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.

Beautifully illustrated however I felt the end fell flat, as if there was no resolution. Friends sent to camp due to an “accident”, where one takes the blame for the other, not only is their future on the line, but so is their friendship. I liked how the story addressed the lengths people would go for their friends and the repercussions of the falling out. Told in the present and in flashbacks, it was a good story, focusing on friendship and identity. Just didn’t wrap up like I thought it would.

Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic graphic novel about how being queer can influence our lives in interesting ways. It’s bittersweet and so incredibly well done. 5⭐️ for a great read with aroace and nonbinary rrepresentation!

* Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC *

This was something!!!

First of all, I loved the art and the colours! I really loved how the past was connected with some colours and the present was connected with others! I loved the flashbacks and I think they contributed a lot to the story.

I have to talk about the characters. I really felt they were really authentic. Also, they have diverse identities, which is super real and interesting.

I felt this book was a little too long, but overall, it was a enjoyable reading ! 💓
I recommend it !

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book!

I would have liked this a lot more if I wasn't so confused about who was saying what like half the time... Like some of the text bubbles (like the ones on the first couple pages for example) were just so difficult to figure out who they belonged to. I didn't really like some of the elements of the story either.

But other than that it was pretty good! I liked the representation and the art was cute as well!

I absolutely love a self contained graphic novel. Paper Planes was a really emotional ride, jumping from present to past and back again, capturing the challenge of figuring out who you are when the world insists on telling you instead. The character development was so natural and beautiful, and the relationships between them were complex and complicated, just like in real life. Plus, we have Ace rep! Loved it.

I love Dylan’s character, they’re a good friend and know who they’re are. Leighton comes into herself later in the story but their friendship has such a sad ending. I love that asexuality was a big part of the book it’s rarely mentioned as most love stories want to have the characters physically attracted to the other. I loved that background characters showed different aspects of the LGBTQIA+ community. It was a very heartfelt and wholesome read.

this reminded me of my childhood when I'd give anything to read an Archie comic book.
This was such a fun read, the conversation bubbles were just so nostalgic I shed a tear or two when I began reading, ngl.
I loved all the characters equally but I did feel bad about the way cricket was treated like an outcast in the beginning, how everyone was rude to her but she eventually won everyone over with her kindness and patience,
Leighton bothered me a bit with her attitude toward everyone, especially Dylan, but I'm glad that she turned it around and found her footing.
Dylan was well, the star of the show and I fell absolutely in love with him.
a heartfelt comic/novel that will, no doubt, have you reminiscing about the good old days.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.


"I knew I could love someone. I knew because of Dylan. But I couldn’t love them the way they wanted me to."

The story opens with two best friends Leighton and Dylan who end up at this summer camp because of something they did.

The past is choking their friendship and Leighton is moving away from Dylan, growing more distant.
I especially loved how we don't get the full story about either Leighton or Dylan and slowly we're eased into the story.

We get to experience it in both present and past from flashbacks we get.

We learn that Dylan is queer and is struggling with how people see their mew identity. They have been in love with their best friend, Leighton who comes out to them as asexual in one of the flashbacks we get in the book.
and despite them hooking up, Leighton can't bring herself to love Dylan the way they want.

There's also Leighton's Conservative family that doesn't believe she understands her feelings of not liking either a boy or girl and thinks she's going through some mental phase and takes her to therapists. Obviously they don't approve of her friendship with Dylan. And even though they act like they're welcoming of Dylan, they don't approve of Leighton being around her anymore because of an incident that happens before they get sent to summer camp.

The story continues to reveal parts of what caused their friendship to frow distant and when Leighton and Dylan are almost found out by one of their classmates, Leighton deceives to protect both Dylan and herself leading to her choosing between Dylan, their relationship, friendship and her family's opinion and decisions.

The art work slowly reveals the sexuality of these characters through their clothing, surroundings. I especially liked that Dylan was able to grow into their identity getting more confident and learning to accept that no everyone would stand up for them like their mother does and even if friends leave because of who they decide to become, it's not on them, it's their friend's choice.

Even though Dylan and Leighton lose their friendship because of the incident that causes them to be sent to the summer camp, I think theyll forever still be friends.

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 identifies as aro-ace, 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 I understood 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.

I thought this was a pretty average read. I liked the characters and I liked the art. I was a bit confused by the storyline at times since it would switch between the past and the present. Sometimes I felt like it didn't go anywhere when it would switch to the past but overall it was creating a bigger storyline so I get why. I did like that the artwork had a different vibe between the past and present so I could immediately tell by the color saturation and such which time period it was because sometimes it didn't specify when the events were occurring but other times it did.
Overall a quick read with some great characters but just not 100% for me.

content warning: bullying, aphobia, homophobia

Here's the thing—every year I tell myself I'm going to read more graphic novels, and then I end up not doing that. It's not that I don't like graphic novels, I do, love them in fact. I blame it on the fact that my list of must-immediately-read authors grows larger every day, and between them and my insanely talented indie writer friends putting out books, my reading time for new authors is sadly limited.

Which means I'm missing a metric shit-ton of wonderful books.

Case in point: the wonderful Paper Planes. Coming from Maverick Graphic Novels in May of 2023, and available for pre-order now, It was written by Jennie Woods, with art by Dozerdraws, and lettering by Micah Myers.

Paper Planes tells the story of inseparable best friends Leighton Worthington and Dylan Render. They've been sent to a summer camp for troubled youth after a shocking incident, and they both have to navigate the rules, cliques, and relationships of that camp while also dealing with their own changing friendship, and questions of gender and sexuality.

Woods interweaves the present-day story at camp with scenes from the past that lead up to the incident that got them sent to camp. This is a complex, layered story told with honesty, humor, and compassion. Leighton and Dylan may be on this journey together, but they each have their own personal journeys to undertake as well, to discover who they are as people.

Dozerdraws' artwork is beautifully expressive, and perfectly complements the story.

I can't recommend Paper Planes highly enough, for anyone at all, but particularly for middle and high school aged kids, and their parents.

And next year I'm going to read more graphic novels. Promise.

I enjoyed it. It was cute. It was nice to hear from an asexual POV, and Dylan’s identification was described very well especially at the end during Dylan’s evaluation.

I got a little confused following along at times, probably because of the time changes throughout the story.