Breaking all Moulds

No, I haven’t read Fault In Our Stars, and this is the first John Green Book I have ever read. So how do I feel about Paper Towns? Read on to find out.

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PLOT: I guess the story comes across differently to different people. Simply put the story is about Quentin and Margo and takes a peek into a few months of their lives. The story is also about living your life the way you want to live it and not conforming to rules.  The story is about losing yourself in something and finding yourself again. The story is about whatever you want it to be.

CHARACTERS: Quentin is the quirky nerdy guy, who has been in love with Margo forever, and Ben and Radar, are his best friends with little quirks of their own. The three of them make for a set of friends who you fall instantly in love with. Margo Roth Spiegelman is the girl Q loves from afar, his neighbour, part of it crowd in school and the biggest enigma. And all these characters come together to make the biggest journey of self-discovery and learning of their lives.

WHAT I LIKED:  John Green says his books belong to the readers. And this one sure does. What you draw from the book depends on the person reading it. The metaphors are brilliant. As a reader, you can read as deeply into the book as you want. And that is the best part about the book. When the image that Q has about Margo is shattered and he is forced to re-learn about her, in effect he is relearning about himself. As a reader, you can also take the journey and enjoy the new information you learn about yourself.

The characters and the breaking of certain stereotypes, the interactions between them, the very few clichés and a journey that everyone takes all make for an amazing story.

FINAL VERDICT:  It is a book that has something for everyone, and somehow transcends genres.  There is something for everyone, YA readers, readers who want to find meaning in the story, and John Green Fans for obvious reasons.  This is one book that should be on every reader’s to-be-read list. Life is put forth in the simplicity of language and story.

The book has been given to me for review by Bloomsbury. No payment was taken, and my opinions are honest and unbiased.