Paper Aeroplanes
Where HONEYBEE's Renée and Flo first become friends
-
-
5.0 • 3 Ratings
-
-
- $8.99
Publisher Description
Where HONEYBEE's Renée and Flo first become friends.
I just can't imagine me without you ...
It's the mid-1990s, and fifteen year-old Guernsey schoolgirls, Renée and Flo, are not really meant to be friends. Thoughtful, introspective and studious Flo couldn't be more different to ambitious, extroverted and sexually curious Renée. But Renée and Flo are united by loneliness and their dysfunctional families, and an intense bond is formed.
Although there are obstacles to their friendship (namely Flo's jealous ex-best friend and Renée's growing infatuation with Flo's brother), fifteen is an age where anything can happen, where life stretches out before you, and when every betrayal feels like the end of the world. For Renée and Flo it is the time of their lives.
With graphic content and some scenes of a sexual nature, PAPER AEROPLANES is a gritty, poignant, often laugh-out-loud funny and powerful novel. It is an unforgettable snapshot of small-town adolescence and the heart-stopping power of female friendship.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Multi-talented television and radio host, magazine columnist, and blogger Dawn O’Porter mined her youthful journals to write her poignant debut novel. Paper Aeroplanes follows two lonely Guernsey teenagers, Renée and Flo, as they fumble through the pitfalls of toxic friendships, roiling hormones and overwhelming tragedy. O’Porter’s relatable protagonists are refreshingly introspective and authentically bewildered by the challenges of growing up. Acerbic and bawdy, this original coming-of-age tale packs an emotional punch.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
British media personality O'Porter debuts with a punchy story (partially mined from the author's own teenage diaries) about the bonds of female friendship, told through the alternating perspectives of two vulnerable girls. It's 1994 on the small British island of Guernsey, and 15-year-olds Flo and Ren e become strongly attached to one another. Flo struggles with a best friend who erodes her self-esteem, as well as increased responsibilities at home due to her depressed father's absence. Ren e is dealing with the death of her mother, romantic entanglements, and her sister's bulimia, among other problems. The girls encourage and challenge one another to persevere, even as outside forces and mutual betrayals threaten their intimacy. O'Porter uses candid warmth and humor to convey the awkwardness of sexual urges and puberty ("If one more person says the words period' or panty pad' in front of Pop, I am going to have to jump out the window, run to the sea, and swim to France"). Fierce, full-blooded girls who fistfight one minute and burst into tears the next carry this powerful coming-of-age story. Ages 14 up.
