Sunday, November 16, 2008

Shannon's Review - Paper Towns by John Green



Paper Towns

Summary: (from the inside jacket)Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar so when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for a ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows.
After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks. Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues - and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew.

My Thoughts: Paper Towns mostly takes place in Orlando, Florida. The setting is described in a way any teenager would talk about growing up in their home town: They find it boring and look forward to making there own fun or trouble. Q, or Quentin, is a bit obsessed with fellow classmate and neighbor Margo Roth Speigelman. A girl who Q and friends are finding to be more of a mystery by the day.
The story is about realizing you never really know a person, you just think you do. The plot's similar to another of John Green's books, Looking For Alaska, but done in a different light - as more of a quest, where Alaska was about a learning experience. To find the mystery that is Margo, Q goes on a scavenger hunt. Literally, and you can follow the clues along with Q to find Margo. I think the characters and setting feel pretty natural and will sit well with teens.
This is a book not just for teens, though. It will be enjoyable for adults as well. There are some strong language and sexuality explicit scenes, but not as bad a as Looking for Alaska. It is a book with a lot of humor, mystery and intrigue. I highly recommend it.

About the Author: John Green is the author of three books, Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Paper Towns. He lives in Indiana with his wife and Bubbles, the Nerdfighting puppy (aka Willy). He's currently on a tour with his brother, Hank Green, traveling across the U.S. If you would like to see if they will be in your area, go here.




5 comments:

Mari said...

After reading and loving An Abundance of Katherine's this is definitely on my To Read list.

Unknown said...

I am really intrigued by this one. I now tend to get obsessed with things, a new craft, a cookbook, etc., but I remember being obsessed with certain boys when I was a teenager. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention!

Alyce said...

I haven't read Looking For Alaska yet, but it's in my huge tbr pile (otherwise known as my bookcase). This one sounds like a great read as well.

If I haven't mentioned it before, I love your rating system!

Shooting Stars Mag said...

Nice review! I really want to read this one too. Looking for Alaska is definitely a favorite of mine.

-Lauren

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a fun book. Going along on a scavanger hunt sounds interesting. I usually like young adult novels.