Paper Towns

Before I jump into Paper Towns I wanted to note that I am adding a Happiness Meter to my reviews simply because there are just some days where I feel like reading happy, and sometimes fluffy, books.

Paper Towns by John Green
Recommended for 14+ due to sexual jokes, underage drinking, a graphic description of a dead man and raccoon.
4.7/5 Stars
3/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Realistic Fiction

This book is dangerous. I don't recommend starting it unless you have most of the day to read it because you won't want to put it down. I've heard many great things about John Green's books. Afterall, Looking for Alaska has won the Printz Award and an Abundance of Katherines sounds very intriguing. However, I had no idea how great an author he truly was until I picked up Paper Towns. The book tells the story of a geeky boy named Quentin (goes by Q) who hangs around with the band crowd. He can't be in band himself due to his unfortunate lack of talent when it comes to instruments and singing but he is happy enough. He has two close friends, Ben, who is convinced that he is could please a girl if only given a chance, and Radar, who spends most of his free time editing an online encyclopedia (along the same lines of Wikipedia). Q lives next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman, the hippest, boldest girl in school who, when she is not off galavanting around the country, is keeping the social scene under control. Q and Margo used to spend time together as kids but you know how that goes--Margo becomes popular, Q becomes a nerd. End of friendship. But Q is still intrigued by Margo and her vivacity so imagine his surprise (and excitement) when Margo knocks on his window one night, dressed in ninja gear, wanting his help to run some mysterious errands.

By the end of the night, Q feels more connected with Margo and even believes that she will start hanging out with him and his group of friends. However, the next day Margo is missing. This, in and of itself, is not unusual. Hadn't Margo disappeared for a week or so when she was invited to join that circus or when she took off to Mississippi? But as Q starts adding up the clues Margo has left behind he starts to fear the worst. Soon Q's life consists of one goal: find Margo Roth Spiegelman, dead or alive.

I have to admit that despite all the wonderful things I've heard about John Green's books I was a bit reluctant to pick up Paper Towns. I knew that he didn't have a problem using a fair amount of swear words and sexual jokes and frankly, I'm usually too prudish a reader to pick up a book that contains that sort of thing. In this case, however, it was worth it. Sure it has some of that stuff in it but it's put into context. That's what lots of teenagers do: drink underage, swear, make witter sexual banter (if such a thing is possible). As a result, Green's characters are authentic. We've all known a perverted Ben, a knowledge obsessed Radar, an insecure Lacey who, despite all her best efforts, sometimes falls short of the best friend mark. Maybe we're even one of those people! Green not only develops his characters well, the plot surrounding them is plausible. They all do things that they would be expected to do. Green's writing flows smoothly and evenly, even if the pacing becomes a little slow in the middle of the book. If that is not enough to make you pick up the book, the author interweaves Whitman's Song of Myself throughout the book in a deft and satisfying way.

The only reason this book isn't 5/5 stars is the small problem with pacing and my hesitation as to whether or not this is the sort of book I would read over and over. I suppose only time will tell.

JHunt: 2/11 finished
Next Up: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau by E. Lockhart
Currently Reading: Don't Bet on the Prince. ed. by Jack Zipes, two versions of the Nutcracker, and soon, Beedle the Bard.