BOOKS | Review: The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie

Name: The Paper & Hearts Society
Author: Lucy Powrie
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Date published: June 2019
Genre: Young adult, contemporary
Pages: 365
Rating: 4/5

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?

- From Goodreads.

The Paper & Hearts Society was such a sweet and lovely read that I really related to. It made me feel very nostalgic and took me right back to when I was Tabby's age, how my love for reading felt at that point in my life, and how I had a countless amount of insecurities but really valued the friendships I managed to find and the friends who really understood me and my interests.
Tabby's voice was so endearing and funny, I found myself smiling and laughing a lot while reading the book. I especially enjoyed her relationship and interactions with her grandmother as I thought they felt very warm and real. I also rooted for the romance that develops through the story, Tabby and her love interest really suited each other and I thought it was a very well protrayed teenage romance.
I thought the topics of anxiety, depression, bullying and family relationships were dealt with well and all of them were addressed in a comforting and satisfying way.  I did see where the story was going mostly and guessed a couple of the plot points but I did not feel that ruined the story for me and I think all of the plot points were executed in an interesting way.
There were a couple of points where there could have been slightly more editing to tidy up a little awkward piece of writing, but overall it was very easy to read and a very good debut novel. And I definitely enjoyed all the pop culture references (especially the Taylor Swift mentions).
If you are looking for a sweet, upbeat, contemporary story that deals well with serious topics, I definitely recommend giving this a try! I will definitely be picking up the sequel.