Jennie Wood

After a life altering incident, Dylan and Leighton are sent to a summer camp for troubled youth. Can Dylan and Leighton save their friendship and protect their future while trying to survive camp? Former best friends Dylan Render and Leighton Worthington attempt to successfully navigate their way through a summer camp for troubled youth. They both need a good evaluation at the camp. Otherwise, they’ll be sent away, unable to attend high school with their friends. While participating in camp activities and chores, Dylan and Leighton rexamine the events that led up to the incident that sent them to camp, the incident that threatens their futures and their friendship with each other.

Paper Planes

Ellie M.

Big thanks to the publisher, Mad Cave Studios and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First and foremost, I loved the art style and the undertones of this novel. The illustrations are also beautiful! This book is one of those with the bittersweet stories of friendship, falling in love, growing up, and drifting apart. And Dylan and Leighton’s story emphasized those pains while navigating the struggles of going through camp for troubled youth. Not to mention how I also loved their way of communicating through paper planes, even though they both felt that words aren’t always enough to express what you feel. It was so endearing and it accentuated their longing for something they can never be anymore. 

“There’s also this assumption that being asexual means you can’t love someone. A therapist didn’t have to tell me that was a myth.”

This is probably the quote that stuck out to me throughout this book, as I witnessed love and in betweens about a non-binary person and an asexual girl so 10/10 for the representation. As someone who idenfities as aroace, I have come to terms with my sexuality but it’s sometimes frustrating that I can’t give that type of love and intimacy that people can freely give, especially since there’s this notion that ace people can’t fall in love. And yet this book allowed me to reel into that emotional rollercoaster and understand myself more through Leighton. 

Lastly, this book openly talked a lot about themes surrounding trauma, the triggers, and the stereotypes of being queer, and grappling through those conflicts. I truly wish this book was longer.

Paper Planes

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