Review - Paper Towns by John Green

It's rare that a book is funny and still makes us feel vulnerable and shows us a way to heal ourselves.

Paper Towns, by John Green, made me snicker countless times through its 305 pages.  Then it made me remember how lonely I felt as a high school student.  By creating characters that are both innocent and complex and flawed, Mr. Green allows his readers to see how high school power structures are formed and how they can be overcome.

This book is sold in the Young Adult section of your favorite bookstore, and I know I would have loved it as a fifteen-year-old.  The magic of the book, though, is that I can still love it now as an adult.

Part comedy, part mystery and part exploration of friendship, the story also sometimes made me wistful.  I wish I had appreciated the guys like the character of Radar in my life when I graduated.  

There are so many things to recommend this book. The Paper Towns' teens get into adventures that are epic and seem like a good idea even to my thirty-four-year-old self. Also, the wisdom John Green stuffs into his book makes me happy that there are writers who understand teens and can entertain them and help them through a difficult part of life.

One final note:  John Green understands people in general, not just teens.  Go out and buy this book.  You will laugh and then you will fall in love.  I know I did.

Comments

[Eric Loya]

They probably couldn't be more different, but this sentence:

"It's rare that a book is funny and still makes us feel vulnerable and shows us a way to heal ourselves."

summed up pretty accurately my thoughts on a book called A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, which I just recently fell in love with. Because of that and your review, I will definitely check out Paper Towns.

[Melody Platz]

Eric,

I'm pretty sure you'll like Paper Towns. Now I'm going to have to look up A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

Do you watch the Vlogbrothers? I think you'd like them too.