We haven’t done a ton of blog tours recently but this one jumped out because I’ve been wanting to read Paper Avalanche for quite a while. Sarah loves it and told me I would definitely like it and she was very right! This is the first book of Lisa Williamson’s I’ve read (not including her sections in Floored) and the story was fantastic. I was lucky enough to be gifted this book – read on for details and all of my thoughts!
Paper Avalanche follows Ro, a teenage girl who is very withdrawn in her life because she’s hiding the fact that her mum is a compulsive hoarder. Her mum and dad aren’t great with her and Ro has to deal with acting like the adult from a young age, never really letting herself be a child or teenager. Throughout the book she begins to make friends and trust new people as well as investing in a passion of her own for once, something she’s never been able to do or really thought of doing before.
My favourite part of this book was the friendships. It was so brilliant for Ro to begin as a very closed off person pushing everyone away and then see her slowly begin to let people in over time. She didn’t magically transform into someone who was super affectionate of course because that’s not in her personality but she did let herself be more free around people she eventually trusted and realised she actually wanted to talk to and hang out with. Tanvi was fantastic, truly one of my favourite book characters ever. She was relentless in trying to befriend Ro, her chirpy optimism and cheery personality grinding her down over time (in a good way!). Her family were lovely and welcomed Ro instantly into their home. Tanvi also has a bit of a fiery side and though she would do anything for her best friends, she is not a pushover. I loved her values and I think her friendship is something that helped Ro more than anything.
Noah, Ro’s new next door neighbour, was also a lovely character. He was a friend but also a love interest for Ro. They had very quiet scenes together, playing chess and chatting about things they have in common. I loved the dynamic because they both had from overwhelming home lives and they seemed to find calm and solace in the company of each other. These moments felt like a breath of fresh air for the characters.
Fun fact: I don’t normally read books where someone is a singer or has music/singing as a main passion or hobby. Something about it puts me off (I’ve been proven wrong many times however; I adore I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman and On the Come Up by Angie Thomas) but I went into Paper Avalanche blind, completely unaware that it had any sort of musical element. I’m happy to say it’s another book that’s proven me wrong and I thoroughly enjoyed the music aspects! It felt different – Ro starts singing in the school choir and auditions for a national youth choir. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything about someone’s passion for choir and it worked really well – she learned a lot just by letting herself enjoy something and it genuinely made me smile whenever she shocked herself a little by loving the feeling when she sang in front of others.
I highly recommend this book – the friendships are some of the purest and loveliest I’ve ever read. Also the cover is super bold and bright (and fits very nicely into my rainbow theme for my new bookshelf layout). Thank you to David Fickling Books and ed public relations for the beautiful new copies of Lisa Williamson‘s books. Check out where you can find more posts about Paper Avalanche below!
If you’re interested in reading it, you can buy the book at Waterstones here or check out your local bookshop/library!
The Little Contemporary Corner 
I really loved Tanvi and I wish I had her optimism and energy! I didn’t know what to make of her to begin with because she was so full-on and I know I’d probably get irritated with someone like that at first if I met them, but learning about how much she’s been through and how she’s still so amazingly upbeat made me love her.
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