Paper Aeroplanes

Dawn O'Porter

Paper Aeroplanes
Format
Paperback
Publisher
Hot Key Books
Country
United Kingdom
Published
1 May 2013
Pages
272
ISBN
9781471400360

Paper Aeroplanes

Dawn O'Porter

It’s the mid-1990s, and fifteen year-old Guernsey schoolgirls, Renee and Flo, are not really meant to be friends.

Thoughtful, introspective and studious Flo couldn’t be more different to ambitious, extroverted and sexually curious Renee. But Renee and Flo are united by loneliness and their dysfunctional families, and an intense bond is formed.

Although there are obstacles to their friendship (namely Flo’s jealous ex-best friend and Renee’s growing infatuation with Flo’s brother), fifteen is an age where anything can happen, where life stretches out before you, and when every betrayal feels like the end of the world. For Renee and Flo it is the time of their lives.

With graphic content and some scenes of a sexual nature, Paper Aeroplanes is a gritty, poignant, often laugh-out-loud funny and powerful novel. It is an unforgettable snapshot of small-town adolescence and the heart-stopping power of female friendship.

Review

Set in a place called Guernsey (which I discovered upon Googling is an island off the coasts of England and France) in the 1990s, Paper Aeroplanes follows the lives of Renee and Flo, two teenage girls struggling with life.

Renee’s mum died when she was young and her dad left just after, so Renee and her sister live with their grandparents, who refuse to talk about anything, especially Renee’s mum. Not only that, but Renee’s sister is currently starving herself to try and get her grandparents to listen to her. While all this is going on, Renee meets Flo.

Flo’s family is a mess. Her dad has moved out and her mother and brother couldn’t care less about him. Her so-called best friend spends most of her time bossing Flo around and making sure she feels as insecure about herself as possible. One night at a house party, Renee finds Flo in a rather embarrassing drunken state and takes her home. It’s from here that the pair form a friendship that provides both girls with much-needed support and love.

Paper Aeroplanes is a fun yet sad novel about two teenagers who learn that some friends are more like family members than the ones you’ve actually got. For ages 14 and up.


Katherine Dretzke

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