Book Review: Paper Towns by John Green

This book baffles me, and I’ll tell you why:

As a writer, I have a dream. A goal that I set for myself, a goal that I want so badly to accomplish, with everything inside of me. That dream is to use my words to change my readers and to change myself. I, as a writer, want to be different. To write something different- something huge- something revolutionary- something that will make you stop reading for just a moment because your head explodes. I want to give you a whole new perspective to the world and to people.

John Green does just that.

I’ve been a John Green fan since before I ever read any of his books. I knew he was awesome ever since I started watching Crash Course with John and his brother, Hank. I knew that I would be in for a treat when I picked up this book. What I did not know was that I would be awake until 4:00 am so that I could finish it in one sitting. I seriously read the first paragraph of the prologue -stopped to say “whoa”- and knew that I would not be putting this book down until I had read every page.

Paper Towns by John Green

Here’s a brief summary for those who don’t know about Paper Towns: Quentin has loved Margo Roth Spiegelman since forever, and they’ve grown up next door to each other. They’ve grown apart a bit over the years, until Margo comes through his window in the middle of the night and takes him on a revenge mission- the best night of Q’s life. Except that Margo disappears the next day. She has simply gone away, but she’s left clues for Quentin to follow. Q follows these clues that were laid out for him, trying to find the girl he loved, but what he finds is that maybe he never knew the real Margo Roth Spiegelman.

John Green has a writing style that is perfect for this type of young adult novel. His words are not overly formal or overly informal- they are exactly the words that his characters would use, and I like that. He weaves characters that are believable, stunning, and piercingly real. He pulls you into the story and emotions, and you come out a different person.

How does he do it?

John Green makes you question everything you knew about life. He understands that nobody can truly understand people, and he provides a million new ways to look at the people you’ve never known. Ladies and gentlemen, I am so happy to say that I have learned as I’ve read Paper Towns. I have learned that I will never fully understand my best friends, just as they will never fully understand me. I have learned that sometimes fake things seem real and real things seem fake. I learned that the future is made up of a million right nows. I have learned that sometimes we will be fed up with the way people are- but we can’t expect them to be who we want them to be. They are who they are, and we love them anyway because we have a million and one problems ourselves.

The only way to understand what an amazing journey Paper Towns is… would be to go on the journey yourself. And I seriously recommend that you read this book. You won’t regret it. You will laugh out loud for a few minutes at a time. You’ll probably learn something from it. If you’re anything like me, you’ll love it.

Best wishes,

-Kennedy

“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last is.” –John Green, Paper Towns