The Page Turner by Viola Shipman ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Emma Page grew up the black sheep in a bookish household, raised to believe fine literature is the only worthy type of fiction. Her parents, self-proclaimed “serious” authors who run their own vanity press, The Mighty Pages, mingle in highbrow social circles that look down on anything too popular or mainstream, while her sister, Jess, is a powerful social-media influencer whose stylish reviews can make or break a novel.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

April 2025; Graydon House; 978-1525831638
audio, ebook, print (336 pages); women's fiction

I'm sad that there isn't a new Christmas book from Viola Shipman this year. I love them. I did find his summer book in my TBR pile. Have you read The Page Turner? While I love the Christmas books, I usually enjoy the summer books as well.  I haven't read a lot of women's fiction this year, so I thought it would be a good book to pick up as I'm needing a break from all the mysteries I've been reading.

This book had a bit of a different vibe than previous books. I didn't really like the main character, which I found interesting, as I usually love Shipman's characters. I just couldn't really connect with her. I get that we are supposed to hate her family, at least in the beginning. They are pretentious, literary snobs. 

I really tried to like this book, especially knowing that Shipman writes under his grandmother's name to honor. I assume some of the story was based on his relationship with his grandmother, which was special. So I wanted to book to feel special. 

I think partly what felt different about this book compared to his other books was the message. Usually, they are focused on the female protagonist finding themselves, the path they should be on, and returning to their roots and family. We have that in The Page Turners as Emma is looking for a job, trying to make it as an author, and trying to connect with her family. But there is also a secondary message about literature and popular fiction, how one is considered "serious" while the other is considered fluff.

I'm in enough book groups online to know that preferred genre discussions can get heated, particularly when people bring up how many books they've read and then say they read a lot of romance. Those discussions always turn me off, so that might have led to my mixed feelings about the book.

It was a little different, but it is still an enjoyable read.

Buy The Page Turner at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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