Title: Paper Aeroplanes
Author: Dawn O' Porter
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Star Rating: * * * * *
Review
I'm going to state it outright: Paper Aeroplanes is a fantastic book. I loved it.
This title thrives on a strong ability to reflect the kind of messy relationships that girls have with their friends, family and boys during the sticky years of teenage-hood, and to be completely honest with you, it's been a good while since I've read anything that has felt so breathtakingly real. I'm sure that you can tell, I just can't stop gushing!
Click here to read the full review!
Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Star Rating: * * * * *
Mini Review
Another Young Adult title that I simply adored, Fangirl has left me with a case of the post-book-blues (I miss my fictional crush Levi)! As a first year student at university myself, it seems that this title has come into my life at just the right moment, and I really couldn't appreciate it more.
Cath is a college freshman, a talented fan fiction writer and an identical twin, who has been hurt by her sister's decision forge her own path at college and share a dorm room with a stranger. Despite facing some inevitable struggles, Cath eventually succeeds in expanding her world out from her sister and the Simon Snow fandom that she holds so close to her heart, gaining the independence that university is all about. The themes in this story are a wonderful blend of family, fandom and first love, with an insight into just exactly what it's like to be taking your first steps into a new life away from home.
Rainbow has firmly become one of my favourite Young Adult authors. She writes vivid characters that come alive right off of the page, and whose lives I miss dearly after I've finished reading. Fangirl is a gem, and an absolute must-read for fans of the genre. A mini-review just doesn't do this book justice.
Title: The Chrysalids
Author: John Wyndham
Publisher: Penguin
First Thoughts
The Chrysalids is to be my first read by John Wyndham, and through what I've heard so far, it sounds pretty good! This book is a dystopian story set in a post-nuclear world, and features a society where the persecution of mutants has forced them to conceal themselves in their own community. I'm hoping that this title will be a great introduction to Wyndham's writing, and at only 200 pages in length, it should be a pretty quick read as well!
Title: Goose (Paper Aeroplanes #2)
Author: Dawn O'Porter
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Star Rating: * * * *
Mini Review
The very fact that I own this book is evidence of my complete lack of self control when it comes to book buying! I picked up my copy of Goose shortly after devouring Paper Aeroplanes, and it proved to be a great continuation in the series.
Set a year and a half on from the previous book, Goose catches up with the lives of Renee and Flo, whose friendship continues to flourish as they sit their A Level exams at the local Grammar school. This final year at school is eventful for the girls, and the strength of their friendship is well and truly tested. Renee and Flo have reached that crucial age where they need to start making decisions independently from each other, a pill that is difficult for Flo to swallow. We already know that their two personalities contrast greatly, and learn early on that the pair probably won't leave Guernsey together...
Does growing up mean growing apart? For these two, maybe, in terms of gaining their own independence and establishing themselves in the world as individuals. Despite this, I don't believe for a second that their bond will weaken, and I eagerly await Paper Aeroplanes #3!
