Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I liked this comic, it was intriguing from the blurb and I decided to pick it up soon after requesting it and receiving it. I thought the story itself was easy to get into. The characters are down to earth and the two main people are friends with one another. You learn a bit about their back story (birthday party with the skating) and from then follow them along in the story.

The characters themselves were sweet and easy to agree with. I enjoyed reading about them and their dialogue because it read well and was intrigueing.

The artwork itself was comfortable on the mind and eyes and read smoothly along the way. There wasn't a time where the artwork stood in the way of the actual story or made the comic less easy to read.

Overal a very good and fun comic!

First, I would like to thank NetGalley for sending me an ARC for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book! I loved so many characters and found myself tearing up at certain moments just because of how real and raw the emotions that they were feeling were. It was great and I would recommend it to anyone.

I was really impressed by the graphics in Paper Planes, but unfortunately the story didn't live up to its visual appeal. At times, it was intriguing, but ultimately it felt unfulfilling. It seemed to rely on certain tropes and didn't delve deeply into any of the diverse characters, subjects, or themes it introduced. It also seemed to portray adults as villains without any real justification, which was unsettling and not very realistic. While the story did touch on personal growth, it wasn't enough to make it genuine or engaging. Overall, I would rate the comic a 3. The graphics deserve a 4, but the story only gets a 2, so it balances out to a 3

Summary:

Dylan Render and Leighton Worthington used to be best friends. Like many high-schoolers, their friendship has faded, thanks to drama and other concerns. If not for their time at summer camp (for troubled youths), they may never have had the opportunity to repair the damage done.

Their time at camp will change that, as both of them need to get a good review from the camp, or they're going to be in a new world of trouble. This forced proximity may even bring some closure as past events come to the surface.

Review:

Oh wow, Paper Planes is such a bittersweet and endearing read. Anybody who has ever lost a friend or struggled with troubled friendship waters will empathize with the story that unfolds here. It'll hit you right in the feels – and then some.

It took a little while to understand the full depth of everything going on here. Dylan and Leighton have fairly complex backstories, even without the whole friendship complication. Obviously, this is where a lot of the sadder and bittersweet elements come into play.

The namesake of this story, the paper planes they send, is a really nice touch. Not only does it add a lot to the emotional telling of the story, but it is also visually appealing. Dozerdraws did a fantastic job with these scenes. Honestly, I almost want to see if I can track down a print of one of those panels; they're so perfect...

Highlights:
LGBT
Romance
Genderfluid
Ace Character
Bittersweet Vibes
Cute Art
Forced proximity

This is a story that I think could have worked really well if it was presented in a different way. The idea was really nice and the ending was especially great (not to give away any spoilers but I really enjoy when books decide to go this route for an ending). I think was didn’t work was the constant back and forth and I didn’t really feel much growth from any of the characters. It sort of felt like, “Okay….then what?”

Dylan and Leighton have been friends forever. Dylan lives as themselves- a struggle for Leighton as she tries to please her parents.
This story starts at their summer camp - both angry and hurt. The story also rehashes their friendship. Underlining the lack of balance between Dylan and Leighton.
Very honest look at how we can become consumed by our friends, taken advantage and all the anger.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this advanced copy. The premise sounded really cool, and I really enjoyed it, especially because it was actually a surprise. I thought this was a traditional love story and it turns out not be neither traditional nor a love story. Instead it is an angsty buy heartfelt coming-of-age graphic novel about two teens who are both trying to save their friendship and figure out who they are at the same time. There's assexual, non-binary and queer rep, and I think there is a lot of nuance. The conflict is real, and it was hard to see them battle themselves and endure micro-agressions from others. And, yes, the artwork is also wonderful, with the style and colours changing from flashback to present. I just wish it had more pages so we could spend more time with Dylan and Leighton.

I truly feel like this is one of the first books I've read that has sensible and realistic Asexuality representation. The book has lots of very interesting twists and turns in the plot and I really love that all characters were able to have a happy ending without any of it being unrealistic. I would definitely recommend this book to young adults and their caregivers to give a diverse example of queer love and friendship.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion✨.

After an accident Dylan and Leighton are sent to a camp for troubled boys, but will they be able to maintain their friendship and protect their future?

It's a very light graphic novel, I really liked the drawing style and how easy it is to follow the story.
We get to see what brought them to this camp and get to know our protagonists a little better.

I must say that the one I liked the most was Dylan and it is that Leighton always wants to be the center of attention and many times he invalidated Dylan's feelings and I didn't like that.🙃

It is a graphic novel that shows us what happens in the heads of some teenagers, their sexual orientation and what they want to do in the future.

I highly recommend it if you are looking for a fairly light and entertaining read

Honest review from my ten year old:

This was great! The illustrations, art style and colors were magnicifient. And I loved Leighton and Dylan! Great read.

Miigweetch NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This YA graphic novel is told from the perspectives of high schoolers Leighton and Dylan. They are at a summer program for “troubled teens.” I didn’t realize there were alternating perspectives until about a third of the way through the book, which caused some initial confusion with the plot and timeline. Although I found it just an average read, I greatly enjoyed the art style and the diverse representation in the characters, especially Cricket.

It was fantastic to see nonbinary and asexual representation in the book. The ace story line I thought was well-explored and I appreciate seeing this type of story available to young adult readers who might be exploring similar themes in their own lives. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy comics that are not about superheroes, as well as anyone interested in asexual, trans, or non-binary stories. I rate it three out of five stars.

This was somehow both fun AND excruciating to read. It was fun to see the dynamics between Dylan and Leighton and it was excruciating to see them struggling so much with their friendship.
I will not elaborate more but ahhh, this book in my opinion is the definition of friendship conflicts and confusion and I loved it a lot even though it made my heart hurt 4984975 times!!
And I loved the art style and the colors so much, everything was so beautiful :')
And oh Leighton is aspec and Dylan are enby!! Loved both of these reps so much <3333
Highly recommended to people who like to read about friendship dynamics and graphic novels!

The art and color schemes were beautiful 10/10! This was such a cute yet sad story. I enjoyed how Paper Planes touched on subjects that tend to be dismissed or portrayed incorrectly, and was instead executed perfectly. Both Leighton and Dylan were relatable and easygoing characters. My reasoning for my rating was due to the sudden end. The ending had an abrupt feel to it after this hard ending between people. I felt that I needed more. I found myself swiping left to make sure that was the final page.

Special thanks to NetGalley for sharing this digital copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I throughly enjoyed this Graphic Novel, it covered some very important topics very well. It was also very inclusive and gave good representation of gender identity, sexuality and asexuality.

I loved the graphics and the character design. The characters in it were wonderful, I especially liked Cricket! The storyline was interesting and I enjoyed the dual timeline, which worked well and was easy to tell when it switched between the timelines so it wasn’t confusing at all.

I absolutely love the front cover and the colour scheme throughout!

Overall, I did enjoy this Graphic Novel a lot. I would give it a 4 ⭐️ rating and would recommend it.

loved the representation for this one and the art style is amazing! i liked the two timelines and it made me want to keep reading. One of my fave graphic novels of the year :)

The artwork in this graphic novel was adorable and I loved the ace and non-binary rep. The story had themes of friendship and showed how it can fluctuate throughout life and its events. I would’ve loved to read this as a teen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the arc!

I feel like this is a really good example of morally grey ethics & decisions, especially around middle school/hs when ppl are figuring themselves and relationships out. Big <3 to cricket and dylan and that one camp counselor trying to be on the kids’ sides. Mostly tho i feel bad for leighton i think she’s trying so hard to make herself presentable to her friends and family and fit in that she’s kind of lost herself. I hope in the imaginary future for these characters she does better !! Anyways!! Big love to this book

(also note for the publisher/editor if you're still making edits, theres a minor typo on page 20 of the ebook :) thing/think)

A fab story of two friends trying to be themselves in a world that wants them to be anything else. Beautifully woven flashbacks reveal events that led to a mandated summer camp for troubled teens. Dylan and Leighton know how to navigate society issues and expectations. Will that help them earn their needed positive evaluation?
VERDICT A needed book for any library serving teens. Deals with several issues from biracial, gender fluid, poverty, and more while not being forced or trite. Graceful telling of aces. #PaperPlanes #NetGalley

I received a DRC of this title and I really liked it. The story was about two teens who are part of the lgbtq+ community and best friends. Dylan is sure of their identity; however, Leighton is still questioning her identity. The story revolves around the two and how they deal with their emotions and sexuality. You come to feel for both of the characters and what they are going through. It is beautifully written and the artwork is amazing. I just wish that they really delved more into the characters.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. It handled some pretty sensitive topics, although I have to admit that it took me a while to figure out what the camp was and what it was for. In part because the book reveals that over time. I did find some of the jumping around between past and present jarring, because it broke up the story and the flow in a way that didn't always work well. I appreciated the fact that, while things work out in the end, they don't work out in the way that you would expect and, in fact, wrap up on a way that is probably more realistic. It presents a different way for friendships to develop and grow than most of the books like this that I have read, because it isn't necessarily about happy endings so much as happy living.

The artwork is lovely. And all in all, a great graphic novel with some heavy subject matter treated in a respectful way.