A review by ms_gouldbourne
Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O'Porter

emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Eh, I really didn't enjoy this book. I get that it's supposed to be a really honest and realistic depiction of the ways teenage girls behave and interact with each other, and in a lot of ways it is! There's a rawness about it that feels very real... but at the start of the novel is an author's note explaining that the story is based on her own diaries from when she was a teenager, and in a lot of ways this book feels like something written by a fifteen-year-old.

I think I would have enjoyed the story more if O'Porter hadn't given our two protagonists literally every possible kind of trauma she could think of!
In a 250-page story we have got, in no particular order: hardcore bullying, abusive parents, alcoholism, sexual assault, an eating disorder, the death of a parent, teenage pregnancy, parentification, parental abandonment, exam failure and grooming.
No wonder it's hard to relate to Flo and Renee under the weight of such a constant stream of negativity.

Also, if I have to read one more paragraph in which Dawn O'Porter apparently forgets that contractions exist ("I am excited. We are going to the park. I suppose it will be okay, since she is my friend.") I will actually scream.

I should note for the record that I was recommended this book by a friend who really loves it and is in no way a poor reader, so there's a good chance this is a me thing - I just like a happy ending! But I'm afraid I won't be seeking out the follow-up in the series.
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