Paper Girls Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Illustrated by Cliff Chiang

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you Like: 1980's aesthetic, Stranger Things vibes, Stunning illustrations

Reading Goal: 19/100

On the morning of Halloween in 1988, four paper girls head out on their route to deliver the news to their neighborhood. When the girls are attacked by what appear to be teenagers in costume but may or may not be aliens in disguise, they are swept up into a supernatural mystery that involves monsters, futuristic technology, and time travel. They must work together to protect each other and uncover the most important story of all time.

Near the end of March and into April, I really fell into a reading and writing slump, which you can probably tell by the lack of content on this page. This is something that happens to me often, especially after reading some really fantastic books-- I just can't bring myself to pick up anything new. Honestly, I'm shocked I've made it as far as I did in my yearly goal without running out of steam. Amidst my reader's block, I decided to pick up Paper Girls, mostly because I was a comic, making it a quick read & I am hopelessly behind on my goal, so I needed something I could finish fast. I am so glad I did because this book is beyond brilliant.

Paper Girls checks off some very specific tropes that I absolutely adore in Science Fiction stories. I love when the main characters are kids, because they are not expected to understand the fantastical elements of the situations they're in, and therefore as a reader I feel like I don't necessarily have to it all figured out either. Was I confused through most of this book? Yes. Bust so were the characters, so I didn't feel left out. I also think that using kids as main characters in Si-Fi makes it a coming of age story. Paper Girls explores friendship, family, and growing up in one panel and have our main characters fighting monsters in the next. I also loved the 1980's aesthetic, and don't even get me started on the time travel. I will read or watch anything that discusses a time travel paradox. Kids on bikes solving the mysteries of time and space during the 80's is my favorite premise to a story. This comic filled the void in my heart left by Stranger Things, and I loved every second of it. And, to top it all off, the illustrations were vibrant, beautiful, and just so fun.