Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Paper Towns

Paper Towns
Paper Towns
Author: John Green
Genres: Children's Books, Teen & Young Adult
Book Type: Hardcover
skywriter319 avatar reviewed Stellar Love/Mystery/Adventure Story Redefines YA Lit on + 784 more book reviews


The brilliant John Green's third novel starts off quietly, then builds to a roaring finish that sets a new bar for all young adult literature.

After years of running in different social spheres, towards the end of senior year, Quentin Jacobsen's childhood friend, next-door neighbor, and unrequited love, the beautiful and eccentric Margo Roth Spiegelman, enlists him to help her in what becomes the wildest night of his life. However, just when he thinks he and Margo are on track to be friends--and maybe something more--again, she disappears, leaving some clues behind for him to wonder about.

Quentin is convinced that following and figuring out the clues will lead him and his friends to Margo. What happens next, then, is an epic, unforgettable journey of self-discovery, humanity, adolescence, friendship, and love.

What could be a typical detective plot is brought alive at the hands of the witty and talented John Green, but this book is so much more than a simple mystery: you'll want to read it again and again to discover all the philosophy, themes, and lessons Green has packed into this novel, as well as to laugh again at the many hilarious moments. I thought that LOOKING FOR ALASKA couldn't be topped, but I am proved wrong. With PAPER TOWNS, John Green establishes himself as the premier young adult author, one to which every other person will be compared to.