Paper planes is about Leighton and Dylan who are two high school students who have been the best of friends since forever. One summer they are shipped of to a camp for troubled teens. To continue going to school, they need to attend and get a positive feedback. Self-discovery, testing their friendship, and figuring out who they want to be, is what they have to deal with this summer.

Dylan is nonbinary, and lives with his mom who is working three jobs. Sometimes they have to get help from food stamps to stay alive.

Leighton is asexual, and lives with her parents and sisters. Money is not an issue, and tennis is an important sport in her life.

Even though Dylan and Leighton comes from two completely different households, they manage to stay close friends, and they tried to be more than friends. Dylan was my immediate favorite and I felt like they were more relatable. Growing up with a single mother, money was always a struggle. Also finding out who you are took a while.

I enjoyed reading this graphic novel. The small thing I would’ve appreciated was when it was jumping back and forth, a small time stamp in the corner or something to signal it changing. My brain is easy to forget stuff, especially when I don’t read something in one sitting. Nonetheless, I liked this story and can’t wait to read more from the author!

Happy reading!♥️

I got this book for free from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I loved the art style! It was so cute and colorful and I loved how the color scheme changed when there was a flashback vs. when the story was in the present.

Second, I really liked how Dylan and Leighton sent paper planes to each other. It was simultaneously super cool and cute, and I wish I had a friendship like that.

It was a bit sad that their friendship wasn't so strong anymore at the summer camp. However, when you know the reasons behind it, it makes sense.

Overall, this graphic novel was fun to read!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Mad Cave Studios for the digital ARC copy!

I am so happy I got to read this! This book talks about teens questioning their sexuality. As someone who is a part of the LGBTQIAP+ community, I would've loved this representation when I was a teen. Back then I didn't know who I was. Books like these can help shine a light for those in question today. We get to see both Dylan's and Leighton's thoughts. This book made my heart burst with so many emotions. Sadness, happiness, anger, and relatable even if that isn't a real emotion. The drawings were so beautiful! My favorite character was Dylan because he didn't give up on Leighton. He always put others first. My favorite quote from the book is, "Maybe, or maybe I'm not capable of being who you want me to be."

(My review on my insta is in the review highlights)

[Received a NetGalley advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.]

This book is messy and heartbreaking, and yet I fail to see the theme.

Throughout reading, I would forget details that seemed important because they were never brought up again. And you only ever get a sense of what’s happening towards the end of the book.

Most of the characters seemed irrelevant, and lacked personality. And character development is practically non-existent, though it seemed as though it would be.

The representation was a nice addition, but the way it was portrayed could’ve been much better. As in, the way it was addressed.

Overall, the book’s idea can be appreciated, but the outcome wasn’t something I would consider reading again.

Unfortunately, I was left feeling rather disappointed by this graphic novel. Besides its beautiful art style, the story itself didn't really have much going for it. The plot line was difficult to follow along (primarily because there wasn't one) and the flashback scenes made the story feel very disjointed.

As someone on the ace spectrum, the representation in this felt really off to me, of course I don't speak for every ace person but the rep itself depicted some harmful stereotypes that I felt uncomfortable reading. The non-binary rep was also barely addressed head on, just spoken about in backwards ways but I think that may have been more due to the target age range being for the younger audience. I'm just not sure how I felt about it.

As well as this, the conclusion is dissatisfactory and doesn't give a clear overview whatsoever, I struggled with understanding the characters and their individual relationships and intentions and just generally didn't have the best time with this which is very disappointing for such an anticipated read.

I know this review focuses on the negatives but I did still enjoy parts of it. Primarily due to how pretty the illustrations were. I'm sure this book will be perfect for someone else, it just wasn't for me.

I am in love with this. From front cover to back cover! The art was gorgeous and the time swaps were timed perfectly. I enjoyed the shift in POVs as well, and how they weren’t obvious, but that you could still differentiate it. Leighton and Dylan were both great characters who were the same but also very different. Dylan knew exactly what they wanted and was very expressive in their desires while Leighton was perfectly fine with holding her feelings in and not expressing very much. I loved the side characters, especially Cricket. It really broke things up and brought a good amount of laughs to the novel.

I really liked this and I thought it was sweet. I like how there was a difference in color scheme when they switched behind timelines. There’s one thing I thought was very cringey or maybe out of place though, which was the use of words like “sus” etc. I feel like In books it doesn’t work for people to talk that way. Still, that’s on,y a small part and overall I enjoyed it much.

What a gorgeous novel full of loveable characters and a storyline that I couldn't put down. This one is a must read!

An interesting and original story about two young people dieting out their sexuality and their relationship with each other, with extra layers about socioeconomic differences.. I was a tad confused at points about the camp but it all came together with the flashbacks in the end. A worthwhile quick read.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I think it perfectly shows the way friendships and relationships can work when you're a teenager. I found both Dylan and Leighton to be interesting characters in their own way. They are very different from each other, which I think is a very important part of how their relationship works and develops. Leighton is asexual and seems to be a people pleaser thanks to her parents. Dylan is non-binary, they are a bit more impulsive and willing to stand up for themself. I liked that we got bits of the past while reading the present, it was very helpful in keeping me interested in the stories of the past and present. It explores their personal journeys and how it relates to their overall dynamic, we understand both parts and we get to know the characters very well.
The art style is also very nice, the coloring helps to understand the story, I really liked it.
It's a great story and I highly recommend it.

cw: Acephobia, Alcohol, Bullying, Homophobia

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I wasn’t sure what to rate this, but it made me cry so I’ll give it 5 stars. This is the story of Dylan and Leighton who are best friends and who are sent to a summer camp because of an incident with a girl from school.

I knew from the beginning this one was going to be deep. It was heart shattering and I still don’t know if I should cry or smile at the end. I think there was an ending there that will be happy someday.

Dylan is non-binary and has a rough home life. They lean on Leighton and Leighton’s family. Leighton is constantly pressured by her parents to be perfect and does everything they want her to in fear that she will be written off. She is asexual, and coming out to her parents has sent her to several rounds of therapy.

This graphic novel shows how easy it is not to really know the people you love the most. I loved Dylan’s character. They were very loyal and kind even though they did some things they probably shouldn’t have for love and acceptance I also really liked Cricket. She was cool as hell. Leighton just wanted to be accepted too, but couldn’t because of her family and the fear of what her peers would think of her. I can see her being an amazing friend an ally in the future for Dylan.

There were some parts where I didn’t like the things that Leighton did to Dylan. I know that Dylan did things they shouldn’t have for Leighton, but Leighton took full advantage of what was going on.

I really loved this art and this story and I’m ready for more like this. It gave me a weird feeling of hope in times where you feel like your world might be breaking apart.

Loved the art style! One of the most important things about a comic is the art and being able to feel immersed. I think the store did a great job of bringing color and vibrancy to the story through art. I love being able to see comics discussing identity and sexuality in a way that is really realistic and approachable. I think this is a wonderful story for young readers, especially people looking for queer stories. The time jams weren't my favorite but I loved the story as a whole.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I think the overall story, message and art style are really enjoyable and the characters were fun and interesting.

I definitely favored Dylan through this entire thing. Perhaps Leighton's struggle didn't really connect with me as a reader but I found that she didn't have much personal growth and still continues living in the same bubble she always did. She didn't communicate properly (or even try to) with Dylan then blamed Dylan for having expectations Leighton couldn't meet.

It can be difficult being young and queer, sorting yourself out and finding your path in life. Some people figure themselves out right away and others will spend all of their lifetime learning who they are. This graphic novel encompasses a piece of that struggle quite well.

The time skipping can be a little disconnecting but I think by the end we've gotten a really solid story. Overall I really liked this one!

4,5
I liked everything about this book, the illustrations which were beautifully done, the plot, the characters and the message that the story transmits.
It's a sad and beautiful story, that touches on several important topics like bullying, discrimination both sexual and social, family pressure, and more.
I really enjoyed the fact that we discover slowly through the story what happened with the main characters, and the way it was written, going from past to present scenes.
Really recommend this book!

Thank you to Mad Cave Studios and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC!!

What a wonderful graphic novel, the colors and art are beautiful. The story is beautiful and sad at the same time, the topics covered in it touchs your heart.

Leighton and Dylan are friends that after an "accident", are taken to a rehabilitation camp. During the story we see passages of time between what happened in the past to the events of the present.

The graphic has non-binary representation as well as ace. I don't want to give spoilers so I advise everyone to read this beautiful story full of emotions and see for yourself what an amazing history it is.

Ps: i really loved that bittersweet end and how realistic the author made it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of Paper Planes! I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The colors and art style are PHENOMENAL. I loved the representation of ACE and nonbinary characters. The story felt real and was definitely emotional. I think anyone who reads this will get something great out of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Something happened at the end of middle school, and Dylan and Leighton need to show that they can take responsibility and make changes through their delinquent summer camp. As the summer unfolds, so does the truth of what happened, and they'll have to come terms with more than just that night to get through the next four years of high school...

This graphic novel covers some heavy topics - gender identity and sexuality, different living situations, pressure to be someone you're not, and more. It definitely feels sad, but it peels back layers as the story continues, and you do get a bit of sweetness at the end. Definitely recommend!

Out May 16th!

CW: gender dysphoria, bullying

Recieved an early copy through Netgalley!

This graphic novel has really beautiful art and the story becomes powerful fairly quick. I enjoyed having a story that doesn't have the happy ending you expect. It shows how complex relationships are, especially around high school age, and the crazy things people might to do impress others or even their parents.

At points I wished it was more obvious time was jumping around. I also wish some of the smaller plot lines were fleshed out mostly because I was curious about them.

Overall I enjoyed the story and the emotions it caused. I like seeing something that shows its okay for relationships to change over time.

This book was breathtaking, heartbreaking, and devastating all in one. The representation that this book contained was absolutely AMAZING! I loved all of the friendships and relationships, and they weren't all perfect but messy and real. Overall this was such an amazing graphic novel, I absolutely loved every page of it and am so glad that I got the opportunity to read it.

I really enjoyed this book. The representation was great, following a nonbinary character and an asexual one as they deal with the repercussions of an incident before they enter high school. I thought the art style was well done and nice to look at, and the characters felt very well-rounded. Overall though, I thought the story was quite sad and melancholy, especially by the end, and not that I think it needed a fully happy ending, I would've liked to see the characters come back together in some way at the end.