Thursday, October 2, 2008

Paper Towns by John Green <3

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 an ingernious campaign of revenge-he follows.
After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always and 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.
(summary from jacket flap)

After being able to purchase a copy of Paper Towns early when I went to see John Green when he came to my city, I immediately put down everything that I was doing and read. How could I do anything else? Not only was I uber excited that I got to read the next book by the marvelous John Green early, but I had already read a lot of reviews of the book, all of them giving Paper Towns the highest praise. And let me tell you, every single drop of that praise was well-deserved. The book is the kind that will hook you from the first page with its flowing, snarky, and detailed prose, and keep you reading until the very last letter because not only is it witty and captivating, it is meaningful and oozes with intelligence and realism. Margo and Quentin are characters you can completely picture in your mind. They act like teens do, without thought or consideration, which only adds to the story. When I heard John Green speak, he said that he writes for teens because he cares about them more, and you can really sense that while you're reading. He put thought, effort, and a lot of planning into this book and it all pays off when it forces you to think about how you perceive the people and world around you. I love the fact that the book has two covers; the gloomy one and the cheery one, because it illustrates how a person can be misinterpreted and thought of in a way that they're not. And the title Paper Towns is woven into the story thoroughly, as a main theme of the book. Margo and Quentin's musings and thoughts on existence and life really made me think over my relationships and how I look at and interact with my family and friends. I loved this book so much. It made me laugh out loud multiple times but also made me stop and take a second out of my busy life to think about some pretty basic things that had never even entered my mind before. If that's not an example of a remarkable book, then I don't know what is. When Paper Towns is released on October 16th all of you who haven't had the privilege to read it yet need to head, no run, to your local bookstore and pick up a copy. It's a must. 

7 comments:

  1. THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING I LOVED IT AHHHHH JOHN GREEN IS AMAZING. /fangirling.

    Seriously though, the book was amazing. I agree with your whole review.

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  2. I want to buy it... but I really dislike hardcovers. I do have a question though, which cover did you buy? :D

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  3. I bought the happy looking cover because the sad one looked really depressing. I know that they're both the same book inside, but I'd rather my book look optimistic and inviting. :P

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  4. I definitely agree with you. That would/will be my pick too!

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  5. You are soooo lucky to have seen John Green!! I am starting on Paper Towns this week - YAY!

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  6. Soo awesome! John Green is amazing! And I'm so jealous that you got to meet him! :)

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  7. Liv -- I just got the Australian paperback of Paper Towns and the last line of your review is in the reviews bit at the start of the book... seriously it goes:

    "Run, to your local bookstore and pick up a copy. It's a must." - Liv's Book Reviews

    Did you know about this???

    You're awesome.

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Pour your heart out. :)