Book Review Of Paper Towns

Review, Pages 3 (655 words)

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Four years prior to the publishing of his most famous book, The Fault in Our Stars, John Green wrote Paper Towns, a story about a senior in high school, Quentin Jacobsen, and the search for his lifelong crush, Margo Roth Spiegelman. Green, an author and the co-creator of CrashCourse, was inspired to write this book through his inhabitation of Orlando, the home of the characters in the book, and through encounters with “paper towns” on numerous road trips he had taken.

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The novel starts off with Margo appearing at Quentin’s window one night, after not speaking to each other for years. The two then embark on Margo’s journey of vengeance against friends that have done her wrong, and Quentin falls deeper in love with Margo that night. Quentin then believes that his future will contain her in it and that everything will change with their relationship after that day. However, Margo then disappears without warning. Quentin does anything to find her given the clues she leaves behind, even missing his senior prom and graduation ceremony, dragging his best friends, Ben and Radar, along with him in this manhunt for Margo.

Paper Towns is one of the most unique and creative books I have ever read, making it an amazing read. This novel portrays the story of Quentin, where his internal feelings and thoughts relate greatly to what many emerging adults, including myself, feel. For example, Quentin states, “it was hard not to walk around, thinking of the lastness of it all” (Green 227).

Senior year in high school breeds many lasts: last of many friendships, last of depending on your parents, and the last of being a kid overall. Every day of senior year, it is hard not to think that every day that passes is one day closer to graduation, and thus a day closer to a new life. Green emphasizes the dilemma that all teenagers have to face at some point in their lives, along with showing alternative ways to approach things in life.

The character Margo Roth Spiegelman symbolizes the challenging of conventional wisdom along with the concept of one-sided relationships. Margo does not believe in the traditional ways of life but instead lives by her own rules. This tells the reader that they do not have to live by how people tell them how they are supposed to live --- they can discover new things and live differently. Many young adults do not know what the future holds, so they take the safe path by going to college and getting a job. Margo, on the other hand, would rather experience an exhilarating life instead of laying low and settling for a “normal” life. Green uses this to stress to the reader that not all people are the same, so they should live by how they want to instead of following paths others find attractive. In addition, many people endure one-sided relationships, where they love a person who does not reciprocate those feelings. Quentin has had a lifelong crush on Margo but felt as if Margo never knew or cared about his existence. Adolescence is filled with heartbreaks, but yet we always have to find a way to move on. Green explores these concepts to help explain to the younger readers who feel lost in their lives that not everything is what it seems, including people and goals we may have.

In conclusion, Paper Towns will forever be one of my most favorite books and will be a symbol of my childhood. From Green’s intricate quotes to the quirky jokes Quentin, Radar, and Ben make, everything about this book made me fall in love with it. I would recommend this book to any adolescent who feels a bit unsure about what life lies ahead of him or her, but anyone should be able to enjoy it. This novel will definitely be a story someone will remember for a long time.