Paper Towns - Book Review

Green, J. (2008). Paper towns. NY: Penguin Group

Quentin Jacobsen lives next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman, a beautiful and adventurous friend.  The two are just 9 years old and out riding their bikes together when they discover a dead body of a grown man.  Quentin is frighten and reacts how one would expect to react, but Margo is intrigued and wants to know more about this person they found.  Her discoveries lead to a common theme in the story surrounding “strings”, his strings just broke.  This experience is one Q will remember for a lifetime.  Fast forward to now senior year.  Told from the perspective of Q, he and Margo are still neighbors but have grown apart although Q is still very much attracted to Margo.  The two end up on a random night of adventure after Margo shows up at Q’s window one evening, like old times, and requests he accompany her on her mission.  Q reluctantly accepts the invitation and is taken on a well-planned and detailed night of revenge and excitement.  The two spray paint homes and cars, hide raw fish on property, remove a boy’s eyebrow, and even sneak into Sea World.  Q is bound for college and a rule follower, but his night of adventure was thrilling.  The high of being on a mission with his crush carries him to the next day.  But something is not right.  Q realizes Margo did not show up to school or the days after.  Because Margo has disappeared many times before, no one seems to worry at first, but Q has a feeling this time is different.  He is worried for the worst and is suspicious Margo has disappeared to kill herself.  Margo has also had the reputation of leaving clues behind for her parents to discover where she is.  This time, she left a clue for Q, and he is not taking it lightly.  Bouncing from clue to clue, Q uses the help of his friends to find Margo before it is too late. 

I was disappointed with the ending of this novel.  The protagonist finding clue and after clue built so much suspense to a high climatic ending that ended with Margo not even really leaving very many clues to begin with, her actually not wanting Q to find her, and his rush to save her from herself was not necessary because that was not her plan all along.  I found myself cheering for Q and being drawn in by his sense of humor and self-image. 

John Green is a decorated author with winning the award of the Michael L. Printz Award two years in a row with “Looking For Alaska” and “An Abundance of Katherines” for literary excellence in young adult literature.  You can find his novels on this site for further reading:  http://www.johngreenbooks.com/books