Paper Towns by John Green (Novel)

I’ve wanted to read something by Mr. Green for a while now since he’s become so popular among young adult readership. This book intrigued me right from the first chapter so it’s the one I picked out. It’s certainly an entertaining book and I liked the main character, Quentin or Q to his friends. His friends are also quite a group of zany youths, reminding me of those days hanging out with my high school friends during my senior year. I can see the appeal to Mr. Green. As a mystery, for this is a mystery, it’s well-crafted. Quentin has been in love with the girl next door ever since he was in grade school. Margo Roth Spiegelman is the kind of girl anyone would find fascinating. She’s rebellious, popular and a complete mystery. Then after a night of revengeful pranks with Quentin as her escort she disappears and Quentin spends the rest of his senior year trying to find how where she went. The plot’s pretty good, with some clever clues and historical quirks, but I wouldn’t necessarily say the end result is as satisfying as I had hoped. I’d still recommend it, especially if you like these kind of young adult storylines. For me I just wanted those last few chapters to really uplift me and take me somewhere. Quentin’s coming-of-age journey is rewarding to him; I just wish Green could have transported me to the same emotional awareness his main character seemed to reach. Grade: B+