Book review: Paper Cuts by Ellery Adams

Ellery Adams' SECRET, BOOK, AND SCONE SOCIETY novels are a lot like THE LARKIN DAY MYSTERIES. Both of them feature a heroine of about the same age, recently and not-quite-willingly transplanted into a small, close-knit community. Both heroines learn that the solution to their immediate problems involves connecting with the community – and all subsequent solutions involve working in collaboration with a group of quirky, nerdy friends.

The books are about the same length. The expectations Adams has, of her readers—that they’ll have a better-than-average understanding of math and science, and an extremely detailed internal dictionary of literary references—are about the same.

But I don’t love these books because they’re about nerdy Millennials who form a secret society to solve mysteries.

I love these books because Adams allows her characters to change.

Nora struggles less than she did in the first book. She’s developed skills that allow her to cope with the world. She abandoned a fantasy relationship with a hot EMT—and I can only imagine the risk Adams must have taken, to fray and then break the trope—for a realistic and earned partnership with a better-written character.

This may mean that Adams has allowed herself to change, too—as a writer, perhaps, and maybe even as a person.

All I know is that both her books and her characters get stronger with every installment.

As do mine.