Characters- June is the main character and narrator of this story and she was wonderful and pure and did not in any way deserve any of the terrible things that were thrown at her. I loved how strong she was despite her awful situations and how beautifully her character developed as she aged during the story. She realised her own self worth and that allowed her to stick up for herself more. Her growing confidence, I believe, was down to the influence of Blister. I loved Blister in this story, he was that one bit of light and hope that June needed to keep going. He never judged June, and he was the one person who constantly believed her and was there for her right until the very end. His whole family really welcomed June into their lives and helped her to believe that she was special. Their connection was so strong and just lovely. Megan is a very controversial character and she was obviously written that way. I'm not sure if this will be an unpopular opinion but I did feel sorry for her throughout. You could tell she was making an effort with June and wanting to connect, but June was so blinded by hatred and thinking she could never be liked that she ignored this and saw her to be evil. Megan was obviously scared too, and I wish they'd just both confided in each other and had someone to talk to at home to help them both get through it- though I completely understand why June wanted to stay away.

Writing- Lisa had a way of writing the story so it felt like it was happening to you, like all the horrible things June had to endure were happening to you too and you were genuinely frightened. It's rare to find an author who can capture that kind of emotion in you but she did it perfectly. This was my first book by her, and as disturbing as this book was, I will 100% be reading her other works because she writes fantastically. You feel so invested in the character's story because of the way she describes things, it was beautiful.

Overall- This book is utterly heartbreaking but a truly beautiful read that I would recommend entirely to anyone who wants a diverse and gripping read. This was totally unique, I've never read anything like it and the relationships within are so strong. You'll be hooked from the first page until the very last.

At the start of this book, I was curious as to what was happening as our main character June pees herself on the school bus after drinking two cups of water given to her by Kathleen, who forbids her from going to the toilet. It becomes clear soon enough to us that her mum, Loretta drowned in the river by where she used to live with her mum and dad when she was younger.

As I read on through the book I found that the story was set between modern day and the events over the past few years of her life growing up from being ten to an elder teen. In the modern time, she meets Reverend Shaw and Mickey.

As the story continues, June receives a bike, her slip of freedom from Kathleen and her daughter Megan who submit June to a life of torturous abuse as well as force feeding, threatening behaviour most days just because of her race it is implied.

Whilst biking through the woods at a young eleven years old, she meets Blister, as she admires his paper shapes hanging up inside the family caravan, his parents Mr and Mrs Wick's and their array of adopted children. Their child Tom is also a sufferer of cystic fibrosis which comes up throughout the story.

June and Blister grow closer as the years go on and he is the only one who knows what her horrid home life is like. June can pretty much forget about the abuse when she's with Blister, but some events do of course trigger her to panic and have her memories effect her full force. A few brief events that occur are that at age thirteen June is bitten by snake, we witness step sister bully Megan lose best friend Anne. At fourteen June kisses Blister on his cheek as he made her paper butterflies. At fifteen the school bullying she has endured for years is still worsening as she and Blister try to go to a sixteenth birthday party after June gets a random invite which is a set up to embarrass June further in school. Blister and June endure a lot in this book as Blister is June's obvious only confidante in everything. But still a love grows which keeps June going through everything. As she grows up she faces situations at home with more guts and force but still her dad grows further away from her and unaware of the hidden problems poor June has faced.

This book is a great novel on discussing forms of trust, types of abuse, friendship, bullying and of course love.

I received a copy of this from the publishers on request as I have heard so much praise about this book since its release This is my independent honest review. This is a beautifully written, powerful and at times heartbreaking account of our female protagonist June. She is the narrator both as a child and adult. I felt so many emotions throughout, especially injustice as she had no one to defend her, even her own father turned a blind eye to what was going on. The plot highlights how complex the subject of abuse can be. It is rarely straightforward.
I love the friendship June develops with Buster, their characterisations are so real and endearing. Their journey was very emotional for me and is having a long lasting effect.
The book is also somewhat heartening as it highlights that despite adversity and injustice one needs to have the courage and fight against cruelty and unheard voices.
A must read for everyone. It raises important issues for not only its YA target audience but adults too. Very thought provoking and important. Well deserved 5*

Paper Butterflies is a book I absolutely loved. But, it is also a book I absolutely despised. A book I will never, ever, read or touch ever again. It was without a doubt the “hardest” read of my life, a haunting book that took away my sleep, my appetite and my good mood.

I am assuming this precisely was the author’s goal. Heathfield created such a terrifying, haunting story and chose to narrate it in a very gripping and heart-breaking way. The story focuses on June, a black girl who – after her mother’s death – lives with her white father, stepmother and stepsister. The kids in school are cruel, tormenting June in every way possible, physically and emotionally attacking her, a constant abuse that is not unrelated to her race and her standing out in predominantly white school. But her suffering never ends; under the radar of a clueless father, June’s sufferings never seem to end in the hands of a cruel stepmother and a stepsister. And she can’t find a way out, can’t find anyone to talk to. Because no one will believe her.

And then she meets Blister; a boy in the woods, whose presence in her life is a glimmer of hope and the only good thing in her life. Paper Butterflies is a book about family, helplessness and hopelessness, the cycles of abuse and violence. It is a book where every adult or authority figure completely fails June, fails to protect and save her. The narration alternates between “Before” and “After”, without the reader knowing what caused this split.

The book asks many questions, questions that it doesn’t answer. What happened to Kathleen – June’s stepmom – to make her this way? Was Megan – June’s stepsister – a victim, just like June? Did her father’s neglect and failure to see what was right in front of him what actually hurt June the most? And what, really, happened to her mom? Could Blister’s family have helped her?

June’s story is a suffocating one. I kept reading – as fast as I could – searching for redemption, justice, salvation. That’s not what the book offers. Until the very last page, all you get is a story so hopeless, so unfair that you keep crying and crying, almost screaming for justice, spiralling deeper into a very emotional, gut-wrenching story. Without giving away anything, I will say that it tackles one of the most controversial issues of today’s societies and I hope that reading this book will change many people’s opinions.

Paper Butterflies is a horrifying, twisted book; but it’s also a very powerful one. It’s a very terrifying thing; not being able to tell the truth, because no one will believe you. Through her simple writing and sentence structure, through complicated and outstanding characters, Heathfield has written a magnificent book, a so mesmerizing one that you almost fail to separate from reality.

**A copy was provided via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review **

***Trigger warnings for scenes of physical and emotional ab*se***

I have been interested in reading one of Heathfield's books for a while now, so I was very happy when I got approved for this. This book really struck me and I've thought about it quite a lot since finishing it. Paper Butterflies is an extremely heavy read, but an important one too. It may be too much for some people, but I think that shows just how good of a book it is. You really become connected with June throughout the story, so much so that her life almost becomes yours for the period of time. A haunting read.

In an almost Cinderella-esque story, June is living a nightmare with her step-sister and step-mother following her mothers death. When June meets Blister and becomes part of a normal family dynamic, she finds hope and an escape from her everyday life.

The one thing I hate in the world is people being treated badly. So this book was so difficult for me to read, but it opens my eyes to something that I know goes on, but I choose to turn a blind eye to. Every now and then, it brings you back down to earth to remind yourselves what some people in the world are going through, no matter how much it breaks your heart.

This book surprised me, broke my heart, and allowed me to experience a great deal of empathy for our main character. It shows how quickly things can spiral downwards if you don't speak up. I would recommend reading this book, as it may encourage you to help others around you if you know something similar could be happening to them.

It's rare for a book to make me emotional. For it to be as disturbing as it is beautiful. But this book took all of my emotions, churned them all up and stamped on them for good measure. It's dark, upsetting and made me feel angry at the injustice and sick to my stomach all at once. For a single book, with quite a simple story, to be that powerful it has to be something special.

Read this when you're in a good place. It's hard hitting. You live the life of June, through her eyes as a child and later as she grows up, as her step-mother physically and emotionally tears her apart. Where her father blindly enjoys his wonderful family life without truly seeing her. And where her step-sister helps the torture continue, not only by assisting her mother but by encouraging school bullies to hurt June too.

I can't express how angry this book made me - more so at June's father for being so ignorant to June's cries for help and suffering, rather than at her disturbing step mother. Whilst what Kathleen did to June included some absolutely abhorrent things, this author does a great job of showing that neglect and abuse runs much deeper than this - how must it feel to ask for help, or tell the truth and have your father disbelieve or discredit you? The frustration at this filled me with up to bursting point - even her teachers failed to advocate for her. It's the kind of book that makes you want to scream at the characters and ask questions of yourself.

The most interesting thing for me about this novel was Megan, June's step sister, and the complexity of her role in June's abuse as a child herself. This was intricate and much more interesting than it appears on the surface - I longed to try to understand her and delve into the domino effect this must have had on her too; complex issues like this kept me reading well into the night. Equally, I liked that such a dark book had areas of light - June finds a boy she connects with and becomes entwined with his family throughout. I became so invested in June and her well being that I felt like I was her - I was totally immersed. And to see those happy moments, and June having a chance to be part of a unit, was sobering.

The plot is interesting considering it's a topic that has been overdone in various ways before; I liked the twists and genuinely didn't see most of it coming! I absolutely recommend this book, but be prepared to lose yourself entirely to June's life for a few hours; it's impossible to let her go without knowing if she made it out okay in the end.

This book was provided to me from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book absolutely floored me!
I was only going to read the first chapter to get a feel for the book and then "BOOM!" it grabbed me and didn't let me go until the very last page. This book has been only of the best books I have read in a long time, breaking my heart, taping it up and then breaking it all over again.
I stayed up all night to finish it, crying my eyes out when June was treated worse then a dog, rejoicing when she found happiness and then devastation at the incident that separates before and after.
Fell in love with June and Blister. There's is a romance to be envied and aspired to.
ALL. THE. FEELS.
Love it.

To open this book is to step into a disturbing world – June’s world. June is a young girl who lives with her step-mother and step-sister. Her dad lives there too, except he’s away a good deal, working. June’s mother died, she drowned.

Bad things happen all the time to June, it’s as if everybody is plotting against her. Then she meets a boy, Blister, and suddenly there is a bright spot in her life, something to look forward to and to protect.

Much of the time I found this hard to read, uncomfortable in the extreme. But the writing is good and I’d quickly become invested in the fate of the lead character – I ploughed on. And I’m glad I did, it’s a book that packs a real punch. I knew there had to be a twist but when it came it wasn’t what I was expecting.

An excellent and impactful story that had me chasing through the last few pages holding my breath. One to catch if you’re up for an uncomfortable but rewarding short read.

Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield absolutely broke me. I thought that I was emotionally prepared to handle this book, as I knew beforehand that it covered quite a heavy subject matter, but ... no. I wasn't. I was completely knocked over by this book. In short, I was destroyed. But only in the best possible way. Because while this book is heavy, it is heart-breaking and achingly sad ... it's also really beautiful. And hopeful. And that more than anything shone through as I was reading this book.

Paper Butterflies is June's story. And she tells the story in her own, flicking between chronological events as well as some time in the future where it feels like these two parts are distinctly a before and after but we're not sure what has happened in between. And right from the first page, I fell in love with June. I felt for her, sure. Lisa Heathfield dunks us immediately into a horrible situation as June has already started learning ways to survive her horrible childhood home with her father who isn't able to believe his new wife and stepdaughter can be so cruel and inhumane to June. We read of incident after incident of horrible child abuse against June. We witness numerous ways in which June faces acts of absolute cruelty. But June finds comfort and hope in little things, big things, her friendship with Blister, the boy in the woods. But with that hope can June find freedom?

As I said, June broke my heart. And Lisa Heathfield so skillfully dismantled my heart. I'm not always so 'happy' when authors choose to describe child abuse/cruelty in as much detail as Lisa Heathfield does in Paper Butterflies but at the same time I also appreciated the fact that the author describes psychological abuse as well as other forms of abuse other than a standard form of psychical abuse. I think that a lot of child abuse narratives focus too narrowly on one type of abuse that it was interesting to read of other forms.

I think one of the reasons this book made such an impact on me personally is how rage-inducing several elements are. Obviously that June suffers at the hands of those meant to protect her. But also how little help or support June has available to her. Her father doesn't or chooses not to see. But so do teachers and other adults in June's life that are meant to be there for her.

Another reason I loved this book so much are the relationships. Obviously June and Blister's is the emotional heart of the novel. Blister and his family provide a ray of light in June's life that was very much necessary. I half fell in love with them all as I was reading. But aside from this simple friendship I also found all of the other, more complicated relationships to be fascinating as well, particularly June and her step-sister.

Paper Butterflies is such an incredible book, one that will stay with me for a very long time. It's painful and beautiful all at the same time and if you're up for it, I say give this one a chance.