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Review: The Wild by Owen Laukkanen

The Wild
Owen Laukkanen
Underlined, January 2021
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9780593179741

This book is about a troubled girl who gets sent to a camp called Out of the Wild. The camp is situated in a forest where the campers carry out daily tasks, like cooking, cleaning, and setting up their tents. They spend many months living in the forest, and they can’t get away from the bad weather. It doesn’t end how you think it would…

Overall I thought it was a really good read, and a very quick one! The characters draw you in, and you want to learn more about their past and future as quickly as possible. The story constantly makes you feel like something bad is going to happen. I have one negative thing to say about this book and that is that the chapters are too short. They are only about two pages each.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy plot twists. In general this is a very good book, one that I could read again and again.


Holly Dolan, teen reviewer.

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Review: I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre

I Think I Love You
Auriane Desombre
Underlined, March 2021
Paperback, $9.99
ISBN 9780593179765

Meet Emma, living in New York, loves romcoms. Meet Sophia, just returned from France, hates anything related to love. It seems the only thing these two girls have in common is their love for film and that they’re both gay. So when the opportunity to enter a big New York film festival for teens brings them together, who knows what drama will unfold.

This book was a light, fun read that was really easy to dive into. Full of matchmaking and sabotaging, this book keeps you wondering what happens next without having too complex a storyline. I really liked how imperfect the characters are and how they are both trying to figure out who they are and what they want in life. The book is written from both Emma and Sophia’s points of view. I loved this because it gave me an opportunity to see both sides of the story, and I really enjoyed seeing their characters mature as the book progressed. I have to admit, there were elements to this book that were a bit predictable but I was still encouraged to read on to see how the author played out these events. There were great secondary characters in this book too. The book focused a bit too much on these characters, however, I was just as invested in these other characters and I really enjoyed seeing how their relationships developed.

Overall, I Think I Love You is a cute, funny, heartwarming story about falling in love for the first time. This book would appeal to both romcom lovers and more serious-minded readers alike. This is a beautifully written love story that focuses on modern issues and is full of realistic and relatable characters.

Laura Aylward, teen reviewer.

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Review: The Crooked Mask by Rachel Burge

The Crooked Mask
Rachel Burge
Hot Key Books, January 2021
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9781471409202

The Crooked Mask, sequel to The Twisted Tree, is a gripping follow-up from writer Rachel Burge. The story keeps you hooked from start to finish, a novel to claim the attention of thrill-seekers and mystery buffs. The story finds Martha arriving at the Circus of Myth & Mayhem where performers re-enact legends from Norse mythology. Here, she encounters mysterious beings including the villainous Jester, who holds many secrets. Martha’s telepathic abilities and relations with the Norse gods are tested as she slowly uncovers the truth behind Nina’s death, ex-girlfriend to her lover Stig, who now haunts her and her mother as a disturbed apparition.

With an eerie setting, layered mythology and a devious mystery at her disposal, Burge creates effective tension. The storyline continuously re-contextualises itself with each twist. Our perceptions of the circus employees, as well as characters close to Martha, are constantly changing and this raises your curiosity effortlessly.

Martha makes for a likeable and layered protagonist. Memorable moments include when she uses her powers to get closer to the truth to find justice for Nina, but also peace for her mother. At 278 pages, not a single chapter feels wasted and each paragraph peels back the circus residents’ importance to the story as well as unearthing horror within the
plot.

The novel’s minor flaw is that due to the mysteriousness of the story, some characters within the circus feel empty with little motivation outside of their roles in the circus, but this is a rarity to a few characters and most are given relatable goals that make them interesting to uncover.

Overall, The Crooked Mask serves as an impressive tale, with elements sure to please fans of Burge’s previous works but also serving as an absorbing novel for new readers.

Dean Mc Morrow, teen reviewer

Check out our Book Club Chat on The Crooked Mask for the Paper Lantern team’s thoughts on this eerie book!

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Review: You’ve Got This! by Tammy Darcy

You’ve Got This!
Tammy Darcy
Gill Books, March 2021
Hardback, €12.99
ISBN 9780717190447

You’ve Got This! is a book every teenage girl in Ireland should read. It’s divided into different sections; one for your heart, your mind, your body, and your world. It touches on important topics such as love, relationships, anxiety, feminism and so much more.

I like to think of this book as an older sister. It gives out so much wisdom and advice, and it made me feel so comfortable and included. I learned so much from reading this book and I really think it’s helped me grow
as a person. The layout and the easy-to-read language makes it a really enjoyable read. Even if you’re not that into reading, I guarantee that you’ll love this book!

I think what I liked most about this book was that there were so many different women involved in telling their stories. It feels very empowering and comforting to see other women go through experiences similar to your own, especially after seeing how well they are doing. And on that note, go read this book. I loved it!

Amina Abbassene, teen reviewer

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Issue 5 launch! You are invited….

Join us next Thursday June 24th for the online launch of Paper Lanterns issue five!
 
We’ll be sharing readings from contributors, chatting about our book club, features, and how to submit for our next issue!
 
The launch will be on YouTube premiere, you can set a reminder to make sure you don’t miss anything! 
 

And don’t forget, you can pre-order your copy of issue five here:

Order now!
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Book Club Chat – The Crooked Mask by Rachel Burge

Issue 4 Book Club: The Crooked Mask by Rachel Burge

The Crooked Mask by Rachel Burge, published by Hot Key Books,  was Issue 4’s book club pick. Our co-editor Amy is here to share her thoughts on YA read, as well as our book club writing prompt!

This was a brilliant, tense read. I loved the incorporation of Nordic myths and the sense that no-one was what they seemed. As I’m currently enjoying Loki on Disney, it was really interesting to see another perspective on the Nordic gods. 

My favourite aspect was the atmosphere; intense, evocative and mystical, the pervading feeling throughout the book was a thrilling sense of uncertainty. The mist and darkness reflected the central question for Martha – is she seeing what is in front of her?

Our ‘Crooked Mask’ inspired writing prompt is ‘mayhem of masks’. Write 500 words or create an art piece based on the prompt ‘masks’. If you’d like, you can share your work with us, or submit it to our journal! 

Reading recommendations: We’re all about strong atmospheres this issue – please tell us about a novel you read where the atmosphere created really jumps off the page and drags you in in our replies. And if you loved The Crooked Mask, please let us know! 

You can buy The Crooked Mask here

Thank you for following along with our Book Club! You can hear more from author Rachel Burge in our Book Club corner of Issue 4. Now available at 15% off! We’ll be announcing our next pick at our launch next Thursday, so stay tuned!

 

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Applications Open for Internship

Internship Programme

Paper Lanterns is looking for an intern to join us for our issue 6 production cycle, from the last week in June (starting 28th June) to September 20th.

Interns will get the chance to be involved in all aspects of producing a journal, from the submission and editing process to production and publicity. 

This is a paid part-time position, 7 hours a week at €10.20 an hour.

Hours are fully flexible but candidates must be available for an evening meeting one day a week.

We are working at home. Candidates must have access to a laptop and an internet connection.

The intern will assist in:

  • Sorting, reading and selecting the submissions for issue 6
  • Editing issue 6
  • Publishing content on the website (WordPress) and social media platforms
  • Developing the marketing database
  • Generating newsletter content in Mailchimp
  • Managing PR
  • Organising the launch

Experience:

The successful candidate must have a keen interest in YA literature.

Experience in marketing, a working knowledge of WordPress, and a keen eye for editing is preferred.
To apply, please send your CV and covering letter to paperlanternsjournal@gmail.com by 11 am (GMT) on 22nd June.

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Creative Writing Submissions for Issue Six – Now Open!

Submissions are open for Issue 6!

We are now accepting poetry, short stories and flash fiction from teen & adult writers age 13+. Open internationally. Closes July 4th, 6pm (GMT)

Please make sure your work is written for a teen and young adult audience.

You can find out more on our submissions page here

Thanks to funding from @artscouncil_ie, we pay all our creative writing contributors.