Paper Aeroplanes By Dawn O’ Porter

[amazon_link id=”1471400360″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]’Paper Aeroplanes’ is Dawn O’Porter’s debut book into the world of Young Adult Fiction.

It is 1994 and fifteen year old school girls Renée and Flo are not meant to be friends. Thoughtful, introspective Flo couldn’t be more different to extroverted and sexually curious Renee. But they have things in common, they both have a deep loneliness that runs deep and a longing to escape from their dysfunctional families. Fifteen is an age when anything can happen, life stretches out before you. Where happiness feels like heaven and a betrayal feels like the end like the end of the world. For Renee and Flo, it’s the year where they become themselves.

‘Paper Aeroplanes’ is a frank and gripping account of just how hard it is at times to be a teenage girl especially when your parents are deceased or you are at loggerheads with your guardians. Right from the start we are told the story through the perspective of both Renée and Flo, two 15 year old girls from different sides of the small island of Guernsey. Set in 1994 when shell suits were at their peak, Renée lives with her grandparents and her younger sister Nell, they are a quite, troubled family that never got over the loss of Renée’s mother who died from cancer, to block her feelings of unhappiness, Renée is seen regularly acting the fool in the story, always the tear away, she brought an element of fun to the story, even though behind closed doors, she struggled to deal with the elephant in the room that was her unwell sister and her strict grandfather. Meanwhile Flo, is a quiet mousy girl who’s home life is also far from perfect, her parents have spilt up and her mother has decided that Flo can look after her younger sister Abi, so when Flo is not being bossed around by controlling best friend Sally, she plays the roll of the babysitter.

I loved this story and thought it was honestly written that reflects perfectly on the moments of a girl’s life that define us, such as the awkward moments of periods, the first tender kiss and first time with sex, filled with scenes of laughter and tears, the story is captivating as Dawn has successfully created characters that you will love and loathe in quick succession, from Julian, Flo’s older brother who plays the young lothario to Sally, Flo’s best friend who is a terribly cruel and selfish character who regularly insults and demeans Flo, it is obvious that Sally has issues of her own and there is always someone or a moment that will definitely make you sit back and reflect on you own teenage years.

A fantastic debut novel that is excitedly left open for a sequel, ‘Paper Aeroplanes’ is an addictive story that captures beautifully the true pressure of being a teenage girl, dealing with insecurity, bullying, first love and a tale of loss, this story is a wonderful tale of friendship and self discovery. A definite recommended read for all lovers of Young Adult.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”1471400360″ target=”_blank” ]Paper Aeroplanes on Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available from good bookshops.