The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie

In Read With Pride we are introduced to a number of different characters who I loved so much. It’s a key part of balancing your work, social and personal time. Powrie emphasises to readers that it’s okay to take a step back, say no and take some time out for yourself. Yes, there are many great YA books that discuss mental health, but this is the first I’ve seen that discusses mental and physical burnout. Burnout in teenagers is certainly not talked about enough in YA books.

Instead of taking a step back and reassessing what she could perhaps give less attention to, she goes at everything with full force and causes herself to burn out. She strives to do her best in everything she does and as a result bites off more than she can chew. Olivia is great and I can see a lot of myself in her when I was at school. This is such a great idea and it allows the series to feel more centred around the society, rather than on one single character. I loved reading more about Olivia’s life and seeing things from her point of view. It’s great that Powrie decided to change the narrator for the second novel. This second book in The Paper & Hearts Society series follows Olivia instead of Tabby. There are so many things discussed in Read With Pride such as accepting your sexuality, dealing with mental health and the difficult balance between life, firendships and school work. Powrie is fantastic at writing about very important topics in a way that is completely accessible for a YA and younger teen audience. If I were to describe this book series in one word, it would be wholesome.

Sometimes, when you’re in too deep, it’s up to your friends to look out for you… With two book clubs to run, exams to prepare for, and a girlfriend, just how long will it be before Olivia burns out? After all, creating a book club and trying to get the #ReadWithPride hashtag to get noticed is going to take a lot of energy. Luckily, she’s the mastermind behind The Paper & Hearts Society book club, and she knows exactly what to do: start a new club, find ways of evading the system, and change the policy for good! Olivia is distraught – she’s demisexual and knows how important it is for all readers to see themselves represented. But when a parent complains about LGBTQ+ content in one of the books, the library implements a new policy for withdrawing books. Olivia Santos is excited for her last year at secondary school. *Trigger Warnings – homophobia, mental health, burnout*

I would like to thank the publishers Hachette, and the author, Lucy Powrie. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by receiving a gifted copy of this book in any way. I received an arc of this book from the publishers Hachette in exchange for an honest review.

The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie