Tag: Lucy Powrie

The Paper & Hearts Society – Read With Pride by Lucy Powrie

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This is the second novel from Lucy Powrie about ‘The Paper & Hearts Society’, and this novel focuses on Olivia Santos founding member.

This is a fabulous book for any lover of books and great stories. This is not just a story – it is an education, too. Olivia Santos has found her book-loving people in The Paper & Hearts Society (Tabby, Cassie, Ed and Henry). However, as the new school year starts, she starts to realise that maybe she can help other people find their people and do something about the fact that freedom of choice has been removed from the school library. Why should pupils be stopped from reading LGBTQ+ books?

Yet, as Olivia becomes more involved in the project, can she juggle all her personal expectations? Or will the pressure that she is putting on herself cause her to burn out? Not only impacting her but also those that she loves.

A real positive about this novel is the fact that it entertains and educates. It discusses the importance of diverse representation in novels and for people to feel seen. It also discusses the importance of wellbeing and good mental health. But possibly the most important this it shares is how significant great friendships are.

However, a danger of these fabulous books is that you will probably finish them with another reading list. It was great that so many books I have enjoyed were mentioned and, also, so many more ideas.

So, if you love books, YA novels and great characters, then this is the book for you.

The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I discovered that this book was going to come into the world by first following Lucy Powrie on Twitter. When you find out that people have had the chance to publish a project that means so much to them, I think it is important to support them.

So, as soon as I found ‘The Paper & Hearts Society’ in the wild I knew I had to purchase a copy. I am so glad that I did because this turned out to be the book I needed to read when I was an awkward teenager – in fact, I think it is the book that many of us bookworms needed as teenagers.

This novel brings together Tabby, Henry, Ed, Olivia and Cassie, who are all completely different but are totally and utterly unified by their love of books, leading to the deepest of frienships. It is a great cast of characters, and with my reading with pride month, it brings LGBT+ to the centre of the novel too (which, as recently announced, also lines up with Lucy Powrie’s second novel perfectly).

The thing I admired most about ‘The Paper & Hearts Society’ was the different topics it tackled, which must throw more challenges at young people as they try to carve their own path. Tabby faces bullying from her ‘friend’ Jess, which impacts her mental health and her friendships; social media impacts their friendships and each character has their own background struggles. All of this is handled well and you will laugh and cry with all of the characters along the way.

The final pages didn’t just leave me wanting more, and with yet another reading list – but also with a deep desire to become a member of ‘The Paper and Hearts Society’, and set off on a literary road trip.

Have you ever finished a book, hoping you could be part of the story?