Book Review: “The Paper & Hearts Society” by Lucy Powrie

The Paper & Hearts Society

Author: Lucy Powrie

Published by: Hodder Children’s on June 13th, 2019

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Young Adult // Contemporary

Similar Books I’ve Read: The Movie Version

Disclosure: I received this book from the Publisher/Author in exchange for an impartial review. This is an unpaid/unsponsored post.

A brand new series from Booktuber Lucy Powrie – about what happens when you give up on trying to fit in and let your weird out! It’s time to join The Paper & Hearts Society …
Tabby Brown is tired of trying to fit in. She doesn’t want to go to parties – in fact, she would much rather snuggle up on the sofa with her favourite book.
It’s like she hasn’t found her people …
Then Tabby joins a club that promises to celebrate books. What could go wrong? EVERYTHING – especially when making new friends brings out an AWKWARD BUZZING feeling all over her body.
But Olivia, Cassie, Henry and Ed have something that makes Tabby come back. Maybe it’s the Austen-themed fancy-dress parties, or Ed’s fluffy cat Mrs Simpkins, or could it be Henry himself …
Can Tabby let her weird out AND live THE BEST BOOKISH LIFE POSSIBLE?
Perfect for fans of Holly Smale and Super Awkward.

First Thoughts

Okay, so I’ve basically known Lucy for what seems like years and years through her YA Chat on Twitter and reading her blog as a fellow Blogger. We’ve chatted a few times and I know she’s a super friendly and lovely girl, so when I was following her Writing journey and saw what came of her hard work spent writing, I knew that I had to read it! So when The Paper & Hearts Society arrived on my doorstep, I couldn’t wait until it was on top of my TBR!

My Review

I started reading The Paper & Hearts Society yesterday morning and finished it in the early evening – yes, you read that right, in one sitting! Once I started, there was no stopping for anything or anyone. I connected with Tabby almost instantly. If you’ve followed my blog, you’ll know that just a couple years ago, my cat (also named Tabby) passed away. So this book felt extra special because I got to see her name on the pages (and with a reference to Tabby cat, I was really touched).

Tabby Brown is one of those YA Heroines you know you’re going to love. She’s currently staying with her Grandma while her Parents pack up their lives to move down to where her Gran lives. Tabby went ahead, mostly because she wanted to get away from her old life and the friends that had shunned her and are still causing her anxiety and harm through messages and flashbacks. But when she finds a secret invite in a copy of her favourite book in the Library, she’s suddenly meeting the not-yet-named-officially book club. Olivia is the sweetest (and could talk for hours!), Ed is hilarious, Henry is charming and Cassie, well she’s the hardest to crack. At first, Tabby is taken aback by how hostile she is, but over the chapters we learn why and how they actually become just as close throughout the story. Together, the book club are unstoppable. They host evenings at each others houses, parties and finally, a Literary Road Trip (the stuff of dreams), from Shakespeare to Austen, they want to see it all. But the trip isn’t all smooth sailing, and the online bullying that Tabby’s been receiving – that’s now involved her new friends – reaches an all time low. It takes trust, the security of her new friendship and the courage to fight for the newfound love she’s found for her kind of people to get back to the Tabby she’s loving becoming.

Overall, I just have no words for how breathtakingly spectacular this book is. Not only was there true-to-life anxiety in the characters, realness, demisexual rep and no fluffy-insta-love (actual character development and relationship building!), but there was a driving force of a true love for literature behind every quote, every moment that the love for books was introduced. I fell in love with the characters, with the words, with what’s to come in the series. . .I can’t tell you just how amazing this book is. Every teenager-to-young-adult needs this glorious gem in their lives. Huge five stars to Lucy – you’ve written something so timeless!