Rate this book

Paper Airplanes (2014)

by Dawn O'Porter(Favorite Author)

3.81 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1419711849 (ISBN13: 9781419711848)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Harry N. Abrams

series

Paper Aeroplanes

review 1: This British import told from alternating points of view explores the unlikely friendship between two Guernsey teens during 1994 and 1995. Renee is the school prankster and the one with a reputation for having many boyfriends and being fast. Flo is best friends with Sally, a girl who constantly puts her down and is so self-absorbed that she hardly pays attention to Flo. The girls have never really bonded, but when Flo's father dies unexpectedly, the two of them are drawn together because of their shared losses and their dysfunctional families. As the friendship grows, Flo still hangs onto her relationship with Sally and doesn't want to tell her that she and Renee are now friends. Renee also does damage to the relationship because of her attraction to Flo's older brother Ju... morelian who is a bit of a player. When the truth comes out, Flo is understandably destroyed, sure that Renee was never really her friend. There are various betrayals described in the book that make it realistic and enhance reader interest as well as complications provided by Renee's younger sister Nell who is dealing with an eating disorder. The helplessness and clueless of many of the adults in the girls' lives add to the book's authenticity and make the bond between Flo and Renee even more important.
review 2: Although I read this book quite quickly and didn't find it difficult to keep turning the pages, two days later I still find myself wondering if I actually enjoyed it.I felt like the author tried to cram in too many "teen issues". Friendship troubles, boy troubles, the death of a parent, an unhappy home life, physical and emotional abuse, anorexia and pregnancy. It seemed unrealistic that both of the main characters would have suffered the majority of these problems.It also seemed to have no progressive story. I feel if the author had stuck to just a couple of these topics, they then could have been explored more deeply and a darker, grittier side to a girls teenage years could have been explored.All in all I did finish the book, and am currently reading the second instalment, however this could be due to my inability to give up on a book! less

Download links for: Paper Airplanes

Advertising