News - Paper Lanterns

Posted on December 4, 2023December 5, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

The Grimoire of Grave Fates Created by Hanna Alkaf and Margaret Owen: Review

The Grimoire of Grave Fates
Created by Hanna Alkaf and Margaret Owen
Delacorte Press, June 2023
Paperback, £8.99
ISBN 9780593705773

The Grimoire of Grave Fates has a cast of characters as diverse as its 18 authors – that’s right, 18! This gripping fantasy murder-mystery is told through 18 individual perspectives, with each chapter written by a different author. Each author gives their character their own unique flair, and every reader will find something relatable in this cast.

Posted on December 4, 2023December 5, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Every Exquisite Thing by Laura Steven: Review

Every Exquisite Thing

Laura Steven

Electric Monkey, September 2023

Paperback, £8.99

ISBN 9780008627355

Every Exquisite Thing by Lauren Steven is a masterful retelling of The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde. Penny Paxton is the daughter of a living icon, a mother with high expectations and little room for love. In an effort to follow in her footsteps, Penny enrolls in the famous, and elite, Dorian Drama Academy, hoping to earn her mother’s love. Penny’s new mentor offers her the chance to have her portrait painted by a mysterious artist – paintings which offer eternal beauty to its subject

Posted on December 4, 2023December 9, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Skrimsli by Nicola Davies: Review

Skrimsli
Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Jackie Morris
Firefly Press, September 2023
Hardback, £14.99
ISBN 9781913102807

Skrimsli, Nicola Davies’s prequel to The Song That Sings Us, explores the backstory of Skrimsli, the tiger sea captain from her debut. As in the previous novel, Skrimsli combines an adventure tale filled with heart with deeper themes of friendship, solidarity, and fighting back against environmental destruction, the author’s vivid writing conveying her deep love of nature.

Posted on December 4, 2023December 9, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

House Party – A Novel Edited by justin a. reynolds: Review

House Party – A Novel

Edited by justin a. reynolds

Underlined, June 2023

Hardback, €22.40

ISBN 9780593488157

Have you got your invitation to the party of the year? Edited by justin a. reynolds, House Party is a unique experience – a novel that has been co-authored by ten different writers – all weaving together the story of one incredible house party.

Posted on December 4, 2023December 21, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Boundless edited by Ismée Williams and Rebecca Balcárel: Review

Boundless
Ed. Ismée Williams and Rebecca Balcárel
Inkyard Press, June 2023
Hardback, £14.99
ISBN 9781335428615

“No matter where I was, I always felt like I was wearing someone else’s clothes,” says Frankie, the protagonist in ‘Thicker Than Water’. This line contains many of the feelings encapsulated in Boundless, a short story anthology focused on characters who are biracial and multicultural. The 20 stories explore the unique struggles that impact teenagers who belong to families with different racial or ethnic backgrounds. These protagonists may not look like their parents, or may not speak the same language as them. Their family gatherings can be strained as the differences between cultures try to coexist. Their classmates may not look past one part of their identity, unseeing or dismissive of other experiences. They face microaggressions and snippy comments because they cannot be categorised easily into one box, and often they feel at odds trying to work out where they belong.

Posted on December 4, 2023December 5, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Frontera by Julio Anta and Jacoby Salcedo

Frontera

Julio Anta and Jacoby Salcedo

HarperAlley, June 2023

Paperback, £16.34

ISBN 9780063054943

Frontera is a compelling comic that delves into the complex and emotional topic of migration from Mexico to America. Set against the backdrop of real-life challenges faced by migrants, this graphic novel brings to life the personal stories of individuals and families seeking a better life in the United States.

Posted on December 3, 2023December 9, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

You Are Not Alone by Shauna Darling Robertson: Review

You Are Not Alone
Shauna Darling Robertson
Troika Books, January 2023
Paperback, £8.99
ISBN 9781912745173

You Are Not Alone is the second collection of poems from Robertson. Within the collection, Robertson talks about her personal experiences with anxiety and depression and the symptoms which follow her throughout her daily life. She expresses the unique perspectives on relationships and friendships and how mental health can affect these crucial aspects of life.

Posted on December 3, 2023December 9, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

The Changing Man by Tomi Oyemakinde: Review

The Changing Man
Tomi Oyemakinde
Macmillan, September 2023
Paperback
ISBN 9781035003082

“This book will change you whether you like it or not,” so reads the blurb on the back of this book. The Changing Man is a school story that is also a horror story with themes of identity, fitting into social norms and belonging. This is a book that is perfect for young readers. The characters are definitely well-rounded, in particular, Ife Adebola, who is the main character.

Posted on November 30, 2023December 21, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Yours from the Tower by Sally Nicholls: Review

Yours from the Tower
Sally Nicholls
Andersen Press, September 2023
Hardback, £14.99
ISBN 9781839133190

Set in 1896, Yours from the Tower follows three 18-year-old girls who have left boarding school and returned to very different lives. In a series of letters full of dreams and drama, the girls search for happiness and love in Victorian society. Calling all fans of Bridgerton! This story will leave you feeling like you have read a dozen love letters with swoon-worthy moments and gossip to leave you giggling. Nicholls perfectly captures the reality of teenage girl drama through this epistolary format, especially when two girls write to one another and leave the third out.

Posted on November 30, 2023December 21, 2023 by Paper Lanterns

Rhubarb Lemonade by Oskar Kroon: Review

Rhubarb Lemonade
Oskar Kroon
Translated by A. A. Prime
Hot Key Books, June 2023
Paperback £7.99
ISBN 9781471413124

13-year-old Vinga is navigating life amid her parents’ split, and the island her grandfather lives on is the ideal escape from it all. Here, she can forget her parents’ problems and be with the only person who understands her: her grandfather. They drink homemade rhubarb lemonade and play chess under the lilac tree in his garden, far away from the city Vinga hates so much. On the island she can sit by her cliff near the lighthouse, work on her sailboat and be herself – that is, until Ruth arrives.