I got about halfway through this graphic novel and while I really enjoyed the art style and colors the story was just not completely catching my attention. :(

Paper Planes is a story of two young friends at a summer camp for troubled youth. Leighton and Dylan come from two very different walks of life, yet remained inseparable. Told through flashbacks leading to the ultimate reason for their camp stay. This book (while intended for a YA audience) pulls no punches. This a real view on how messy growing up and discovering who you are and who you want to be can be.

4.5⭐️
I enjoyed the majority of this book and found the art style beautiful and easy to follow. Dylan and Leighton are best friends sent to a summer camp for troubled youth. During this time, they examine the past that has led here, and question the future that is to come. While going on a journey of self-discovery, will their friendship still be there on the other side?

Right off the bat, I loved this story. The characters were introduced quickly, and the style made it easy to decipher from past and present. The writing was beautiful, despite not personally relating to the characters, they were still incredibly easy to understand. The color scheme was cute as well.

I enjoyed the commentary on good vs. bad people, and how it related to “troubled youth” camps. There was also a more subtle (at times) examination of the class differences between Dylan and Leighton that was done really well. The anticipation of finding out why they ended up at camp was paced perfectly.
The only thing I didn’t quite like was the ending, it felt one-sided and a bit rushed.

Overall, this was a wonderful story about Dylan discovering themselves and what’s important to them.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

First of all - thanks Netgalley and especially Mad Cave Studios for letting me read this wonderful graphic novel.
Second, how do I type words while having tears in my eyes?
This story is very insightful and emotionally tackling me and I reeeeally like it! Like a lot! Dylan is a wonderful person and Leighton is trying her best too. But I must say that the way things took a turn, is a bit heartbreaking. However, there’s hope on the horizon!
This is so wonderfully describing a complicated friendship, finding new friends and new hope in places you don’t think about at first.
I think I will go for a reread soon.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the graphic novel. I thought the story really dragged on and I felt I couldn’t connect with the characters when I really wanted to! Such a shame that I didn’t really enjoy this graphic novel, I had such high hopes for it ;/

A charming illustration style for a serious subject. I love the characters and their story. But if you are looking for a nicely tied up ending, you won't find it. This is a slice of life, a between-times at summer camp, a place away from regular life.

An adorable graphic with beautifully portrayed LGBTQIA+ representation. The story and message was amazingly executed.

Thank you Mad Cave Studio's and NetGalley for providing me with an ebook ARC of Paper Planes.

This graphic novel starts out at a camp and over the course of the story we get to find out why the main characters Dylan and Leighton are at this camp and why they've been sent there.

I really liked this graphic novel. I finished it as soon as i could because the story had me hooked an the characters were likeable. I liked the art style a lot and how the art style changes when the POV changes between present and past.

Overall i'd have to recommend it!

5/5 stars from me

I enjoyed this, although I wasn't expecting the bittersweet ending. I kept waiting for Leighton to stand up to her parents and assert her identity and wants and needs.

I did like the nonbinary and ace rep quite a bit. I also like that the camp counselors weren't as awful as they first appeared.

The art was cute and I liked how the flashback sections had faded, sepia-tinted colors to make them stand out from the sections in the present. It was like the flashbacks were photographs from the seventies.

The ending felt a bit rushed and like it was maybe missing something. I really wish we'd gotten a bit more closure. At least it ends with a bit of hope (for Dylan at least. Leighton seems content to continue letting her parents rule her life which makes me sad).

*Thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for providing an early copy for review.

I really loved this one. Graphic novels can be hit or miss for me, but I found myself wanting more and more. I really liked the past and present back and forth as we got to know the characters, and the way the art was colored to make it clear what was a flashback and what was present day. One thing that I didn't love was the asexual rep. Leighton calls herself asexual, but she was depicted as aromantic, or maybe aromantic asexual, not asexual. That's a really common harmful asexual stereotype, and Leighton does make a passing comment about ace stereotypes, but it's never explored more than that and it should have been explained to readers, especially since there is very little asexual or aromantic rep in books, and a lot of people still don't know what they are.

Thank you to Netgalley, Mad Cave Studios and Jennie Wood for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Paper Planes is the story of Dylan and Leighton, two teens who are sent to a summer camp for troubled youth following an incident that happened. They need to leave the camp with a positive evaluation or they will have to attend an alternative school.

I love how the title ties in with the book. The book is beautifully illustrated. I particularly enjoyed how the artist changed the color scheme depending on if the scene was in the past vs present. The story captivated me and kept me wanting to know more about the characters and how they ended up at the camp.

I was overjoyed with the diversity and representation in this book. I think it's so important for people of any age to be able to see someone like them in media. We had non binary and asexual representation in this story.

This is a bittersweet and nuanced coming of age story and goes through the struggles of being a teen and trying to figure out yourself, relationships and how to navigate the world around you.

This was really short and sweet, like this is what I look for when i'm looking for a Graphic Novel to pass the time. It dealt with a few heavy topics without actually feeling heavy itself, loved the themes of friendship and just how complex it can be (which honestly hit with me especially) and a bonus with the Ace and nonbinary rep plus diversity is always a win in my book. I adored the art style of course, I liked how the past had a yellow tint over it and used softer colors than the present so you could clearly differentiate between past events and present. Also that both characters had a different narration color so that was also clear to tell who you were hearing from at the moment. The characters were super cool to read, I love how as you go through the book they figure out more about themselves which then tells the reader about them in turn. I actually like how Leighton was initially set up to be a bit unlikeable, and maybe still by the end of the book, but as the story unfolds you begin to understand her actions more. I did prefer Dylan though just because I sympathized with them a bit more I think, and their growth specifically was more obvious to see. I also loved Cricket, she was a great side character and taught Dylan a couple things too. Dylan was having a rough time at the start and Cricket saw that and was a friend to them however they needed her to be. This was a beautiful story and I hope it finds its home with readers once released.

I did really enjoy this graphic novel and the art very much, and the representation of LGBTQIA+ teens and what they have to go through was well spoken. However, I felt it could have been longer because the story seemed rushed and didn't have much of a conclusion so I was left a little unsatisfied with the story because I felt like the characters could have been more explored on all sides. Overall 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.

🦇 Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What part of your identity are you still coming to terms with or discovering? ❓

🦇 Dylan Render and Leighton Worthington have been inseparable since childhood despite coming from different economic backgrounds. They've always had one another's backs, until a tragic accident puts their friendship to the test. To avoid getting sent away before the start of the school year, Dylan and Leighton are forced to attend a summer camp for troubled youths. Can they get the positive evaluations they need to get their futures back on track — and will their friendship survive the evaluations they're making of themselves?

💜 Written by Eisner award-winning author Jennie Woods, Paper Planes is a beautiful examination of self-discovery, identification, growth, and love. This coming-of-age story features non-binary Dylan and asexual Leighton, who are forced to examine their lifelong friendship after a bullying incident. Recognizing who you are when you have the world shoving you into preassigned boxes is no easy feat. Watching Dylan and Leighton come to terms with how they feel (about themselves and for each other) was not only inspiring, but stunning. This is a bittersweet read, though. Sometimes, growing up means growing apart from the people who shaped us most. While that's sometimes difficult to come to terms with, it's part of the process. Between the representation of LGBTQ+ characters, alluring artwork, and focus on topics like poverty, bullying, and racism, this was a wonderful read.

🦇 Our problems aren't resolved neatly and tied up with pretty little bows, and they weren't resolved that way for Dylan and Leighton, either. While their story has a realistic ending, there was still a lot left unexamined or explained. Some of their characters also lacked depth, too, which keeps readers at arm's length from the story in some ways.

🚀 Recommending this beautiful, realistic story to all readers, regardless of how you identify. Sometimes, you need to see a story through another person's eyes; need to emotionally experience someone else's situation through their heart instead of your own.

🌈 Diversity
🏳‍🌈 Ace & Nonbinary Rep
🚀 Coming-of-Age
🎨 Stunning Art

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #PaperPlanes #Netgalley #Netgalleyreview

Im still not sure how I feel about this book. I went in thinking it was one think and it wasn't. I was hoping it would dive more into who the kids were as people, more awkwardness, more coming of age. but for wha tit was it was an okay story. the artwork was cute.

This is a quick read and ended rather abruptly (I'm hoping there will be a second book), but it deals with a lot of stuff kids have to navigate and is told in authentic voices. Leighton and Dylan are best friends (and maybe a little more?) who are sent to a summer camp for troubled youth after a tragic accident. Their high school options depend on their performance at camp: poor report=alternative high school with none of their friends.

Leighton and Dylan are also queer (Dylan is non-binary and Leighton is asexual and cisgender (I think)) and trying to figure out what that means to them, their friends, and their families. There is a lot of emotion throughout the book. It was great at making me remember what it's like to discover who you are while everyone else looks like they've got it together.

There are issues of poverty/wealth and race, but it seemed like the race part was introduced and then sort of dropped. Dylan's economic situation is dealt with a little more, and maybe that's all it needed, but it seemed like these issues kind of went nowhere. These were secondary topics in the book, and too much attention may have detracted from the main themes.

The artwork and design of the book are excellent. The main characters have different colored thought bubbles, so it's easy to know who's narrating. The flashbacks and current timeline are also colored differently, which makes it clearer.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I hope we'll get to see more facets of all the characters (more Cricket, please!) in a future book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Paper Planes" is a coming of age story following Leighton and Dylan as they they attend a summer bootcamp as punishment for something they did in the previous school year.

While I appreciate this story and wide rage of diversity, we love to see it! I was left feeling a little underwhelmed by the ending and reveal, Throughout the story the main characters allude to the bad thing they did but when it finally came time for the readers to find I was left feeling underwhelmed. Same with the ending, I feel like a lot more should have resolved than actually was. I did love the art style of this book and the overall representation.

The emotions I felt when I read this book were absolutely indescribable. I love the story line, although it was quite sad. Also the art style was just amazing.

Thanks to NetGalley & Mad Cave Studios for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

An emotional graphic novel about two friends drifting apart as their lives get more and more complicated. The art was stunning, Dylan was a well-rounded character and their motivations made sense! Even better--Dylan is non-binary! Goodness knows we could always use more non-binary characters in graphic novels.

I will say, the weakest part of the novel is the fact that it keeps time jumping. It gets pretty chaotic and confusing at points. I also did not end up liking Leighton or her backstory at all but that's probably just a personal nitpick.

Hi! Paper Planes by Jennie Wood is a standalone graphic novel that rotates mainly around the themes of friendship, self-discovery and identity. While it was not my favorite and nor did I love it, I did find the novel intriguing enough to get through it entirely in one sitting. I would give this read 2.5 stars.

My thoughts

I loved the graphics and I loved Leighton’s discovery of who she identifies as. Some places in the novel I was pretty much ‘what the hell just happened’ but there were moments I enjoyed.

There isn’t much of the book that especially struck out to me or stood out. It was simply a quick read, relatively short and one that puts you in a different world for a while.

There were a few things in this novel I didn’t enjoy as well. I do not think Paper Planes is a read I would recommend, all-in-all.

If you are planning on purchasing this read, please consider using the following amazon affiliate link to purchase it. It would be at no extra cost to you and would really help me out, thank you!

purchase this read: https://amzn.to/3kEQaqL

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free e-ARC of this novel. This read publishes in May.