Turtles All the Way Down by John Green Published by Penguin on October 10, 2017
Pages: 304
Amazon-Indiebound
Goodreads
#1 bestselling author John Green returns with his first new novel since The Fault in Our Stars!
Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.
In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.
My Thoughts:
First things first, I read this book when it first came out and I loved it. But it’s taken me forever to get around to reviewing it for two main reasons:
- John Green’s books and videos and Nerdfighteria mean a lot to me. Like, they had a huge impact on my life. His books were some of the first I read when I really started reading YA. I read An Abundance of Katherines in September of 2008 an fell in love. I immediately checked out Looking for Alaska and went back and watched the Brotherhood 2.0 videos, and then the Vlogbrothers videos. Watching the videos John (and Hank!) posted really helped me to embrace the things I loved. To not be ashamed of my nerdery or fangirling or, as John said, being unironically enthusiastic about stuff. And they really helped me in dealing with my anxiety about social situations (more on that in point two.) I’ve been at conferences and events where both John and Hank have spoken. I always come away with a lot to think about. I really just appreciate John’s willingness to talk about the things that are important to him and to share his struggles. As I said, it has meant a lot to me. Which brings me to point two…
- I do not have OCD. Aza’s struggles are not mine. However, there were so many parts of her story that I related to so strongly. Especially when talking about anxiety in social situations. It has been a lot to process and to try and put into words. I knew I would probably fall short of what I wanted to say, so it was hard to start.
Okay. That intro is longer than most of my reviews. OH WELL! On to my thoughts about the book…
I really, really loved this book. Aza’s story grabbed my attention and didn’t let it go. I alternated reading this one on my kindle and listening to it on audio because I simply didn’t want to stop listening. I even listened to it as I mowed my yard! (Which, upon reflection, was not the best choice. People look at you funny when you’re laughing and crying while mowing!)
As I said before, I do not have OCD. The issues I deal with are different from those described in the book. Still, I could relate to so many of Aza’a thoughts and feelings about mental illness in general and, more specifically, how it affects relationships with other people. The depiction of and discussions surrounding mental illness in this book are so well done and important. I was so grateful to read it. I was even more grateful to know that it is there for teens who might be struggling with similar issues.
It’s hard for me to put my thoughts about Turtles All The Way Down by John Green into words. I’ll repeat what I’ve said multiple times about John Green’s books: It meant a lot to me.
Audiobook Notes: Kate Rudd, the narrator for this one, also did The Fault in Our Stars. I was a little leery that I would feel like Hazel was telling the story instead of Aza. I need not have worried. Rudd did an excellent job of giving Aza her own voice. Really well done audiobook. Listen to a clip here.
Bonus:
The Turtles All the Way Down tour came to Naperville. My amazing friend Jaimie made us incredible shirts for the event so I had to share photos:
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- Testing out the shirt!
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- Waiting in line to get in
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- THE BUS!!!
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- Photo op with cardboard cutouts 🙂
Ange
❤️