Paper Towns

Images courtesy of Penguin Young Readers Group

Paper Towns
by John Green
320 pages
YA Fiction
Dutton Books Publishing

Margo Roth Spiegelmen is the average hip girl at school who seemingly has all that she wants and then some, she has the cool friends, the designer jeans and a boyfriend. Late at night, a couple of months before prom and graduation of her senior year she barges into Quintin Jacobsen's life begging him to do some pranks together (probably because he has access to a car). He is the opposite of cool, he hangs out with geeks, is cautious and is bullied. He has loved her for years and any time spent in her company is a dream. He agrees, they go, it is fun and the Paper Towns goes on from there.

Filled with high school-esk relationships and issues, from parties to prom, this book is deeper than one would expect from the initial chapters. Yes, it still is about high schoolers, but the themes are deeper and more intense than other feel good YA books. I can't quite nail down why but I really didn't like it as much as I was hoping. I liked the beginning and the end chapters, there was a certain lul in the middle that almost made me give up the reading. I am glad I stuck it out because the nuggets are at the end, but it was a close call several times for me.

It was entertaining, but I just didn't come away feeling like it was that good. It was a Young Adult book that may be just that, designed so perfectly for Young Adults that the rest of us really should keep our noses out.

What did you think of Paper Towns? How did you like Margo?

60/100

If you want some Young Adult book recommendations, here are three of my favourites:

The Hunger Games
The Boy in Striped Pajamas
The Invention of Hugo Cabret

What did you think of Paper Towns? How did you like Margo?