Book info

• Title Paper Aeroplanes
• Author Dawn O'Porter
• Year 2013
• Genre Young Adult

It's the mid-1990s, and fifteen year-old Guernsey schoolgirls, Renée and Flo, are not really meant to be friends. Thoughtful, introspective and studious Flo couldn't be more different to ambitious, extroverted and sexually curious Renée. But Renée and Flo are united by loneliness and their dysfunctional families, and an intense bond is formed. Although there are obstacles to their friendship (namely Flo's jealous ex-best friend and Renée's growing infatuation with Flo's brother), fifteen is an age where anything can happen, where life stretches out before you, and when every betrayal feels like the end of the world. For Renée and Flo it is the time of their lives.

Thoughts

I’ve had this book for such a long time tucked away in my Apple Books library and suddenly had a desire to read it. The story follows two points of view, two friends finding their way whilst growing up on the island of Guernsey. It details family issues, love lives, school troubles, and lots more as Renée and Flo at first don’t like each other but gradually find out they are destined to be firm friends.

I liked it, it’s a good story, even though it reminded me that people at school can just be awful to each other. Occasionally it was hard to tell the two voices apart, particularly at the start of the book when we didn’t know them well enough yet. But ultimately it was a very satisfying read.

Rating: 4 / 5