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in short
If you've read one John Green, you've read them all. That's not necessarily a criticism. It's just, Green has a formula: nerdy guy with big dreams, quirky manicpixiedreamgirl. If you don't like that formula, you probably won't dig Paper Towns. However, I'm very much a drinker of the John Green Kool-aid, so I really had fun with this book. Despite being a cheerier version of Looking for Alaska, it's got plenty of its own punch and panache. One night of pranks and revenge turns into a slapdash game of Clue, with Q as our awkward, endearing detective. Margo could have just run away--or perhaps something dire has happened. What I really loved about this book was the focus on friendship. With Margo only an idea for much of the book, the plot centers on Q, his best friend Ben, and Margo's best friend Lacey. They come together to find Margo, and end up finding kindred spirits in each other. It's a light, refreshing, kooky high school story with a kickass ending that justified any ridiculousness in the plot. (If they change the ending for the movie, I'm going to mutiny!)
in depth
it's sort of a romance
At the start, there's Margo. She was Q's best friend when they were little. They played together, skinned their knees together, found a dead body together. You know, typical friend things. But alas, Margo was a flighty ball of sunshine. She became popular, and Q faded to the background. Until one night, Margo appears outside Q's window. She takes him on a crazy revenge mission and then disappears, leaving him the only clue to her fate. And so, the book is about finding her, literally. The romance between her and Q develops largely in Q's head, in memories and in this strange connection they shared. Green does a fantastic job of highlighting real Margo versus the Margo in Q's head, and how love can't be formed from an idea. So, it's less a classic romance with making out and swoons and more of a search for a love that may be.
but it's more of a road trip.
Even moreso, it's a crazy road trip story. Finding Margo is the thread and the endgame, but the plot is in the process. Q is joined by his friend Ben, a delightfully bizarre, hilarious human who's much more my type. Their friendship is strong and believable. They have each other's back and they're not afraid to call each other out--which must happen, as Q's obsession becomes more toxic and self-centered. Then enter Lacey, Margo's best friend, and a prototype of popular. She also happens to be sweet, clever, and a delightful amount of snarky. They may be on a clue hunt, but it's the growing friendship, banter, and growing up experience between them that gives this book its heart.
there's a mystery element
Don't get me wrong, though. The mystery of Margo is still crucial to the book. Yes, it's partly a metaphor for finding yourself and finding the truth about people, but it's also literally about finding Margo. There's a serious undertone to the frivolity: what if she didn't just runaway? That possibility keeps the tension and stakes high. I also just liked the idea of the chase. As the trio moves from clue to clue, they discover this hidden Margo that doesn't quite match the Margos they each knew. It's a fascinating concept, piecing someone together from what they leave behind--and it draws into focus the fact that everyone has masks. As Q peels away Margo's layers, the fantasy and reality of Margo come to an emotionally brutal collision.
and a bit of philosophical darkness
One question underlying the whole chase is, of course, why did Margo run away? Many readers may have difficulty sympathizing with her. She's pretty, popular, and has a good home life. Everyone loves her. She's talented. And unfortunately, that's what I hear all the time: "Nothing is really bad about my life. I don't deserve to be depressed." And that's just bull. Margo's character, histrionic and self-centered as she is, highlights the fact that external signs of so-called perfection aren't always enough to make someone feel whole. People with nice parents can feel depressed. They can feel trapped. And, yes, they can feel like their lives are made of paper cutouts, and yearn for something real.
all in john green's signature cheeky wit
It's a little pretentious, but John Green's just so darn endearing that he can get away with it. He gives Q his signture self-effacing humor. You just can't help but like the guy, even when you want to punch him because he's being a little twit. As with Green's other books, the language here is elevated high school. These are all bright kids with big vocabularies and lofty ideas. The philosophizing can get heavy handed, but for the most part, Green reins it in with tight writing and an authentically teenage aura that's difficult to explain. Plus, it's freaking hilarious. There were so many parts that made me laugh out loud, i.e. every time Ben opened his mouth. Green's dry, quick wit gets me every time, and makes what could be a dense melodrama into something light and affecting.
in a sentence
Paper Towns is a quirky, hilarious adventure that's a little bit about romance, a lot about friendship, and mostly about finding the real people behind the masks.
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Popular Highlights in this book
It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world.Highlighted by 10,258 Kindle readers- What a treacherous thing it is to believe that a person is more than a person.Highlighted by 7,475 Kindle readers
- “Yeah. I’m a big believer in random capitalization. The rules of capitalization are so unfair to words in the middle.”Highlighted by 5,237 Kindle readers
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Reviews with images
A Paper Town for a Paper Girl: Review
From blog: bookishhipster.blogspot.comWhat's up fellow bookworms and bookdragons alike!? I'm back with another review for you! I'm a little too excited that last sentence rhymed! Okay, anyway I recently just finished reading Paper Towns by John Green and figured it was about time I get my butt in gear and post my review. This is the second book that I've had the pleasure of reading by the superb Mr. Green, the first being The Fault In Our Stars! It was a pleasure to have my heart broken by Augustus Waters. While Paper Towns didn't leave me sobbing in a ball on the floor with tissues strewn about the room it did leave me with some feels!Paper Towns by John GreenAmazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A MillionWhen Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night—dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows her. Margo’s always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she’s always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they’re for Q.Printz Medalist John Green returns with the trademark brilliant wit and heart-stopping emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of readers.My Thoughts:****4 Stars****After reading TFIOS by John Green I knew I had to give some of his other works a try as well, and I'm glad that I did. This wasn't as good as TFIOS, but it was still a great little story full of mystery, hilarious moments (king of peeing in the car champion), and friendship! John Green has a way of creating such witty, philosophical teenagers and I love it, I love how unique each character was in this novel. Especially Margo, and Quentin.Margo and Quentin grew up living across the street from one another and due to that they formed a small friendship/bond between them, but as the years passed they both drifted apart, until one night Margo climbed into Quentin's bedroom window demanding that he help her complete a few hilarious tasks. Margo was a mystery, literally, for most of the novel. She was just a girl walking around disguised as what everyone thought she should be. Quentin was just a really lovable little dorky boy next door.Once the night of the living ninja's was over Quentin was left wondering if things between him and Margo could possibly change, but the next day at school Margo wasn't there, or the next day, or the next after that. Margo Roth Spiegelman had seemingly vanished into thin air, only this wasn't the first time Margo had disappeared. Margo had been vanishing for years and returning with wild stories of all of her adventures, but she always left clues of her destination for people to find so they'd know she was alright. This time Margo left clues for Quentin...Quentin embarks on a journey with his two best friends to search for the elusive Margo Roth Spiegelman and learns that everything he thought he knew about Margo was a lie because, "Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl." - John GreenAll in all I thought this book was really good. It had a lot of funny moments in it, that I actually found myself laughing out loud at. It also made me yearn for a group of friends that I could take a road trip with. It made me want to get out and experience the world like Margo wanted to do. There were only a few minor things I thought could have been improved upon; like how much the word 'prom' was used. It was used A LOT. I mean I'm not against prom (okay, maybe I am a little. high school sucked for me okay?!) I thought we should have gotten the chance to know Margo a bit better, and her reasoning for wanting to get of her town/life.If you're into mysteries and humor this book is for you!
