This was a very enjoyable read, that touched on many important themes.
But that’s also the problem with this book: It mostly only touched on those themes and did not talk about them in detail, in the end trying too much and not giving each topic the “screen time” it deserved, resulting in the characters feeling one-dimensional and many of their problems and struggles that are very important and impactful being made less so. I get that this is a graphic novel and very short, but if you cannot find the space to really confront these themes, such as neglect, not knowing part of your family and cultural heritage, maybe it should be longer.
I also did not like that the bully of the bully apparently only did it because she had a crush on Dylan, This is such a harmful trope and it being harmful/not okay to do such things never gets talked about in this, they just become friends.

I did like the characters and seeing what they went through all their lives, always keeping the spark of friendship alive. I also liked how Leighton explained her asexuality, why she didn’t want to be with Dylan and that you can love people without wanting to be with them.
Both characters were very interesting and lovable, so were many of the side characters. Other characters were very easy to dislike as well, such as the parents.
The art style was beautiful and very fitting.
I thought the way the story was told was great, with the majority of it being set at camp, but many flashbacks showing what led them there and their friendship.

All in all a good read with some minor problems.

Dylan and Leighton are two close friends from very different backgrounds. Leighton is from a wealthy family and has a troubled older sister and a mother who hides the truth about her mixed race heritage. Dylan is from a working class family and has a mother who has to work three jobs to make ends meet.

Despite their differences, the two friends are close and love each other even though they don’t always articulate this love for each other in words. Leighton is asexual and is trying her best to discover what that means for herself. The two friends are involved in an incident in which another girl is hurt and so they are sent to 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 others. The camp gives them time to reflect on their lives, their families and their friendship with each other.

This is really a beautifully drawn graphic novel with a story that is thoroughly engaging. The changes between the past and present are well integrated within the story and it is interesting to see how the story unfolds. I felt that the ending was a bit too open ended but I did enjoy the story and the great artwork.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this bittersweet tale about friendships beginning, changing, becoming something more, and ending. The core themes were about different types of love, identity and belonging. There was great LGBT+ representation with discussions of gender euphoria and affirmation of ace/aro identities. The art is also really nice! One thing I wasn't keen on <spoiler> was the trope of bullying due to having a secret crush. The book doesn't condone it, but doesn't really address it either. </spoiler> Overall though, I liked this book and would definitely recommend it.

I think this was a hard subject to take on. The world was incredibly complex and layered and it made me sad. It was also surprising how much of it occurred between 8th and 9th grade. It seems like the subjects should be older.

I was pretty confused for much of the story. The flashbacks were confusing cause they started and ended without getting to the point sometimes. It just felt like I was waiting for so long to figure it all out. And I still don’t understand the ending?

Why did Leighton and Dylan have to separate beyond Leighton’s shitty parent’s opinions? Is that not awful? It was weird how we were meant to just accept that. And the narrative that vilified Leighton for trying to fit in? She was trying to protect Dylan and be careful but all the secondary characters were just mean to her. I didn’t really understand.

The art was so sweet though. I really liked the way everyone was drawn.

I actually wasn't excepting that kind of story as well as that kind of ending?

It was well done, and I loved Dylan. They were cute and totally understandable, also their development over the years and the summer camp was perfect. But I disliked a lot Leighton? She just stayed the same over the years, and at the summer camp she was just, honestly, stupid.
I liked the flashbacks even if they were a bit too much it was in sync with what happened at the camp so it was well done! Cricket is a nice addition and the things about the camp was cool, some supportive, and all. The ending is bittersweet and I wasn't expecting that but it was expected from Leighton's behavior.

I'm a bit sad, as an asexual person, that they developped a lot more Dylan's non-binary and search of their own sexuality (yet it was still not that good), but Leighton's asexuality was barely explained otherwise.
I just feel like the representation is here but barely talked and explained, while it could have been so well done for middle grader or 15 year old kids who are trying to find their own sexuality and could identify here. Dylan's non-binary hasn't been mentioned at all (nobody said the NB word, you just have a vague idea and the flag), and Leighton's asexuality has been mentioned once with its word but didn't really explained it, just with a "I don't like boys or girls" and that's it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this, the art was gorgeous and I really liked the time skips back and forth as we found out why they were in the camp in the first place. I also really appreciated the ace representation.

This was such a heartfelt, bittersweet story. Dylan and Leighton are best friends at a summer camp for troubled kids, and over the course of the summer they learn so much about themselves and each other. The art was so beautiful and expressive.

Paper Planes is a graphic novel about two friends (Dylan and Leighton) who are sent away to a camp over the summer for "troubled youth."

I loved the range of characters and their diverse identities. Dylan is nonbinary, Leighton is asexual and biracial, and there are other queer characters as well. I thought Dylan especially was a compelling character, and I think some of their subplots could have been expanded upon a lot.

My biggest gripe with this book is that I thought the shifts in timeline were confusing. The artwork changed slightly, but I didn't feel like it was clear enough when a flashback was occuring, at what time chronologically that flashback fit into the story, if it was a continuation from another flashback, etc. If that had been made a little more clear, I think I would have liked this a lot more!

I also think story-wise it fell a bit flat too. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but I was left wanting more.

Overall I loved the artwork and enjoyed reading this graphic novel a lot :) I would definitely recommend it, especially for those in the target audience (since this is YA - that is clearly not me lol(although I do love YA))!

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*

so, so bittersweet but i loved it </3

i adored the enby and aro rep in this book and the art was gorgeous! and storytelling style (then/now) was done well and easily distinctive. the internalized acephobhia and experiences of being enby were also portrayed so well.

overall, a 4,.5 !

This is a beautiful and compelling graphic novel. The art is gorgeous and fits very well with the storyline. The plot was simple but still impactful. I adored the characters growth and development as a whole.

Paper Planes is the first manga I have ever read and I really enjoyed it!

This story follows Dylan, a non-binary teen and their asexual best friend Leighton through Summer camp. After getting into trouble with a school bully, Dylan and Leighton have to attend this camp to take responsibility for their actions. This is a sweet, beautifully drawn coming-of-age story is told via flashbacks of the pair's friendship over the years. Leighton is a tennis star from a rich family, while Dylan's mom works three jobs just to barely stay afloat. These two friends have grown up and grow into their identities together. Through the activities at the summer camp, they reflect on their friendship and how things have changed for the both of them through the years.

One of my favorite details about this book is that it's told through dual-POV and we can tell whose thoughts we are reading by a tiny drawing of a tennis racket for Leighton and a tiny rocket ship for Dylan. I thought this was so cute and brought a lot of clarity to the story.

If you love a coming-of-age story with LGBTQIA+ representation and beautiful artwork, pick up Paper Planes, releasing May 16, 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley, Madcave Studios, Jennie Wood, and Maverick for the Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts shared above are mine alone.

Thank you, Mad Cave Studio's. for allowing me to read Paper Planes early.

Loved this graphic middle grade story about friendship and how friendship can change. The drawings are really well done and my heart broke at times. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! What a beautiful, yet painful story. The drawing/graphic design is absolutely amazing and colourful. Paper Planes for me personally is so well done, it touches topics sometimes really hard to explain, and its done with such delicacy and that made me like this graphic novel even more. I love the side characters, but most importantly I loved both Leighton and Dylan and how this book shows the nuances of friendships while they're growing up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this one. Overall a enjoyed this graphic novel. It has some good representation and I think it did a good job of showing that friendships can change and alter and that that isn't a bad thing. I didn't give this one a higher rating as I felt there could have been more done to help show when something is a time jump, and I just feel as though there could have been a bit more with the characters. Overall though, I would recommend this one for people to read.

I enjoyed this graphic novel immensely! "Paper Planes" is about two middle schoolers who get sent to a summer camp for teens in trouble after taking part in a traumatic incident. Both are trying to figure out themselves and their future together. It is a very heartfelt read and I love the illustrations. I'm very excited to see what else this author may publish in the future.

This graphic novel wrecked me. It was so sad to see two friends being torn apart by an incident and social classes. I truly empathized with Leighton and Dylan. Leighton tries to be the perfect child for her family while losing her only friend. Dylan had to face a lot of tribulations in this graphic novel. It was nice to see their journey on self-acceptance and understanding themselves. I recommend this book for a quick read with interesting humane characters and an interesting plot.

There was a lot I liked about this story and the illustrations. The characters are compelling and the images are great. You get a good amount of depth in the story with the back and forth and the sort-of mystery that needs to be understood. Some parts didn't work as well for me but overall it was worth reading. Rounding up to four stars.

I wanted to like this but narratively it falls flat. I don't see any reason to really like Leighton, it seemed like she was messing with Dylan the whole time. I wanted conclusion to the story lines and there wasn't any.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This was my first graphic novel/manga and what a first one to read! Fantastic story, very lovable characters, emotional, and so much wonderful queer goodness! It was fantastic to have a main character who was ace and another that was nonbinary, with a secondary character who is trans. I adored it. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it!!

This story about two young people trying to come to terms with who they are is so honest and sincere. It's nice to experience a story where the nonbinary character doesn't need to come to terms with themselves in terms of their gender, and instead the growth is on their relationships with other characters and how they treat themselves. Friendships aren't easy, and they don't always end how you think-- and the book ends with options for more growth for both characters. I wish I'd had something like this as a young person -- all too often, you see stories about best friends forever, and they don't show how difficult that can be.