Paper Ghosts

by Sarah Addison Allen

Part ghost story, part love story and steeped in magical realism, Paper Ghosts will transport you to a place where old secrets echo through the years and love finds a way of bringing us home.

Every family has its secrets... The Wester women live inside theirs.

For decades, the women of Wester House have unsettled and fascinated their small, timeless North Carolina town. Their home is full of whispers, old griefs, and uncanny knowing. But when Willamena Wester reaches out to the granddaughter she once pushed away, long-buried truths begin to stir.

1976:
Restless young Willamena falls for a stranded musician who brings freedom and the promise of another life to her carefully controlled world. Their brief, incandescent love story promises to escape the pull of the Wester legacy until Willamena makes a fateful choice that changes her life forever.

Present Day:
Returning home is the last thing Bailey Wester wants. Yet as she reconnects with Willamena, the grandmother she feared, Bailey begins to understand the love, heartbreak, and impossible choices that shaped the women in her family and realizes the past may not have been trying to haunt them after all.

A luminous novel filled with Sarah Addison Allen’s stunning prose and signature blend of romance, Southern charm, and wonder, Paper Ghosts reminds us that in order to have the future we really want, sometimes we need to live with the past, and not let go of it.

Genres: Magical Realism, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Mystery, Contemporary, Paranormal

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2026

About the author

Sarah Addison Allen is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of eight novels. A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Allen is credited with bringing "Southern Magical Realism" to a mainstream audience. Her work, characterized by its romantic, lyrical prose and its exploration of family dynamics through a supernatural lens, has been translated into more than thirty languages and sold millions of copies worldwide.

Allen’s debut novel, Garden Spells (2007), became a breakout success and an indie bookseller favorite, spending weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Her subsequent works—The Sugar Queen (2008), The Girl Who Chased the Moon (2010), The Peach Keeper (2011), Lost Lake (2014), First Frost (2015) and Other Birds (2022)—have each been bestsellers, garnering acclaim for their quiet magic and subtle, folkloric elements integrated into contemporary Southern life.

The daughter of a journalist father and a mother who was a celebrated cook, Allen grew up in a household where storytelling and food were the primary love languages, elements that now define her fiction. She attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, graduating with a degree in Literature. At age 39, Allen took a hiatus from publishing following a diagnosis of late-stage breast cancer. Her return to writing was marked by a shift toward more poignant narratives.

Allen’s most recent project, Paper Ghosts (2026), continues her tradition of blending mystery with the supernatural. She currently resides in Asheville, North Carolina with her family.

Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Book Review Crew Blog


⭐⭐⭐1/2
Paper Ghosts
Sarah Addison Allen
Publication Date: September 1st, 2026
St. Martin's Press
288 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Sci Fi & Fantasy | Women's Fiction

This story is told across two timelines. In 1976, Willamena falls in love with a musician who promises her the stars and an escape from Wester House and her controlling family, but a decision she makes traps her where she is.

In the present, we have Bailey, who returns to Wester House scared to death of reconnecting with her grandmother, Willamena. When the two women get together, they start to dissect the past, and Bailey learns just how heartbroken her grandmother was when she sacrificed everything.

This was another wonderful Southern book about generational trauma and how secrets can ruin everything, especially when they're found out. The magical realism aspect wasn't over the top for me—it wasn't shoved in your face, but rather felt like a gentle touch. The atmospheric storytelling was fabulous, and as this is my first book by the author, I was thoroughly impressed. The house functions as a character itself, and the Gothic vibes were not lost on me.

I enjoyed the 1976 timeline much more than the present, though that's a personal preference. To me, Willamena and her story were the highlight of the novel, filled with plenty of emotional drama. I also understood what the author was trying to convey with the current timeline: how a house filled with photos and old papers can become the true ghosts.

The main reason I'm rounding down my rating is due to the pacing. It really slowed down for me during the present-day timeline, and Bailey wasn't nearly as engaging a character as her grandmother. The mystery of the family's past and the emotional finish felt a bit faded compared to the 1976 storyline.

Overall, this was a solid, atmospheric, and character-driven read. There is lots to like here, even if both timelines weren't equally engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Goodreads ratings reflect reader demographics and
popular enthusiasm rather than objective literary merit.

[Liana Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 ⭐️ How much of our past follows us into the future? Can inheritance and trauma follows us despite our every effort to correct its presence?

Paper Ghosts is a story of preserved mistakes and memories that follow us into the future. Three generations of the Western women possess the ability to know things about other people. Their gifts earn them the 'witch' nickname, making them feared by the community. We follow the story of Wills Wester as a young woman in 1976 who is under the strict control of her grandmother. In another timeline, we then follow Wills as an older woman with a granddaughter, Bailey Wester, who returns to the Wester family home after her mother passes away.

In 1976, Wills is not happy living in the Western home. She wants freedom from her grandmother, Alice and feels that she is dictating her life. Alice is a woman who loves secrecy, control, privacy. She is someone who doesn't allow outsiders into her family home and she strongly believes that the world is a dangerous place. So she tries to control every outcome as much as possible. She's definitely an eccentric character but one that is unlikable and hard to understand. Wills clearly tries to oppose her as much as possible. So when she meets a man and falls in love with him, Alice's upper hand gets in the way & there are consequences that alter the projection of Wills's life.

In a future timeline, Bailey is a young granddaughter of Wills. She is not in great relations with Wills because she looks at her as a monster. Bailey wants to understand Wills so she begins slowly reconnecting with her. She learns more about the house and its history and in the process learns what paper ghosts represent. They are not per-se actual ghosts but rather symbolize photographs that preserve the memories of people after they are gone. Since photographs preserve memories of people and their stories, some of these stories preserve mistakes. And Bailey begins to uncover how Wills past memories shaped her life.

The novel essentially explores how easily trauma is passed down and how families create their own ghosts. It looks at how the hurt affects generations differently and why the very same people who have been hurt repeat the very same behaviors. I personally love reading about emotional wounds that people carry. I think there is always a life lesson in such stories and Sarah Addison Allen's message is very clear: in order for us to move forward, we need to first recognize the generational cycle, understand it and break the pattern. You can understand and forgive, accept what you can or cannot change and then choose what to leave behind and what you want to carry into your future.

I found the novel moving. There is heartbreak (for Wills) and healing for both Bailey and Wills. There is a deeper meaning of 'ghosts' here and I thought the author did a wonderful job utilizing magical realism to explore the 'ghosts of the past' for all three woman, including Alice. By trying to protect those that are loved, they actually kept the past alive. Alice used control to protect Wills who wanted to escape control but in turn used it once more towards Bailey. Bailey who tried to understand Wills past finally broke the cycle and made Wills see that there is a choice to do things differently.



Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and the author, Sarah Addison Allen for an early ARC.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for an early ALC.

Narrator: Marin Ireland
Duration: 9 hours 30 min
Speed: 1.75x

Publication date: September 1, 2026

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I absolutely loved Paper Ghosts by Sarah Addison Allen! What a lovely surprise it was to come across this title in the Most Requested carousel on NetGalley! I immediately jumped on it and requested an ARC. I was over the moon with joy when I found the widget on my shelf!



You'll laugh, you'll want to cry, and in the end - all is well that could possibly end well! Don't mess with the Wester Witches!



The Wester women know all of your secrets and will force you to do their bidding...



As usual, Sarah Addison Allen conjures up a story chock full of colourful, larger than life characters, whimisical pathetic fallacies, and a passionate but doomed love affair... sniffle, sniffle! (Gotta ship Wills and Jack - they are such a dynamic, gutsy pair. Jack won my heart: he can teach me how to play the guitar anytime!)

Another impossible-to-put-down novel by one of my favourite magical realism authors. Bravo!



My thanks to the author, Sarah Addison Allen, her publishers, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this incredible novel in exchange for an honest review. Five well deserved stars, and then some! Highly recommended!

[Elizabeth Drake]

I can't wait. Sarah Addison Allen is my absolute favorite author. Her books are just delightful and anyone who loves her work should follow her social media. From time to time she writes tiny, whimisical snippits of stories that brighten any day.

[Dee (in the desert) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - Really enjoyed this one, like the author's other books, this is a Southern set, women's fiction and magical realism story, which is set in two timelines - 197o's and the present day. A small town ("Hen Town") in North Carolina is where you'll find "Wester House", just full of family secrets and three women at the heart of them, and I found this one to be more Southern gothic and darkly atmospheric than Allen's earlier works but also found it very compelling and immersive and fast-paced read that I just couldn't put down. Lots of family drama & trauma, for sure, but the Wester women held my interest, especially as the middle one, Willamena, who was my age. Highly recommend to those who enjoy a touch of magic with their stories

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ this was super unique!!!

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

PAPER GHOSTS
By Sarah Addison Allen
Narrated by Marin Ireland

The Secrets of the Wester Women

3.5 rounded down
After reading Other Birds and thoroughly enjoying it, I was eager to pick up Sarah Addison Allen’s new novel releasing September 1, 2026. While I enjoyed Other Birds more, I found Paper Ghosts to be a solid read, and I’m glad I both read and listened to it.

An atmospheric Southern Gothic novel infused with magical realism, Paper Ghosts unfolds across 1976 and the present day. In a small North Carolina town stands Wester House, a home steeped in generations of family secrets.

Bailey Wester returns to Wester House, apprehensive about reconnecting with the grandmother who pushed her away as a young child. As long-buried secrets begin to surface, Bailey gradually comes to understand the impossible choices that shaped the women in her family.

I found this novel to be darker and more gothic in tone than Other Birds, and while I still liked Other Birds more overall, I appreciated the darker atmosphere here. It also retains the whimsy and emotional depth that I loved in that story. The pacing is steady throughout, with the focus placed more on character development, family relationships, and atmosphere than on plot-driven action.

Marin Ireland is a favorite narrator of mine, and her performance was spot-on. As always, she brought the characters to life and did not disappoint.

Paper Ghosts was my second read by Sarah Addison Allen, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

I alternated between the eARC and audiobook and enjoyed both formats.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC, and to St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

(Every once in a while a publisher will ask to wait till publication date to post—I inadvertently deleted my approved request, so decided I will go ahead and post.)

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part ghost story, part love story. A totally unique story.
Paper Ghosts is told in two timelines, weaving together the past, present and future of the Wester family in a compelling way.
A bittersweet story of young love, heartbreak, spirits and generations of complicated family dynamics.
Narrator Marin Ireland is outstanding!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[Tini · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only ghosts everyone can see.

3.5 stars rounded up.

"My grandmother used to call photographs 'paper ghosts.' The only ghosts everyone can see."

Part Southern Gothic ghost story, part love story, with a healthy dose of whimsy and magical realism, Paper Ghosts by Sarah Addison Allen centers on the Wester women, a family surrounded by secrets, rumors, and a few ghosts. Told across two timelines - Willamena's story in 1976 and her granddaughter Bailey's in the present day - the novel gradually reveals the complicated history of the women in this family and the ways in which love, grief, and old wounds can echo across generations.

I especially enjoyed the first part of the book, which introduces us to a young, spunky Willamena (Wills). There was something particularly compelling about watching her navigate the expectations of the life she was supposed to want while slowly realizing that she wanted something else entirely. On the other hand, Bailey's story never quite grabbed me to the same degree as Willamena's, and I found myself more invested in the historical timeline than the present-day one, although the two eventually come together in a way that gives the novel its emotional heart.

Tying it all together in a beautiful bow is Allen's prose. Her writing is atmospheric, evocative, and just the right amount of whimsical. And while the story becomes increasingly supernatural - which isn't usually my favorite territory - Allen's writing and the wonderfully Gothic setting kept me thoroughly engaged.

The novel is very much character-driven, with the women and their relationships taking center stage while some of the other characters fade into the background. I appreciated that focus, particularly the parallels between the two generations of women and the relationships between the two sets of grandmothers and granddaughters. At the same time, I occasionally wished some of the secondary storylines and characters had been developed a little more. The book is relatively short, and there were several plot threads that felt as though they could have used a little more room to breathe.

I experienced Paper Ghosts as an audiobook, narrated by Marin Ireland. As always, Ireland is impeccable. She is easily one of my favorite narrators, and her performance perfectly captures the novel's Southern Gothic atmosphere, giving the different characters distinct voices while never distracting from Allen's beautiful prose.

While I would have happily spent more time with some of the novel's characters and storylines, it made for a thoroughly engaging listen. Haunting, whimsical, and beautifully written, Paper Ghosts is a story about the ghosts we inherit - and whether we have to keep carrying them.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"Paper Ghosts" will be published on September 1, 2026.

[Judy]

Judy Sebastian from Eastham Public Library
I’m always excited when I get to read anything by Sarah Addison Allen, even her short paragraphs based on photos. She has a way of writing magic realism that delights and allows me to sink into the story, eager for the next page. The women of Wester House have always been feared in their community. They isolate themselves but seem to have some sort of magic ability to know everything about everyone in town. But their personal lives are never complete, so when Willa’s granddaughter Bailey comes back to be raised, Willa plans to do everything in her power to not make the same mistakes her grandmother made with her. Lyrically written and not to be missed, although some things are not completely explained which leaves me with questions. Loved it.

[Leah Cherokee · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the close-knit place of Hen Town, North Carolina lies a small community that was once North Carolina's largest chicken farm. And for generations, the mysterious Wester family home has stood the test of time as change has ebbed and flowed through Hen Town, sure as the ocean tide. Whether the Wester home was left alone by the townspeople out of reverence or fear, however, none can say.

The "Witches of Wester" are every bit a mystery to teenage Bailey Wester as they are to the rest of Hen Town. Bailey knows that her family has secrets miles-deep, everyone does. Whispers and rumors have swirled around her like invisible winds for Bailey's whole life, but her Mim has never let her close enough to touch the truth. Until Bailey begins seeing strange figures in and around the Wester home grounds, that is; some that look like they're from another time.

"Paper Ghosts" is the sort of book I begged myself to love from the start despite a few clunky, opening chapters. It has some really beautiful flickers of the sort of magical realism that rendered Sarah Addison Allen's "Garden Spells" one of my favorite books of all time; but those flickers are fleeting, and they're few.

Overall, the pacing of "Paper Ghosts" never felt right and it lacked the steady current of magical realism I was hoping for. It moves--or rather, suddenly leaps--forward multiple times before you're able to cozily settle in with the characters or the time period they're found in, and that created a distance from the story that I never got past. Certainly reminiscent of some of Addison Allen's older works, "Paper Ghosts" is an oddball of a novel: magical in moments, then shockingly dark in others, fast-paced and yet hard to get through at points. I wish (more than anyone) that I could recommend it to readers, but if you're looking for that true, Addison Allen magic, discover "Garden Spells" for the first time, or go back to it again.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced review copy of this title*

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paper Ghosts is one of those books that seems to straddle a few different genres without fully settling into any of them. There’s suspense, romance, and fantasy woven throughout, and while the premise had a lot of potential, I ultimately found the execution pretty frustrating.

For me, the biggest issue was that the story never really felt like it developed. There’s a ghostly element that’s hinted at throughout the book, but it’s never fully explored or explained. Instead, the reader is left to make a lot of assumptions about what’s happening and why. I personally prefer when a book gives me the story rather than leaving me to fill in so many of the blanks myself.

The book has good bones, and I genuinely think the premise is interesting. Unfortunately, it felt like it was missing depth and meaning in a lot of areas. By the end, I was left feeling more frustrated than satisfied because I wanted so much more from the story and its characters.

That said, it was a very quick and easy read, so if you’re looking for something you can fly through, this definitely fits the bill. I just wish the story had dug a little deeper and given some of its more intriguing elements the development they deserved.

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Marialyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every family has secrets. Some of them are buried deep because of shame, some because finding out the secret might ruin the family, while others are only things relatives of long ago want hidden.

For the Wester women their secret lies contained within their house and when Bailey Wester returns home at the behest of her grandmother, Willamena, a woman she feared, Baily recognizes a number of emotions and secrets hidden within this house and her grandmother.

In 1976, Willamena falls for a musician and plans to run away with him, until fate intervenes and Willamena is unable to escape. Now with Baily home, will the Paper Ghosts come to haunt both women or will they be part of a healing process for them?

This is my eight book by Sarah Addison Allen, and once again I enjoyed her blend of strong women, "Southerness", and that touch of magic that run through her stories.

I will never look at old photographs without thinking of them as paper ghosts.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Oh my goodness the excitement I had when I saw that one of my favorite authors is releasing a new novel, I was so excited to be able to read it! Oh my word where do I start?
I have read books from this author since I was a teenager. I found her "Garden Spells" book in my local library and I was drawn to the beautiful cover. I have read every book of hers and I love her writing and the magical elements and all her quirky character's that you just fall in love with!
This book.. was a just disappointment. I really really wanted to love it but I didn't connect with any of the character's. We are teased with just a very very small amount of Allen's magical elements but it was so small it just felt like it was not written from Allen herself. This book felt completely different than her other books and not in a good way. It just made me sad. I feel like the way the book is laid out that it is a rough draft. I found myself lost a lot with the time jumps throughout the book. I don't even know why on earth Allen decided to make the father gay all of a sudden? It felt so out of left field it felt like she threw that in to appease the pro-gay agenda audience. I just want Allen to give us a book like all her other books that had characters and story plots that we so fell in love with! :(

[BookishlySonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

This was so lovely! It has all the vibes of Practical Magic (the movie) but somehow cozier despite the dark themes. Paper Ghosts is told in two timelines, the first allows the reader to meet and fall in love with Wills, the future family matriarch and the present day timeline follows her granddaughter Bailey as a child all the way through adulthood.

Through both of these women we are able to see how trauma, especially generational, is not always hard to break away from and sometimes how we break the cycle can continue to perpetuate it. Yet this book is very much about love and the fierce protectiveness that it can inspire.

The prose is moody and atmospheric with just a touch of magical realism to tie it all together. This had all the makings of a 5 star read except it did feel a bit underdeveloped and I think that’s due to how short it is for the amount of plot lines it tackles. With that said, I would still highly recommend this book and have already placed a hold on Other Birds because I love how Sarah Addison Allen writes.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC! Marin Ireland is one of my all time favorite narrators and she did a fabulous job bringing both Wills and Bailey to life and yet giving each one a distinct voice and cadence.

[Laura (thenerdygnomelife) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Paper Ghosts" delivers classic Sarah Addison Allen — quirky characters, strong female leads, and just enough heartbreak and family drama to keep it from tipping into syrupy sweet. It's a great pick if you love fiction centered on women, a light touch of magical realism, love that transcends mortal bounds, and ghost stories without any chill or gore.

The story starts in 1976, when young Wills makes a fateful choice that shapes the rest of her life. The timeline them jumps forward to the day her granddaughter Bailey reluctantly comes to stay. As the two develop a tentative relationship, Bailey begins to uncover the love, heartbreak, and impossible choices that made Wills who she became.

I both read the e-book and listened on audiobook. As usual, Marin Ireland delivered a beautiful performance with her narration, easily sweeping me into both the atmosphere and characters. I did find that the sudden jumps between timelines were easy to miss on audio, coming with little to no warning. For me, Wills' 1976 storyline was by far the more richly developed and compelling of the two. Bailey's present-day thread didn't hit quite as hard, but it was still satisfying to see Wills' story through to the end. I found this entertaining, touching, and just a touch tragic.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing advance copies for honest review. 4.5 stars rounded up.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something was different and slightly off in Addison Allen’s newest novel. There was a more violent aspect along with darker secrets than in her previous novels. Most of the characters oozed traits that made them unlikable. The large time jumps also didn’t allow for character development. I’m sad that this one was a miss for me. SAA will continue to be one of my auto-read authors because she writes magical realism unlike any other.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press through Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

*Expected publication September 2026.*

[Christina C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paper Ghost* is a beautifully crafted story that weaves together the past, present, and future of the Wester family in a compelling and thoughtful way. The depth of the family history adds richness to the narrative, making it more than just a mystery—it feels layered and meaningful.

Bailey and Willamena are especially likeable characters, and their perspectives bring warmth and emotional connection to the story. Their presence makes the plot even more engaging and keeps you invested in uncovering the truths hidden within the family’s past.

Overall, this was a well-written and captivating read that balances intrigue with strong character development. Definitely worth picking up if you enjoy stories with depth and a touch of mystery and spiritual elements.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a SAA super fan. The genre of magical realism is something this author helped me discover. I don’t want to do any spoilers so I’ll just say the story is fast paced, the characters distinct, and the plot is on point. In our house, I tell my kids that you never know what is happening in someone’s heart, head, or home. This mantra fully applies to this story. I appreciated the multigenerational story and the way the story wraps up. A good read for those who already love this author and for those looking to discover a new author to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

#PaperGhostsNovel #SarahAddisonAllen #StMartinsPress

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third Sarah Addison Allen novel that I have read and probably my favorite. 4.5 stars rounded up. It contains the same whimsy as the other books and the backdrop of family history, the house, the town, it's people etc was so well done I thought this was just the building up for some huge plot twists and magical mayhem. However, the author took a very understated and gentle way of telling a story that was not quite expected, but very much enjoyed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

[Jenni Reichen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarah Addison Allen is one of my very favorite authors, and I check several times a year hoping to see that she has a new book coming out. I’ve loved every other book of hers that I’ve read, which made Paper Ghosts especially disappointing for me. Unfortunately, this one just fell flat. The story never really drew me in, and I never became invested in the characters or felt particularly interested in where the story was going. I kept hoping it would eventually capture some of the magic I’ve come to expect from Allen’s writing, but it never quite did. While I’ll absolutely continue to look forward to whatever she writes next, Paper Ghosts just wasn’t for me.

[Jeanie ~ Fables.and.fur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read every published book by Sarah Addison Allen and loved them all. Her writing is descriptive and lush and every story has its own unique charm with magical realism. Paper Ghosts is a bittersweet tale with young love, spirits and generations of complicated family dynamics. Marin Ireland is outstanding in her performance on the audiobook production. Everything here is pitch perfect. You may even see a stray Dellawisp in this town. Oh, and candy corn really does smell like disappointment!

Many thanks to @stmartinspress for an ARC and @macmillan.audio for an ALC.

[Grace- cozybookobsessed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have read several books by @sarahaddisonallen so I was really excited to read this! This story has Practical Magic vibes. I really enjoyed it! This book captivated me from the very start. It’s told in dual timelines. It follows Willamena and her granddaughter Bailey. The women of Wester House are know to have many secrets. The rest of Hen town keeps away from them. There are lots of rumors going around that they might be witches. Something tragic happens to Willamena that she is forced to live out the rest of her days at Wester House when all she wanted was to get away from there. Now her granddaughter Bailey comes to live with her and Willamena doesn’t want her to suffer the same fate.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much!! I devoured it and thought it was beautifully written. SAA has such a unique way to describe things that you are truly there in the story. The characters were amazing and I was so happy with the ending. Totally reminiscent of her earlier books and I am here for it!!

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars ✨

I love SAA so much and look forward to new books from her. I thought this was quite different from her other stories. Didn’t have the same magical realism that she usually writes. I thought this was more mystery than anything else. Which is fine, just not the feel good story that I was expecting.

[Corinne Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love stories about witches. People love to call women they don't understand witches. It's just easier to call them that than trying to understand them. That's what it is like in Hen Town, NC, where time moves a little bit slower than everywhere else. At the heart of Hen Town lies the Wester House, where no one is allowed in that doesn't belong there. And to understand the women of Wester House, one needs to go back to Willamena Wester's prom night. In the days that followed, something tragic happens that forces Willamena to live the rest of her days at Wester House, when all she ever really wanted to do was get as far away from it as possible. All her relationships that followed, even with her granddaughter, Bailey, is cast upon with the shadow of this house. As a similar tragedy faces Bailey, her grandmother forces her to leave Wester House and build her own life. But 8 years later, as Willamena is on her death bed, Bailey comes back and puts all of the pieces together. She realizes that sometimes witches aren't witches at all, but rather women who have been wronged and spend the rest of their lives not wanting to be wronged again.

Many thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Morgan Hearns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure how to even put this book into words. It was touching and depressing but full of hope. The characters were flawed but there was something beautiful about them too. You see multiple point of views throughout decades of their lives and it’s heartbreaking to see how much life changes people and their relationships.

The story mainly revolves around Bailey but it all starts with her grandmother (Wills). I thoroughly enjoyed that the book started with the past of her grandmother so you could understand who she was and why she ended up the way she did by time Bailey came into the picture. It added a lot of depth to Wills and gave me a lot of empathy for her, how her life turned out and how her past irrevocably changed who she would become.

The pacing was a little jumpy. Especially switching point of views mid chapter. Sometimes it would take me a second to realize whose point of view I was on now because it would just switch. However that didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the book. I finished it in about two days and could not put it down.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was very character driven, full of growth, sorrow and hope. The magical realism was well done. I’m still left with questions on how some things played out between the end and the epilogue. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Sarah Addison Allen and team for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Renée | apuzzledbooklover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️

The Wester women have a unique legacy and much of it is filled with secrets and certain expectations. The family home itself is an entity all its own. When Bailey comes to live with her grandmother, Willamena, she is young, and she longs to be close to her, but she is kept at arms length.

‘Gram calls photographs paper ghosts. She says they’re the only ghosts everyone can see.’

Highlights |
✨Magical realism
✨Shifting timelines
✨An unusual character
✨Family relationships
✨Generational trauma

Magical realism interspersed with dark moments make for a unique experience reading this novel. I was drawn in by a shocking event early on which piqued my interest. Overall, I liked this one, but there were a few strange aspects to it that didn’t really work as well as I had hoped, and the pacing was a problem for me with the shifts in timelines. That caused some confusion for me. I would still recommend it for fans of the author.

I have loved two of her previous novels. Garden Spells and The Girl Who Chased the Moon are favorites of mine.

I especially enjoyed the narration, which is beautifully performed by Marin Ireland, and I paired it with the digital arc, which is always helpful.

[Many thanks to @stmartinspress for the digital ARC and to @macmillan.audio for the gifted ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.]

CA | Bullying, attempted SA and a small amount of strong language to be aware of.

[Claire Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a bummer for me because I loved OTHER BIRDS, and PAPER GHOSTS has such an interesting premise. Unfortunately, I kept waiting for the story to do something with that premise, and it never quite got there for me.

My biggest issue was the lack of narrative momentum. The story moves forward in time, but I rarely felt like the plot itself was moving forward in a meaningful way. There wasn’t enough pulling me into the next chapter or making me need to know what happened next. And that can absolutely work for me if I’m deeply invested in the characters, but I wasn’t. The characters and themes both felt surprisingly superficial, and I never developed the emotional connection that might have made the quieter structure work.

In fact, my favorite character was someone who died in the first third of the book, and even he was underdeveloped. By the middle, I found myself thinking, “What exactly are we doing here?” I never got a good answer to that question.

There are lovely ideas in Paper Ghosts, and I could see the shape of a book I might have loved: grief, memory, connection, the ways people linger in our lives after they’re gone. But for me, those ideas never developed into something emotionally or narratively satisfying. An intriguing premise with so much potential, but ultimately not enough payoff.

3 stars because there was plenty here I appreciated, just not enough to make me care more.

Pub Date: 9/1/26
Review Published: 8/31/26
eARC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Tyffani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ rounded down. This is my first book by this author. I found the book entertaining and easy to read at first but then it got a little hard to follow. It’s supposed to be a split timeline between 2 time frames but really it’s split between 3 times. There are a lot of characters but with the multiple timelines you don’t get a full picture of any of them. By the end of the book, it was difficult to keep them all straight. The story is fine and the plot is interesting, if underdeveloped. It’s by no means the worst book I’ve ever read and I think the ending is decent. I would read other books by this author.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley or the arc of this book.