What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedPaper Girls
Stephany Folsom · Series · 2022
If you loved Paper Girls, start with Strangers in Time (David Baldacci) — a book on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Paper Girls across media.
What hooked you in Paper Girls was the way that cosmic chaos serves as a backdrop for navigating the messy, transformative journey of adolescence.
Books on the same thread
Strangers in Time
David Baldacci · Book
Shares a thread with Paper Girls: coming-of-age.
Like Paper Girls, this story centers on young people forced to mature quickly while facing extraordinary, life-altering circumstances that test their resilience and the strength of their loyal friendships.
Earthdivers #15
Stephen Graham Jones · Book · 2024
Explores: Temporal paradox, Assassination mission, Changing history.
If the temporal paradoxes in Paper Girls kept you engaged, you will appreciate this mission to rewrite history, which mirrors the high-stakes struggle of altering past events to ensure survival.
Ghost World
Daniel Clowes · Book · 2001
Shares a thread with Paper Girls: Female friendship.
Fans of the complex female dynamics in Paper Girls will recognize the same authentic, often bittersweet exploration of evolving friendships as young girls confront the inevitable reality of growing up.
The Big Time
Fritz Leiber · Book · 2022
Explores: Time War, Alternate History, Memory Manipulation.
The sense of disorientation found in Paper Girls carries over here, where the fragility of time and memory creates a surreal, shifting landscape that challenges the characters' sense of self.
Films on the same thread
Kiki's Delivery Service
Hayao Miyazaki · Film · 1989
Shares a thread with Paper Girls: Self-discovery.
Just as the protagonists in Paper Girls must find their way in an unfamiliar world, this story captures the same poignant, coming-of-age spirit of self-discovery and finding one's unique place.
20th Century Girl
Film · 2022
Shares a thread with Paper Girls: Coming-of-age.
This story echoes the nostalgic atmosphere of Paper Girls, focusing on the intense bonds of teenage friendship and the life-changing moments that occur when youth meets the complexities of adulthood.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Mamoru Hosoda · Film · 2006
Shares a thread with Paper Girls: Self-Discovery.
The consequences of manipulating time explored in Paper Girls are central here, offering a similar blend of science fiction stakes and the relatable emotional growth of a young protagonist.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Kelly Fremon Craig · Film · 2023
Shares 3 threads with Paper Girls: Female Friendship, Self-Discovery, Coming-of-age.
While grounded in suburban reality, this film shares the core heart of Paper Girls by focusing on the intimate, often difficult process of navigating identity and friendship during adolescence.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Orphans
The Light and Tragic Company · Podcast · 2025
If the interdimensional mystery of Paper Girls intrigued you, this audio drama delivers a similar sense of cosmic scale and survival, featuring strangers grappling with identity in a harsh universe.
The Girls Groupchat Podcast
The Girls Groupchat Podcast · Podcast
Shares a thread with Paper Girls: female friendship.
This podcast captures the same spirit of female friendship that drives Paper Girls, offering a space where personal anecdotes and shared experiences define the bond between a close-knit group.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Paper Girls a time travel story?
Yes, Paper Girls follows four friends from 1988 who are transported to the year 2019. During their journey, they encounter their adult selves and must navigate the consequences of this temporal displacement while attempting to return to their own time.
What is the premise of Paper Girls?
Paper Girls begins the day after Halloween in 1988. Four young friends become caught in an intergalactic battle, which results in them being sent to 2019. The group must work together to find a way home while saving the future.
Does Paper Girls involve meeting older versions of the characters?
Yes, a central element of Paper Girls involves the four protagonists coming face-to-face with their adult selves. This meeting allows each girl to discover her own unique strengths as they confront the realities of the future and try to return to the past.
How does the plot of Paper Girls start?
The story of Paper Girls begins on the day after Halloween in 1988. While the four friends are together, they accidentally stumble into an intergalactic battle. This event leads directly to their inexplicable transportation from 1988 into the year 2019.