What Are We Reading Now? - Paper Heart

Paper Heart
by Hexpixie
Reviewed by McGee42

"We begin at the end."

HezPixie has done the amazing. She’s taken our beloved Edward and Bella and turned them into real, perfectly flawed people. Inspired by the musical The Last Five Years, by Jason Robert Brown, Edward and Bella are now a broken couple made up of a wildly successful author and a struggling stage actress.

The tale is told from both sides as flashbacks, shifting between the good times and the not-so-good times. The contrast between the salad days and nadir is spectacularly delicious and brilliant.

Through the six chapter work-in-progress, we catch a few glimpses of Bella’s and Edward’s life together, out of chronological order. From how they met to what feels like the beginning of their end. I love that this author trusts her readers enough to know who is speaking when, and to let us put the pieces together ourselves without spelling it out for us, or making it too overt.

The secondary characters are just as believable as the primaries. They’re not used as foils to further the plot, but feel as genuine as our hero and heroine do. Jane is Edward’s ex, not sadistic or demonic as she is often portrayed, but the just the wrong woman at the wrong time. Mike is Bella’s co-star; an easy-going, likeable joker with quick wit and a big heart. I think this the first time I’ve ever wanted to see more of him in a fic.

One of my favorite scenes is the day of Bella’s birthday. Poor girl keeps on having horrible birthdays, doesn’t she? They are separated that summer, she’s in a summer show in Ohio and he’s on a press tour for his book. Edward flies as planned however he’s just there to say that he’s come to say he can’t stay My heart broke along with Bella’s, but the worst part is when she breaks down, and says to him “I swear to God, I'll never understand how you can stand there, and see I'm crying, and not do anything at all.”

The rainy day of Edward’s book signing is a great example of the subtle weaving that goes on in the story. Bella and Edward are still happy together but there’s a hard edge to them that she’s just beginning to notice. In less than one day, we swing between desire, confusion, joy and despair. It’s roller coaster ride of emotions, and I’m eagerly awaiting more.