A literary journal for all things to do with Teen and Young Adult Literature
What do you think of the Issue 13 cover?
🪐 We are delighted to reveal our Winter 2023 edition, which is packed with stellar writing, art and reviews to brighten the dark evenings.
🪐 Cover art is ‘i am stardust’ by Ailbhe Carré.
🪐 Cover design by Eleanor Brayden @ebraydendesign.
🪐 We’ll be launching Issue 13 in the Clockwork Door on Tuesday 5th December at 6.30pm.
You can pre-order your copy today!
Our wonderful contributors this issue are:
Paper Lanterns is proud to be a part of the thriving Irish Young Adult Literature community and we are delighted to support the #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks campaign. There are brilliant YA books written by authors in Ireland and Northern Ireland. We encourage everyone to pick one up for their next read
We strongly believe it is important (and enjoyable!) to read books from a diversity of backgrounds, but equally we know how amazing it is to see yourself and your place in the books you read.
To make it easier to #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks, we’ve pulled together the Irish YA books our reviewers have read and enjoyed. What better way to discover new reads than going directly to teenagers and YA enthusiasts based all over the island of Ireland – find out what your next read should be in their words!
And of course, as well as reviews, Paper Lanterns is filled with poetry, stories, essays, art and interviews by teen contributors and older YA enthusiasts – you can pick up a copy in our shop here.
For more information on the campaign, visit http://discoveririshkidsbooks.ie
Glow Up, Lara Bloom
Glow Up, Lara Bloom
Dee Benson
Hot Key Books, February 2023
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9781471412912
This book is like gold dust for teenage girls growing up, and is something I definitely wish I had at the beginning of my teens. When Lara’s nuisance of a brother, Danny, discovers her off-limits diary, Lara swears to never journal again in the fear he’ll spill all to her old crush Alex.
Continue reading Glow Up, Lara Bloom by Dee Benson: ReviewFreya Harte is not a Puzzle
Freya Harte is not a Puzzle
Méabh Collins
O’Brien Press, March 2023
Paperback, €9.99
ISBN 9781788493451
Freya has recently been diagnosed with autism, but school is hard enough and she already feels different, so she decides to keep this part of her a secret. When a school trip to Irish college is announced, Freya decides to use this as an opportunity to show the girls in her year that she can fit in and be “normal”. But can true friendship be found when you try to change yourself?
Continue reading Freya Harte is not a Puzzle by Méabh Collins: ReviewGhostlord by Philip Womack
Ghostlord
Philip Womack
Little Island Books, May 2023
Paperback, £8.99
ISBN 9781915071262
Meet Meg. New to country life, things are a lot different from London with its crowded streets and the bashed car windows. Supposed to be a safe haven for Meg, her new home seems to be a new kind of safe but is maybe not safe at all. Soon, Meg’s life is transformed from a life of a normal teen to a life of mystery, legacies, ancient battles and betrayals.
Continue reading Review: Ghostlord by Philip WomackCrossing the Line
Crossing the Line
Tia Fisher
Hot Key Books, March 2023
Paperback £7.99
ISBN 9781471413049
Crossing The Line is an all-too-familiar cautionary tale of what can happen to a young and vulnerable person when they face difficult choices.
Erik’s world is changing. Fast. He finds himself needing money for his family soon after the death of his dad. His best friend Ravi is a great support as they both start secondary school, but Erik’s head is turned by the promise of “easy money” if he follows the wrong crowd.
Continue reading Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher: 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?
Continue reading Begin Again by Emma Lord: ReviewThe 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.
Continue reading The First Move by Jenny Ireland: ReviewMagic 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.
Continue reading Magic Has No Borders edited by Sona Charaipotra and Samira Ahmed: ReviewMargo 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.
Continue reading Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl: Review
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