Review Archives - Paper Lanterns

Posted on August 18, 2023July 24, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Begin Again by Emma Lord: Review

Begin Again
Emma Lord
Macmillan Children’s Books, January 2023
Paperback, £8.99
ISBN 9781035011728

This book took hold of me from the very first page, which I find is something rare and wonderful. You are immediately plunged into a world of fresh starts and endless potential. It’s an exciting world, and from the very beginning this book is nothing if not a page-turner. Everyday life pauses while you’re reading, as Lord teleports you right into the protagonist’s shoes, wishes you luck, and sends you off on one hell of a rocky journey. After all, what would life be without blows when you least expect them?

Posted on August 18, 2023September 5, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

The First Move by Jenny Ireland: Review

The First Move

The First Move
Jenny Ireland
Penguin Random House, April 2023
Paperback, £8.99
ISBN 9780241591826

The First Move is everything a YA contemporary novel should be: full of warmth, growth, and romance. Following two protagonists, Juliet and Ronan, the novel documents their personal struggles as well as telling their love story. Juliet is grieving the loss of the life she thought she would lead after being diagnosed with worsening arthritis, whilst Ronan grieves the loss of family life as he knew it after the death of a close family member.

Posted on August 18, 2023July 24, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Magic Has No Borders edited by Sona Charaipotra and Samira Ahmed: Review

Magic Has No Borders

Magic Has No Borders
Edited by Sona Charaipotra and Samira Ahmed
HarperTeen, May 2023
Paperback, $18.99
ISBN 9780063208261

Magic Has No Borders is the kind of book you can just pick up and become immediately invested in. With fourteen short stories, from tales of Gods and Goddesses to stories of teenage love, this book has included a diverse range of characters and stories for everyone. Anybody who picks up this book could find something relatable within. Each author involved has brought something unique to the book by using their own experiences of growing up in different parts of South Asia.

Posted on August 18, 2023July 24, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl: Review

Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl

Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl
Brianna R. Shrum and Sara Waxelbaum
Inkyard Press, May 2023
Hardback, $18.99
ISBN 9781335453655

Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Brianna R. Shrum and Sara Waxelbaum is about the titular Margo, who tutors resident queer girl, Abbie Sokoloff, in US History in return for “Queer 101” lessons. It’s a heartwarming story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Both Margo and Abbie are very likeable, and the first-person nature of the writing means we get an insight into both girls’ thoughts. The side characters are also interesting and likeable, with Margo’s older brother Mendel stealing the show in every scene he’s in.

Posted on August 18, 2023August 26, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

In Nightfall by Suzanne Young: Review

In Nightfall

In Nightfall
Suzanne Young
Delacorte Press, March 2023
Paperback, $12.99
ISBN 9780593487587

Suzanne Young is a prolific author of young adult fiction, so she knows the territory well. With In Nightfall she ventures into teen vampire fiction with confidence. There are plenty of pop culture references and the story has echoes of The Lost Boys, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twilight.

Posted on August 18, 2023July 24, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Never Trust a Gemini by Freja Nicole Woolf: Review

Never Trust a Gemini

Never Trust a Gemini
Freja Nicole Woolf
Walker Books, June 2023
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9781529509991

When 14-year-old Cat Phillips decides to finally confess her feelings to her friend and long-time crush, Alison, she instead accidentally walks in front of a bus. Though Cat escapes with minor injuries, this is only the first of many mishaps, comedic and serious, that occur as Cat navigates life as a young, yet-to-be-out lesbian who really, really wants to find love before Libra Season is over.

Posted on August 18, 2023August 26, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran: Review

She Is a Haunting

She Is a Haunting
Trang Thanh Tran
Bloomsbury YA, February 2023
Paperback $8.99
ISBN 9781526657084

She Is a Haunting tells the story of Jade, a seventeen-year-old Vietnamese-American, staying with her father and sister in Vietnam, helping to turn an old family house into a hotel. She soon discovers this house has teeth in its doorways and ghosts flowing through its veins, and it won’t rest until it devours her and her family. Frustrated and frightened by her family’s refusal to escape, she feels compelled to create her own haunting in an attempt to convince them to leave.

Posted on August 18, 2023July 24, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

You Are a Story: A creative writing guide by Laura Dockrill: Review

You Are a Story: A creative writing guide
Laura Dockrill
Illustrated by Lotte Cassidy
Hot Key Books, May 2023
Paperback £7.99
ISBN 9781471413148

You are a Story was a book that I picked up not knowing what to expect since it is a guide to creative writing, not a story with a plot. I was pleasantly surprised to find this book was so amazing that I devoured it in two days! You Are a Story talks about creative writing as a tool for mental health. Not only that it gives ideas and exercises throughout the book to help you find your place in writing. Laura Dockrill also talks about her own experiences with mental health and what has helped her.

Posted on August 18, 2023August 26, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Lying in The Deep by Diana Urban: Review

Lying in The Deep

Lying in The Deep
Diana Urban
Razorbill, May 2023
Hardback, £9.99
ISBN 9780593527603

Lying in The Deep is brutal, unrelenting, and easily my favourite book that I’ve read this year. It’s like Karen M. McManus with less swearing and narrators, but more of everything else. From the opening of the book, “I didn’t realize there’d be this much blood”, to the twist ending, I was hooked. Usually, I don’t finish a book in the span of a week, especially not when I have exams on, but I had to make an exception for this.

Posted on August 18, 2023July 24, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Northranger by Rey Terciero, Illustrated by Bre Indigo: Review

Northranger

Northranger
Rey Terciero
Illustrated by Bre Indigo
Harper Alley, June 2023
Paperback, $17.99
ISBN 9780063007383

Northranger is a graphic novel set in the twenty-first century. The story follows a young boy named Cade who is sent to work on a ranch for the summer. The ranch is owned by his stepdad’s friend from the military, General Tyler. The summer starts and Cade has to endure long hours of ranch labour with General Tyler’s son Henry and daughter Henri. Henry and Cade bond over their love of horror movies and their friendship blossoms into something more.