Publication Date: October 16, 2008Review: I'm a fan of John Green's books, so I had high expectations for this one. I'd heard that this book is one of his better ones, and I was very excited to read it.
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 305
Synopsis: 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 ingenious campaign of revenge--he follows.
After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an 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 of the girl he thought he knew.
I've noticed that all of John's protagonists are pretty similar (minus Hazel from TFioS). They have the same feel to them--not too popular, geeky in an endearing way, and pretty brainy. Quentin was no different. Although I did like Quentin's character for the most part, I found him rather obsessive over Margo. She was all he thought about, and I understand that the mystery surrounds her, but even Margo's friends weren't as invested as Quentin was. It's strange because after their childhood friendship, Margo and Quentin never even spoke to each other before the night she disappeared.
I think that I would've really loved this book if I liked Margo. However, I just didn't. I mean, I could see why a lot of people did. She did the things that no one dared to. She had spunk and a certain charisma. But for some reason, I just didn't connect with her character. She was difficult to understand. She ran away often and acted rashly. I think because she was such a secretive person, I had a hard time clicking with her.
Like all of John's books, this book is loaded with metaphors and humor. Honestly, this book had me laughing out loud in several parts, especially throughout the road trip. My goodness, Ben Starling (one of Quentin's friends) was just so hilarious.
John Green's signature intellectual writing style and subtle humor make Paper Towns a likable book. But it fell a little flat to my expectations.
3.5 keys.