Review: Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns

Author: John Green

Publication Date: October 16th, 2008

Publisher: Dutton Juvenille

Genre: YA/Contemporary

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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 Q gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew.(!

My Thoughts: This is the third book I have read by John Green and if there is one thing I've noticed it's this: John Green has quite a knack for writing about unique, mysterious, quirky, bold, refreshingly weird and witty females. The other two books I read being The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska. I can't be the only one who sees similarities in character here hah. But I am not complaining! As I said before, he is really great at it. I am endlessly entertained by these female enigma's. Margo Roth Speigelman just may have been the one to rival all her predecessors.

Quentin and Margo used to play together as kids, but once they hit middle/high school they went their separate ways, although Margo always  a phantom of sorts in Quentin's mind. He seemed to have  a lot of thoughts that led back to her or memories they shared. Margo grew to become this wild child with ceaseless crazy stories and a force to be reckoned with. Quentin became one of the unpopular, less socially accepted kids, hence why their paths kind of stopped crossing.

Just before Margo goes on one of her disappearing escapades she takes Quentin on an all night adventure that consisted of crazy antics, daring adventures, and interesting sight-seeing. It was a night that changed Quentin's life. It opened doors for him as well as his eyes. He came to realize how much he still cared for Margo and how the world and life could be so different from the way he had been living and experiencing it up until now. By the time a new day breaks Quentin is a man re-born and re-energized, only to discover that Margo has up and flew the coop.

Quentin takes it upon himself to find her, following these ambiguous clues Margo left behind for him. All the while he is discovering all the sides to her he never knew existed and also finding that one person can be so very many different people when you are looking at them from someone else's point of view. Sounds complicated I know but it definitely makes sense when you read it.

Green has a gift for creating these layered characters, and for giving us a great window into raw human emotion as well as personal growth and change. I've really enjoyed reading his work and he's helped me find a new liking to contemporary novels. I would definitely recommend this book. It's a fairly easy read and is  kind of a small book. So if you are looking for some Contemporary with great characters, not to mention totally unique,  I think this and his other books I mentioned before are a great place to start :)

Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Looking for Alaska

Author: John Green

Publication Date: December 28th, 2006

Publisher: Speak

Genre: YA/Contemporary

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Synopsis:

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. After. Nothing is ever the same.

My Thoughts: This book surprised me emotionally. I went into this completely unprepared for what I was about to experience. I honestly expected another heart torn romance. An unrequited love, a life changing romance. And while it is kind of those things it is also so much more.

This book dares to go there. It dares to take you to the darker places. I feel like it lays so much bare, almost so that you feel exposed. While that may sound confusing, maybe you'll understand once you read it, or if you have read it already. The window we get into these young people's mind is just so clear, so honest and real, and it holds nothing back.

It's  another story about coming of age, about finding real friends, and the real you. We get to go on the journey with a group of teenagers who we might call misfits. They are the branches off the norm, the eccentric. But they boldly accept their titles and wear them with pride. While I felt like they were so much more grown up than I was at their age, I think it comes with what they've experienced and also with being at a boarding school. This made it a little bit harder for me to develop a connection with the characters, but the story was riveting nonetheless.

At the end we are still left with some questions, but the answers seem unattainable as we know from reading the story. It's as if we are suffering along with the characters. In their goal to find the answers no matter what the cost. And again in their acceptance that in the end, not everything is meant to be known and we just have to take what we get and make the best of it.

It's a really great story that I would recommend to just about anyone and it definitely earned it's place among the top 100 YA list.

Owl Recommend (15)

Owl Recommend is a feature at Owl Read It where we try to help you find your next great read :).

I read these two books pretty close together and as far as Contemporary goes I'd probably say they are some of my favorites. They both capture the angst and struggle of being a teen and finding your place in the world pretty perfectly. And although they are alike in many ways, they are also very different. But I'm sure you'll enjoy both if you give them a try :)

Teaser Tuesday (42)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by  MizB at Should Be Reading

To Participate you:

-Grab your current read

-Open to a random page

-Share two 'teaser' sentences from somewhere on that page

-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS

This week's teaser comes from: 

Looking for Alaska

Author: John Green

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Teaser:

"And now is as good a time as any to say that she was beautiful. In the dark beside me, she smelled of sweat and sunshine and vanilla, and on that thin-mooned night I could see little more than her silhouette except for when he smoked, when the burning cherry of the cigarette washed her face in pale red light. But even in the dark I could see her eyes - fierce emeralds.

My Thoughts:  I've heard so many good things about this book! It's on a list of top 100 YA books that I am attempting to tackle. Even though I'm only a few pages in, I'm enjoying it already :).

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Publication Date: January 10th, 2012

Publisher: Dutton Books

Genre: YA/Romance/Contemporary

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Synopsis:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

My Thoughts: This was the second book in a row for me from the same genre and same kind of theme. Although they were definitely strikingly different, they carry the same theme and idea.  I think after reading this and Wake by Abria Mattina that I will need to read something very light hearted!

So the story is about a terminally ill young girl who meets another cancer affected young man and they fall in love, despite the fact they know it can't last for long. What a hard decision that would be to make, and I could definitely sympathize with Hazel's reluctance to enter a relationship, knowing that soon you will have to leave that person behind. But then again, you would think you might want to embrace and experience what we can while we have the chance. It's pretty hard to imagine yourself in her shoes, but I guess that's what books like this are for. To give us a viewing window into the struggles and decisions and thoughts that come to you when you know that your life is about to be cut short.

While I did really enjoy this story, it didn't completely grab me. Everything seemed kind of anti-climactic or something. Their relationship was adorable and charming, but I couldn't really feel the attraction or the connection. When terrible things occur, which I can't really go into details about, they are definitely sad and heart breaking. But again, I just felt kind of distanced from the events. They didn't really affect my own emotions. Maybe I just didn't develop a connection with the characters, but that's the way it felt to me. Like all the ingredients were there, it just wasn't coming out like I expected.

That being said, I did still really enjoy the story and I would more than likely recommend it. It was a good and quick and easy read. I think it's good for us to read something that involves real life struggles every now and then. Instead of which vampire is hotter or what kind of animal I might shape shift into.  It was grounding and heart felt and I am glad I read it.

The whole thing was very deep, and the main characters Augustus and Hazel were so very intelligent and witty, poetic and quirky. I usually tend to love characters like that in stories, cause I can definitely relate to quirkiness.  But again here, it just wasn't happening for me. Plus the ending threw me off a bit. I suppose I know what it felt like for Hazel when she couldn't find out all the details in the ending to her favorite book, it was pretty ironic in that sense, but it still bothered me.

But if you are into contemporary and real life struggles and hardship, not to mention tear jerkers, this is definitely a book for you! I think I just went into it expecting to like it a lot more, I put the bar to high going in maybe. But owell, still a great read, and yes I think you should read it to :).

Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Author: John Green & David Levithan

Publication Date: April 6th, 2010

Publisher: Dutton Children's

Genre: Realistic Fiction

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Synopsis:

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

My Thoughts: Will Grayson, Will Grayson was a quick, fun read. I haven't read any thing by David Levithan before, so this was a nice little peak into his writing for me. I have read and loved John Green before though! I really enjoyed this book. I seem to really be getting into realistic fiction, I guess I just like how some stories can be true. I actually had the same name as my sister in law for awhile, obviously I married into it, but it was kinda cool for a bit. 

The story revolves around the two Will Graysons, both of whom seem to have a lot of issues. One is depressed and hasn't come out (he's gay), the other has two rules he lives by: 1. No caring about anyone/thing. 2. Shut up. So they are both interesting characters and the authors make them come alive. They both have a lot of learning they have to go through throughout the book, but they get there. Things seem to be a bit better for both in the end.

I won't lie, I shed a few tears while reading. I just connected with the Will Graysons so well. Both of them are quite different from each other, but they both do have some issues in their lives. I love how much things change after their meeting for them. Also, the last scene of the book was just so awesome. I would read it again just for that. I love how everyone comes together for it.  

I have to say that I really enjoyed the writing style of these two authors and will for sure be reading more of their works. Having two great authors come together to create something awesome is always good. Overall, this is definitely a book you should check out if you like realistic fiction. Definitely going to be recommending this one.

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Publication Date: January 10th, 2012

Publisher: Dutton Books

Genre: Realistic Fiction

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Synopsis:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

My Thoughts: John Green is a literary genius. I had never read one of his books before, but I will definitely be adding more  to my TBR list, which is growing faster than it goes down. The Fault in Our Stars is heart wrenching. I had to keep stopping because I was starting to cry and couldn't continue reading.