A little anecdote before I start my not-a-book-review: When I first read the news that John Green has a new book, I was like, yeah, okay, cool. I loved The Fault in Our Stars and I enjoyed Paper Towns, so you can say that I am a fan of the author. But newly released books are always in the hard bound cover, it only means one thing: expensive! And to be honest, my budget for the moment did not include buying a new book.
Then I read that it talks about OCD, and I was solved! I knew I would read this one day because of that. I am a psychology major studying abnormal psych, so I need stories to truly appreciate these disorders.
I decided to buy the book (ha! 360 degree turn!) at the end of a chapter in my life. I had weekend classes in Batangas, and during my last class, I needed to buy something to mark the ending of a chapter and starting a new one. It was around the first half of October 2017.
During the Christmas break, I had nothing to do except to cook, eat, sleep, and watch youtube. I saw the book lying around in my room, and because I have not been reading any novel this year (and even the past years, mind you!), I challenged myself to finish it before the year ends. I knew it was an impossible challenge, but I still did it.
Like what you have read in the internet a countless times already, Turtles All The Way Down is about Aza, who struggles with her anxiety, Daisy, the best friend, who writes Star Wars fan fiction, and Davis, the son of a billionaire fugitive.
It is a love story, but the novel does not revolve around it. It talks about relationship in general: to your parents, siblings, friends. It talks about Aza’s struggles with anxiety, and I truly enjoyed it. Reading the DSM V and the Abnormal Psychology books tell you one thing, but this novel made me see and feel how hard it is to deal with those thoughts.
I just wished that I have read Star Wars so I could understand what actually it is whenever they talked about Chewbacca and Rey and whoever. It’s not actually necessary that you know Star Wars to enjoy the novel, but as for me, I would have appreciated it more those scenes. Note to self: go watch Star Wars!
I love the philosophical questions and conversations of the characters because it made me think as well. This is actually one of the reasons why I like reading John Green books. I love how everyone is smart in their own way.
When the book ended, I felt hanging. As always with John Green books. It makes me want to know more about their lives. But sadly, it ends.
Aza. Not Ava. Pardon me.
