Book: Turtles All The Way Down
Author: John Green
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Rating: 4
Get it on: BookChor or Amazon
Story
As she squirms in the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts, sixteen-year-old Aza is struggling to be a good daughter, a good student and most importantly, a good friend. As news gets around of the fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, Aza’s best friend, Daisy, persuades her to join her to solve the mystery; after all, there is a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake.
As an old friendship rekindles between Aza and Pickett’s son, Davis, she finds herself treading uncertain territories. Her illness has got her believing that she has no control over anything that happens in her life. Her OCD is not letting her lead a normal life, to be a carefree teenager. Being carefree is probably the last thing she can afford, and it is taking a toll on everyone around her. How will she go on with her life? How will she survive?
What I loved
First things first, let me tell you about the protagonist. Aza is portrayed in such a manner that anyone reading the book could easily identify with her, from the very first page. Be it her constant feeling of just being “somebody’s something”, or her perpetual fear of the microbes lurking inside her, the author has done a brilliant job in putting into words what being Aza is like; what having a mental illness could do to you.
True terror isn’t being scared; it’s not having a choice in the matter.
I instantly fell in love with the character of Daisy; she is the kind of best friend that everyone wishes to have. Witty, caring, the I-will-be-there-for-you-no-matter-what kind of person, who is probably the main reason that Aza was surviving. I was really touched by how, in spite of what it takes to be there for Aza, in spite of not having the remotest clue as to what Aza’s world is like, Daisy is a constant support system.
I am such a billionaire without the billions, Holsmey. I have the soul of a private jet owner, and the life of a public transportation rider.
What impressed me the most is how Green hasn’t sugar-coated her condition- whether you like it or not, having a friend/girlfriend/daughter struggling with mental illness is no piece of cake. Mental illness takes a toll on the people close to the person, as much as it does on the person themselves, and Green made a point to address this as well.
There is no way that I can move on without telling how much I loved the title of the book. There aren’t a lot of books whose titles don’t make sense unless you read the whole book, and I have a soft corner for such books ( like The God Of Small Things ). I just love how the title unravels itself to you ever slowly, and once it’s laid bare, you cannot stop marvelling at the sheer brilliance with which the author has carved the title.
What didn’t work for me
I am not sure exactly what, but I wish the book had given me something more; it felt like something was missing. Other than this teenie point, I couldn’t find anything I did not like about the book.
Conclusion
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green tells a story of love, friendship, the struggles of dealing with mental illness, and most importantly, the value of relationships. For me, TATWD was more a book about the importance of having people around that will try to understand, even if cannot understand completely, the demons you are dealing with and be there for you 24*7; and I absolutely loved the book for this reason. I have had my share of depression, even though it wasn’t even a fraction as worse as what Aza was going through, and for the very same reason, I know what it feels like to be left alone with your own tormenting thoughts that consume you from the inside.
Like a lot of people, I was hesitant to pick up this new novel by Green cause of how most of his works are alike, which renders it boring after reading two books. And what finally convinced me to pick it up was when Bill Gates said he loved the book. Yes, TATWD is very much John Green-ish, but it is also very different. It is the kind of book that is unputdownable, and once you are done, you slowly close it and go “mhmmmm”. It makes you swear out loud, flinch a bit or a shed a tear, depending on what this book means to you, and no matter what, stays with you long after you are done with it. The book is so relatable cause you are either Aza or you know someone like her, and hence I really urge you to pick it up; especially if you love YA books.
Rating
Story – 4/5
Characters-4.5/5
Writing-4/5
Overall-4/5
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