Title: Turtles All the Way Down
Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
Pages: 285 Pages
Release Date: October 10, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★
“You’re both the fire and the water that extinguishes it. You’re the narrator, the protagonist, and the sidekick. You’re the storyteller and the story told. You are somebody’s something, but you are also your you.”
Goodreads Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.
In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.
My Review (SPOILER FREE!)
I have never felt so connected to a main character and just so understood before. I am so grateful to John Green for writing this incredible novel; exposing the demon that is OCD and how it effects myself and many others daily. I’m just at a loss for words, quite honestly. This was just such a perfect representation of mental illness and how it effects not only us but those around us.
This book just made me feel so understood. So, so understood. Being a fan of vlogbrothers, I know John also suffers from OCD and I’m very grateful he chose to write this novel about it. I cant imagine how hard it must have been. This book revealed the parts of myself I do everything to hide because they make me feel crazy. Aza is not crazy, John Green is not crazy, and neither am I. Endlessly grateful for this novel. If you struggle with OCD, this is a must read for sure.
Even if you don’t, please read this book. The plot is not incredible, and it’s not the murder mystery the synopsis makes it seem. It is just a real story with real characters. It shows a mentally ill girl who struggles with impulses and the reality of her thoughts and her being in general, her loud and comical best friend who just wants some attention, and a boy trying to be a boy but also having to hold the world on his shoulders.
I would say it’s definitely a book to read for the reality of it. It doesn’t have a blow-you-away plot, or an edge of your seat mystery, but it has a story. And honestly, that’s the point. The mystery is the backdrop and the mental illness isn’t the sub-plot for once. It tells the haunting tale of mental illness and how it devours everything. It is the forefront for a reason, so if you’re looking for a gripping plot, this simply is not a book for you. I still recommend it, since it’s simply a very educational novel and a first person account of mental illness.
Just a real story of real life struggles and just, real is all I can say. I have no words. Please read this book.
Thank you so much for reading my review! I really hope you enjoyed it and if you want to chat about this, feel free to comment!
Interested in this book? Here’s where you can find it!
Goodreads Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository
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