Paper Towns by John Green

Author:  John Green

Genre:  Adventure, Mystery

Target Audience:  Young Adult

Reading Experience:  8/10

Story:  8.5/10

Writing:  8/10

My Verdict:  8.5/10

In contrast to my review of Colleen Hoover's November 9, I thought I might add one of my favorite Young Adult novels.  

Paper Towns, by John Green, is the story of Quentin "Q" Jacobsen.  Q has loved his neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman  all of his life, since the moment she moved next door.  But from afar.  He never dared to tell her.  They had one moment together as children that marked their relationship forever.  Now as teenagers, Q and Margo rarely speak; they are strangers.  She's an enigma to Q, but he still loves her.  Everything is fine and normal until one night Margo climbs through his bedroom window on the second floor, like a ninja with a special mission.  She embarks Q on one of the most memorable nights of his life.  But when that adventure ends, and a new day dawns, Margo disappears.  And Q starts to believe that she left clues for him, so that he could find her.  Q embarks on his own mission to find her, following the clues she left behind.

I won't say more, 'cause I'll spoil it.  But if you thought the Fault in Our Starts was good, this one takes the cake, in my opinion.

I read it because the movie was coming out.  My sister read it first and urged me to read it.  I did, hesitantly.  As I always say, I'm not a fan of romance, much less YA.  But, boy, was I wrong about this one!

I didn't think a romance book set in high school could make me devour a book like I did with this one (does this book even count as a romance?).  I spent many sleepless nights with this book, and felt drawn with the sheer force of mystery by the time I reached the last pages.  Sadly, I was a little disappointed with the ending.  It was not what I expected (even though it was unexpected), and it felt sort of... anti-climatic.  But to hell with it!  The book was good enough to overlook that.

The book was romantic, hilarious, awkward and sweet.  It touched teen romance perfectly, in a way that was very sweet but it wasn't cloying.  It was perfect.  The comedy in the book was also great.  I loved the characters and the story and EVERYTHING.     

Reading Experience:  8/10

I cannot give justice to how good this book was.  Even for romantic/teen-flick standards, this book was GOOD.  I had a smile on my face most of the book, and I've never laughed so much in a book like this one (other than Amy Poehler's memoir Yes, Please and the Fault in Our Starts).  I had this fuzzy feeling inside, and even though I had to roll my eyes at some of the clichés, I actually enjoyed said clichés.  They fit in the story, in the awkwardness of Q and the unpredictability of Margo.  Some parts of the book had me like:

When you're in your twenties, you sort of forget those feelings of high school.  The weird, funny friendships, the memorable moments, the crushes, the unknown.  It was nice to feel all that again, which is why the book was very special.

The characters felt so real, so palpable, that it almost felt like it was a true story.  And best of all, it was set in Florida!  I moved here not long ago from Puerto Rico, and I've been to the places mentioned in the book, especially Sea World and the SunTrust building!

All the characters were likable and the adventure Q and his friends embark is both sweet and hilarious.  And don't forget memorable!  For both you, the reader, and the characters.

I was a little disappointed with the ending though.  But that doesn't mean the story was ruined, or that it ruined the book for me.  No.  In fact, I thought the ending was perfect for the story, even though it's not the ending I would've wanted.  I hope you don't gather much information on that statement.  It had to be said, but i'm trying to be careful not to say too much.  Don't be discouraged, though, the book is awesome, regardless of the ending.  In fact, it could've ended mid-sentence and I would still be writing the same review.  It was that good!

Story:  8.5/10

It's the story of Q and his search for the elusive, enigmatic Margo.  It's the least he can do when he had such a memorable night with her.  That moment she climbed through his window changed his life, that night was the best he had, so he was determined to find her at any cost, following the clues she left him.

The story was not only unique, but it had a hint of a thriller and mystery that made it just perfect.  I mean, a girl Q has loved since he met her, climbs through his window to ask him to have a life-changing adventure in one night... that's just cool!  And that's only the beginning of the novel!

She came in like a ninja, and changed his life forever!

It's a simple story with layers of mystery, intrigue and fun.  It's Quentin's story as the readers go on a life-changing adventure to search for a girl that merely left clues, clues that are so inconspicuous that only Q himself could find them.

It's a story that involves much more than a simple crush, a simple "road-trip" and a simple mystery.  The characters learn a LOT throughout their adventure, and so will you.

I liked it a lot.  I read it in a few days and spent those nights in the dark with a reading light, following Q as he searched for Margo.  I couldn't let go of the book, and sometimes I smiled at myself, wondering: "John, why are you enjoying this book so much?  You love horror, mystery, thrillers... and now, apparently, Paper Towns too!"

It was funny, brilliant, emotional, enlightening, mysterious, surprising and sweet.

Writing:  8/10

I don't know much of John Green.  What I do know is that he is a very good writer.  I've read very few books of people that brilliantly and perfectly capture the rawness of youth, the emotions and the hilarious events we all go through in our youth without being melodramatic or even cloying.  

The writing is fun and easy.  It's written in the point of view of Quentin "Q" Jacobsen.  This would be Q on the GIF, played by Nat Wolff in the movie:

He is searching for the girl he loves, Margo, played by the gorgeous, talented Cara Delevingne in the movie:

Q's POV feels very real, very teenage-y.  But not in a bad way.  I like the realness of Q, and the mystery of Margo and the quirkiness of Q's friends.  I think very few people know how to narrate a teenage POV.  We all know that, as teenagers, our feelings were all over the place.  We were confused, careless, lost, scared, excited, bored and loved/hated absolutely everything.  Very few authors know how to harness all of that in a POV.  John Green does it nicely.

My Verdict:  8.5/10

After reading both good and bad books, this felt like a breath of fresh air.  It was fun, funny, sweet, engaging and enjoyable.  I can't say that about many YA novels out there.  This is a very good story, short and sweet, and with an unexpected ending.  

This book has many scenes that stick with you after you read the novel.  My favorite being when they visit the SunTrust building, on both the book AND the movie.

Do I recommend this book?  Yes!  New to John Green?  Read it!  New to YA novels?  Read it!  Want to read something sweet and funny?  Read it!  Want to read anything?  Read it!  Already read it?  Read it!  Again!

It's a nice, sweet story, perfect for young adults and even adults.  Hell, I'm 23 and I enjoyed this book so much!  It's a story that will stick with you after the last sentence.

And of course, like Fault in Our Stars, it has a few unique things that will stick with many of us...

This will make sense when you read the book

And if you're interested in seeing the movie (which you should see after reading the book), then check out the trailer here.  With both the book AND the movie, you'll laugh, you'll cry... and you WILL enjoy this one-of-a-kind adventure.

If you'd like to purchase the paperback, check them it here.  They have it in Books-A-Million! at great prices!

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Salutations fellow Bookworms!  I hope you liked my review!  If you have any thoughts to share, if you agree or disagree or if you’d like to share anything, let me know on the comments!  You can also tweet me on Twitter, follow me on Instagram, on Tumblr or add me on GoodReads!  Happy Reading!