My rating:

add to my books

more photos (2)

Paper Towns

by John Green

4.16 · rating details · 24,599 ratings · 3,217 reviews

When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night - dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows her. Margo's always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she's always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Alw...more

Hardcover, 305 pages

Published October 16th 2008 by Dutton Juvenile

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

2009 Printz Contenders

2nd out of 49 books — 1,312 voters

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Best Young Adult Books

153rd out of 4,982 books — 21,930 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 41,744)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Feb 07, 2012

Meg ♥ rated it

Shelves: e-books, z-2011-reads, favs

This book truly had me on an emotional roller coaster, and I enjoyed almost every minute of it.

The book was broken into 3 parts, and I honestly felt completely different about each of them.

Part 1:

The first part of this book was brilliant. It was a lovely introduction to the characters, and their life as high school seniors. It has had a flashback which was a fun scene.

The whole part with Q and Margo out at night was amazing. It was suspenseful and ...more

like 21 likes

· see review

Nov 12, 2011

karen rated it

Shelves: pretty-girls-make-graves, why-yes-i-ya

beatlemania is nothing compared to what i feel for john green right now.

this book was the perfect palate-cleanser between all the dark apocalyptic stuff i have been shoving in my face. i have been reading so much dystopian YA that i forgot there were other options. i bought this ages ago, because i read looking for alaska, and everyone was giving this one high marks, but i kept passing it up in favor of "kids whose school is trying to eat them" and "kids vs. bears"...morebeatlemania is nothing compared to what i feel for john green right now.

this book was the perfect palate-cleanser between all the dark apocalyptic stuff i have been shoving in my face. i have been reading so much dystopian YA that i forgot there were other options. i bought this ages ago, because i read looking for alaska, and everyone was giving this one high marks, but i kept passing it up in favor of "kids whose school is trying to eat them" and "kids vs. bears" and "kids in a world without cheese" which is the scariest dystopia i can imagine right now, but i forgot just how scary real life can be. and john green reminded me. and obviously, this isn't a horror novel, but i was reading this with so much apprehension, heading towards an uncertain ending, genuinely concerned for the characters.

(view spoiler)

i liked this even better than looking for alaska. in that book, i really liked the characters, but they did feel like characters. this feels like i am just observing real people, following actual kids around (which i would never do, officer) but they sound authentic. i thought looking for alaska was great, but those kids were a little too smarty-pants for me, while this book just sounds like actual smart kids talking. and it is funny and sad and intelligent and oh just so good. that scene with r. and the c.f. t-s?? i laughed so loudly, i startled myself. i just could not stop giggling. (fortunately not on the subway for that one)

a lot of the YA stuff i read is like "what if kids were hyper-articulate and possessed of amazing insight and inner resources and also super fighting skills?" but this one reminded me of what it was actually like to be youthful (ahhh....) even grown folks who refuse to dip into YA would enjoy this, i suspect. he is my perfect storyteller. he does his job, he takes you on a journey, and the characters actually grow as people and every character has a distinct voice, and there is dramatic tension. he is a writer. not an "author," but a true writer. some YA, even in books i like, falls into traps: they talk down to the audience, they gloss over certain things, clearly hoping the audience won't notice, they fail to provide appropriate details so the world becomes raggedy... and while it is easier, i'm sure, to operate in a real-world setting, rather than a world of your own making, john green does not take any shortcuts. there is a density to his writing that is truly impressive in a book that is not a slow-paced slog.

will i return to the YA dystopia? duh, obviously - i have like 30 of them here i have been dying to get into. but i know that when i need a break, i can return to john green and be guaranteed a well-wrought and thoughtful story that manages to actually have useful life lessons without coming across as teachy-preachy. and lord knows i still have a lot to learn.(less)

like 65 likes

· see review

Jun 03, 2008

Jamie Felton rated it

Shelves: favorites

I need to start off with my criticism of John Green:
1) Margo and Quentin are exactly the same people as Colin and Katherine and Miles and Alaska. Quentin/Colin/Miles is this very thoughtful, somewhat nerdy young man who is on the cusp of fucking reaching out and grabbing life by the balls however he can. He is also enamored with Margo/Alaska/Katherine, a girl who is unattainable. She is unpredictable and full of a shimmering charm; she fades oasis-style the closer and closer you try to get...moreI need to start off with my criticism of John Green:
1) Margo and Quentin are exactly the same people as Colin and Katherine and Miles and Alaska. Quentin/Colin/Miles is this very thoughtful, somewhat nerdy young man who is on the cusp of fucking reaching out and grabbing life by the balls however he can. He is also enamored with Margo/Alaska/Katherine, a girl who is unattainable. She is unpredictable and full of a shimmering charm; she fades oasis-style the closer and closer you try to get. In addition, she feels too much and is never really seen for who she is (but rather, for who everyone wants her to be). Having said this, I am in love with Quentin/Colin/Miles, and Margo/Alaska/Katherine is the girl I want to meet/aspire to someday be so I can't be too critical. Green knows these people and has lit them from inside with realism and dimension.
2) There were moments (albeit far fewer than in his previous books) where I felt like...okay, this is maybe a teensy bit contrived. A little bit too perfectly quirky. I cannot totally relate or believe in a guy who has invented a mathematical formula calculating the probability that the next Katherine he dates will dump him. I think it's a creative premise that makes me want to read the book and is extremely well-executed, but if I don't believe in someone, I'm not going to fully feel for them or understand them. This prevents me from enjoying the book as much as I do Margaret Atwood, etc. Maybe this doesn't bother anyone else, but it bothers me, and I just can't put the guy up on a pedestal.
However, however, I fucking loved this book. And I'm not going to summarize it. It was practically perfect and ridiculously engrossing and extremely fascinating (so much so that my adverb use has increased exponentially). If I even tried to give a synopsis, it would trivialize it too much. Green uses Leaves of Grass in a way that made me want to re-read it (after having suffered through it in high school) and potentially graffiti it all over the United States because: we. have. it. so. wrong. here. (I love Green's use of periods). Part of why I loved it is for selfish reasons. Margo's struggles are my own, and her hates are my hates. In Quentin deciphering Margo, it helped me realize a lot of things about myself; this is something that would be valuable to anyone who needs to become the wounded man. (less)

like 110 likes

· see review

Aug 03, 2011

Louize rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Louize by: Filipinos discussion read

"It's so hard to leave-until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world...Leaving feels too good, once you leave."

We all leave eventually. No matter who and what we are, or where we’re from, we will someday and somehow leave our comfort zones or the norm of our lives to find ourselves a place in this world. Some people take their time into actually doing it. They spent much time planning and scheming on how they should gloriously plow into life. T...more

like 21 likes

· see review

Jun 19, 2008

Meghan rated it

Shelves: ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was completely wrong about this book, but up until the last twenty pages I thought I was totally right.

Wait, let me explain, okay.

It's true, you've read this John Green book before. It does seem sometimes that he's created a couple of archetypal characters and he's spent three books flipping them. Yes: there is the girl who is breathtakingly wonderful in all the right places, but not perfect, but still in a way, perfect. And yes: there is the boy who is nerdy, alterna...moreI was completely wrong about this book, but up until the last twenty pages I thought I was totally right.

Wait, let me explain, okay.

It's true, you've read this John Green book before. It does seem sometimes that he's created a couple of archetypal characters and he's spent three books flipping them. Yes: there is the girl who is breathtakingly wonderful in all the right places, but not perfect, but still in a way, perfect. And yes: there is the boy who is nerdy, alternative but not above the typical problems, desperately in love with the aforementioned girl, and with women in general. John Green you did it, you are the Joss Whedon of YA. I will make you a paper hat someday.

Quentin Jacobson and Margo Roth Spiegelman, though, they are the best version of these archetypes yet. I mean, flat out, this is the first time I think that John Green has actualized his favorite thing. He did it. I may have been annoyed at first because YES this is his well-trod ground, but. He got to the heart of the issue, the issue being that those boys that are so in love with those girls that they put those girls on pedestals? Those boys in some way are just as mistaken as your everyday sexist pigs. They're not doing it on purpose but they are still doing it, still making glass figurines out of real people. Even the naming of The Girl, the three names? Margo. Roth. Spiegelman. I should have known right away, because John Green is so smart that he knows a strong triple name like that is TOO much, it's too fine a point. But he did it on purpose. He wanted it to sound like a prayer so ridiculous it would take blind boyish love to look through it. Watching Quentin learn this was actually thrilling.

Margo Roth Spiegelman, the real character and not the vision, appears in just two sections of the book, but her second appearance would get my full five stars. Up until the last few chapters I was ready to write this off as strong but ultimately disappointing--a great road trip book but hammering home the same old themes. But that last bit--it's all truthful and hopeful and somehow manages to satisfy both the cranky social critic in me and the bleeding heart romantic of me.

Paper Towns is rich in all the other things that make J.G. such a fun writer--it's funny, it has a wonderful supporting cast, it's briskly paced, and it's loaded with casually brilliant observations. Nerdfighters globally will be psyched to see familiar vlogbrothers elements--scavenger hunts, wikis. It's a fun book. You will enjoy reading it. If you pick only one J.G. book, make it this one: it's the real deal, the big winner, all the marbles and all the marvels, too. Onward and upward, I hope.(less)

like 37 likes

· see review

May 02, 2011

K.D. rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to K.D. by: Ace

Shelves: borrowed, ya

“Mirroring” is a concept in psychology where a person can know himself better by soliciting feedbacks from other people who he interacts with either at home or at work. Last weekend, I attended a company-sponsored teambuilding session and the facilitator used this. I got some good feedbacks that confirmed what I already knew but also some revelations. Those included in the so-called “blindspots” quadrant.

In this novel Paper Towns, John Green indirectly used Margo Roth Spiegelman for ...more“Mirroring” is a concept in psychology where a person can know himself better by soliciting feedbacks from other people who he interacts with either at home or at work. Last weekend, I attended a company-sponsored teambuilding session and the facilitator used this. I got some good feedbacks that confirmed what I already knew but also some revelations. Those included in the so-called “blindspots” quadrant.

In this novel Paper Towns, John Green indirectly used Margo Roth Spiegelman for Quentine Jacobsen or simply Q to understand love and life and to know himself better as a person, as a man. Not by giving him direct feedbacks but by making him experience the things that he would not have dared doing. Who would have dared driving your parents’ car in the middle of the night, pushing it with your friend few meters away from the house so as not to awake them with the sound of the engine? Then going to the houses of the people who wronged your friend just to avenge? Then your friend disappeared, with no intention of returning and not wanting to be found, the following day? Leaving a note after a hug and a kiss: “I. Will. Miss. Hanging. Out. With. You.” That was after leaving catfishes in the underwear drawer of a friend ha ha. Who would have thought of having this plot in the first place?

What makes this novel engaging is the prose: it is downright sincere and true to its voice: youngish, quirky, innocent yet full of life lessons. Green does not push down his philosophy on growing up down your throat. He lets you enjoy his story and life realizations just naturally follow. I am sure that Green’s idiosyncrasies must have been reflected somehow by his many male characters: Q, Radar and Ben but Margo permeates in each page of this novel:

”Yes. The fundamental mistake I had always made — and that she had, in fairness, always led me to make — was this: Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl."

I applaud Green for creating a character like Margo that can rally boys to transform themselves into men without disregard to the pains of growing up. After all, we all went through those pains – not having a prom date, losing your first love, unrequited love, unknowingly pissing off some of our friends, etc – and we all learned from them. As we grow old, we tend to ridicule young people experiencing the same pains and call them trivial and proudly say something like you ain’t seen nothing yet! But for them, those are parts of their lives. That’s where we were. That’s where they are now.

Like Margo’s paper towns, we need to take care not to blow down the delicate houses and make them fall apart. And yes, even one of my blind spots has just been cleared by this novel.

I never thought that a middle-age man like me would still enjoy a YA book. Where were these books when I was growing up?
(less)

like 39 likes

· see review

May 04, 2011

Monique rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: bestsellers, fiction, young-adult, 2011

Before reading this book, I had absolutely no idea what a "paper town" is. I thought that it was just John Green's clever play of words on something in the book itself, and after reading how Margo Roth Spiegelman, one of the protagonists in the novel and the great love of our hero, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen's life, described their hometown of Orlando, Florida as a "paper town", I thought, that must be it. Then towards the end of the book, John Green, through Q's internet...more

like 17 likes

· see review

Sep 02, 2008

Rosianna rated it

Recommends it for: everyone.

Shelves: favourite-books, books-with-strong-female-characters

I could not ask for more out of a book.

Pre-order it so that you can get it as soon as possible, because I'm in love with this book, and it's not a fickle secondary school romance, I mean eternal book love that's set in stone in the Hoover Dam and will out-last catastrophe should all human beings die. John Green is incredible.

like 30 likes

· see review

May 08, 2011

Jo rated it

Shelves: ya, kindle, just-been-cutting-onions, boy-crush, blog, my-geek-sense-is-tingling, when-can-i-move-in, you-got-a-friend-in-me

Initial Final Page Thoughts.
Well, I wasn’t expecting THAT ending. In a good way. In a great way. In the best way possible.

High Point.
Elaborate revenge schemes in the dead of night, three best friends that anybody could ever have, black Santa’s, kick-ass parents, poetrypoetrypoetry, adventure, hilarious-do-not-read-in-public-for-fear-you-will-be-judged-for-barking-like-a-seal dialogue, Omnictionary (which, to my utmost delight, actually exists!)and perhaps the most importa...more

like 7 likes

· see review

Jul 13, 2008

KT rated it

Quentin Jacobsen has loved his neighbor Margo Roth Spiegelman his entire life. When they were kids, they played together. But as teens, they grew apart and ended up in different social circles: Margo as one of the cool kids, and Quentin as one of the smart boys whose nerdiness made him a social outcast. So he's surprised when Margo comes to his bedroom window a few weeks before high school graduation, just as she did when they were younger, and invites him along on one of her escapades. Because...more

like 14 likes

· see review

Feb 02, 2012

Stephanie rated it

Shelves: ya

Margo Roth Spiegelman wants revenge, and she enlists a reluctant Q to help.

Margo has ignored Q for years, because he’s a bit of a nerd and she is one of the popular ones. But before all of that, they were childhood pals and next door neighbors. On an outing in the early years, they discover something awful, which causes Margo to develop an interest in solving and creating mysteries. After that day Margo disappears from Q’s life, socially.

One day in high school Ma...more

like 16 likes

· see review

Jan 17, 2011

Ace rated it

This is my first time to read a John Green novel. My plan is to read first “Looking for Alaska” then will followed by his other two novels which is the “Paper Towns” and “An Abundance of Katherines”. But I doubted myself if that is the right book for me to read first to know John Green, and for that, I decided to ask my GR friends who read the books I mentioned, most of them voted for “Paper Towns” than “Looking for Alaska, for the reason(according to them) that it is much fun and is a light...moreThis is my first time to read a John Green novel. My plan is to read first “Looking for Alaska” then will followed by his other two novels which is the “Paper Towns” and “An Abundance of Katherines”. But I doubted myself if that is the right book for me to read first to know John Green, and for that, I decided to ask my GR friends who read the books I mentioned, most of them voted for “Paper Towns” than “Looking for Alaska, for the reason(according to them) that it is much fun and is a light read but is also a moving and compelling novel, and this is one of the favorite novels of my trusted friends in GR when it comes to YA novels, Aaron and Tina. And they are right…

There is something about the book that is I can’t explain when I’m reading it, and to say that the message of the story goes deeper in me until the end of the story which is I really can’t define, and that is why I loved the novel. It is the experience while reading it and not the story itself, which is not what I expected it to be…

There’s more contemplation when I reached the middle of the story and more realization when I finished the novel. It is just, it is really hard to explain how did I feel while I’m reading the book.

“Margo is not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl.” pp. 199

This line made an impact in me and made me realize that people around us expect us on what they want us to be, some of them will not appreciate us for who we are until we became of what they want us to be, which is way way wrong…

When I’m choosing my friends I see to it that I’ll let them know my flaws first before I’ll show them who really am, and for this, I saw who really my true friends are and whose just my “aquaintance “. I also do this because I believe that once they accept my flaws, then most probably, they will accept my perfection, which is true. I know that it is hard to please everybody, but is it really hard to understand somebody if they are not in your own league? ..

I love the way Green wrote this novel. I love how he narrate the story through the voice of Q or Quentin. I love Radar,Ben and the gang. And most of all, I love the road trip. One thing I’m not sure of is if I love Margo, but she made me undestood that it is not easy to be loved for who you are, though there will be people who will appreciate of who and what you are, but it is also your responsibility to say to them that:

“What a treacherous thing it is to believe a person is more than a person” pp. 282 ; and

“It’s always seemed so ridiculous to me, that you would want to be with someone just because they’re pretty. Like choosing breakfast cereal based on color instead of taste”

And the ending reminds me that it is OK to adjust for the environment you’re in, but if you allow them to make you what they want you to be, then nevertheless, you will loose yourself and will never be the same person you know you are again…(less)

like 7 likes

· see review

Dec 02, 2011

Alyssa rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Big Bang Theory meets I Love You, Beth Cooper. Take it or leave it.

Recommended to Alyssa by: Jo

Shelves: 2011-read, a-favourite-author, a-guy-of-ya, actually-funny, emotional, favorites, great-books, great-realistic-fiction, highly-anticipated, i-love-this-cover, mystery-suspense, really-excited-for, reccomended, ya-romance, ya-loved, surprised-me

I think the biggest mistake a person could make would be assuming that John Green, a man with a run-of-the-mill name, writes run-of-the-mill books. Not only are his words beautifully crafted and delicately chosen, but they also pack quite the impact and meaning. With a unique individual voice – in despite of how similar all of his characters are in comparison to another – Green’s works are refreshing reads amongst the midst of garbage being published nowadays.

The only work of Green’...more

like 6 likes

· see review

Sep 15, 2008

Judith rated it

Recommended to Judith by: The publisher

Shelves: youngadultfiction

I am liking every John Green book better than the last. I wasn't a huge fan of "Looking for Alaska" (I couldn't bring myself to care much for those over-privileged private school brats), I really liked "An Abundance of Katherines", and I loved "Paper Towns". I do very much like Green's exploration of adolescent friendship and romance, especially romance from afar.

This one is particularly interesting--and subtle--about high school cliques, image, and whet...more

like 7 likes

· see review

May 12, 2008

nicole j. wroblewski rated it

Recommends it for: Navah

Shelves: ya

It's hard to say much about the plot without giving away the ending, but I will say that I think that just about any story with this much build-up (and there was a lot) is sort of doomed to... not necessarily disappoint (I wasn't), but... fall a little short of the expectations set by the constant guessing and analyzing the story forces you to participate it. What ending would have been good enough? I can't think of one. But I think Quentin feels the same when he gets to the end. Which is a big ...moreIt's hard to say much about the plot without giving away the ending, but I will say that I think that just about any story with this much build-up (and there was a lot) is sort of doomed to... not necessarily disappoint (I wasn't), but... fall a little short of the expectations set by the constant guessing and analyzing the story forces you to participate it. What ending would have been good enough? I can't think of one. But I think Quentin feels the same when he gets to the end. Which is a big part of the novel, that Margo Roth Spiegelman isn't an icon, she isn't precious, she can't live up to everyone's expectations.

What kept me most interested in this book was the relationship between Quentin and his best friends, Radar and Ben. Green writes these guy relationships so well (that was also what I loved best about An Abundance of Katherines, the friendship... especially the best friend who was way more likable and fun to read than the main character himself). I also really like how he juxtaposes this dire QUEST alongside all the normal high school stuff, it makes the novel very real, and makes Quentin a normal, good guy, not some unbelievable action figure

And the first part of the book is just awesome and fun. I sort of wished that the whole novel could be like that... you know, just quick and fun and, uh... sort of mindless.

**spoiler**

Negatives: all of the Walt Whitman analysis is cool and everything (and would have really helped me out when I had to give that oral presentation in 11th grade), but definitely wears after a while. By the time Margo and Q are talking about it at the end, discussing and arguing the Meaning of things and Who they Are and all that, I just wanted them to shut up. Too much dialogue, man. Yes, you're both having great epiphanies, we get it. Shut up and kiss. That aspect of the novel felt very high school and a bit tiring. It wasn't terribly epic, but it may have seemed more Important and mind-blowing about ten years ago. That said, this IS a teen novel, so it's probably best that it's there. Or it's not problematic that is it, anyway.

Also, yeah, Margo kind of sucks... then again, this isn't really a book about HER. It's a book about people's idea of her. So we don't ever really know her, so we can't ever really like or dislike. But I'm still glad Ben, Radar, and Lucey bitch her out and left.(less)

like 8 likes

· see review

Jan 15, 2011

Nicole rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011

The following is quite a lot of dribble that I felt the need to get off my chest...
Hmmm...what to say? I'm kind of perplexed by this book. I know I never want to read the name Margo Roth Spielgelman ever again, that's for sure. The characters (apart from the previously named) were fantastic and very believable. The dialogue between the friends was great and funny as I have come to expect from John Green. The first quarter of the book was highly enjoyable and then it deteriorated for me. I ...more

like 16 likes

· see review

Jul 08, 2011

prettybooks rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: read-after-university

Paper Towns is my first John Green novel. I know, I know. I’m so late, but now I have the advantage of buying and reading almost all (I’ve preordered The Fault in Our Stars) of his books straight away, which I will do, because I’ve decided that he’s awesome. His books have been on my “to read” list for a while but I was a little apprehensive about picking them up. I worried that they would just be typical young adult realistic fiction novels that involve a lot of romance, break-ups and teen angs...morePaper Towns is my first John Green novel. I know, I know. I’m so late, but now I have the advantage of buying and reading almost all (I’ve preordered The Fault in Our Stars) of his books straight away, which I will do, because I’ve decided that he’s awesome. His books have been on my “to read” list for a while but I was a little apprehensive about picking them up. I worried that they would just be typical young adult realistic fiction novels that involve a lot of romance, break-ups and teen angst but Paper Towns isn’t like this at all - it’s so much more than that.

The mystery aspect of the novel was a complete surprise as I tend to avoid reading book descriptions properly. I did skim over the “…middle of the night—dressed like a ninja” part, which I thought sounded a little silly. I was wrong. If I were standing next to Q when Margo Roth Spiegelman happened to come by that night, I would have stared at her in awe. I’m not a rebellious person at all but Paper Towns really did bring out my rebellious side. I just wanted to have a spontaneous road trip and do something completely uncharacteristic that I’ll remember forever. That’s what I think makes a good novel. Paper Towns makes you want to do something and it makes you feel something.

The ‘paper towns’ concept, and how it was incorporated into the story in different ways, was fascinating. The characters are also unique and have clear personalities. It’s rare that I view characters as people and not just characters, not just a name, but in this novel I did. I particularly liked Quentin and the personal journey he undertakes in this book. Another favourite character was Ben (is it just me or does anyone else picture him as McLovin from Superbad? I could just imagine him talking about ‘honeybunnies’). He’s hilarious. I loved all of the characters though, really.

Overall, I really, really loved this book. I can see now why so many people quote John Green’s work. He definitely has a talent for writing “re-readable” books. It wouldn’t be enough just read his books once because it’s all about the messages and the metaphors more so than the basic storyline. At least, that's how I feel about Paper Towns. I have yet to see whether I feel the same about Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

If I had one small problem with the storyline, it’s that I didn’t like Margo at the end of the novel. I do, however, think that was the point. As many of the characters say: how we see people, and how we imagine them to be, isn’t necessarily who they really are.

There’s so many other things I could say about this book, but I will just say that, if you’ve not read any of John Green’s books, at least try them. You may be surprised.(less)

like 3 likes

· see review

Dec 26, 2010

Isamlq rated it

Shelves: favorites

From the way Quentin describes Margo Roth Spiegelman… I am half in love with her myself. NO. I mean, really. He waxes on and on about how awesome, about how perfect, about how all that she is. She likes mystery. She is a mystery. She likes adventure. She is adventurous. She’s totally out of the box. She’s intelligent but doesn't play on it as much as others would. She’s admired by a lot. Girls want to be her; boys want to… well, you get the picture.

After having grown apart, her su...more

like 9 likes

· see review

Sep 26, 2011

Colette rated it

Shelves: teenybopper, books-everyone-else-loves, first-world-problems

I'm sorry, but...what exactly is the point of this story?
As I was reading it I found myself wondering why I was even reading it. None of the characters interested me, and the plot didn't make sense either. I still don't understand why Q, the main character, would waste his time looking for a girl he hardly knows and who doesn't seem to care about him very much. I just found that weird and kind of irritating. And when I finished the book, I had absolutely no emotion, no desire to go back a...more

like 11 likes

· see review

May 18, 2010

Claudia rated it

Recommends it for: all YA fans

Recommended to Claudia by: Mark, Daniel, and Green himself at ALAN

Shelves: ya-books, sequoyah-2011, wishlist

Oh my! I love Green's intelligent characters...no booze fests...well, there is Ben's exploits at the after-prom party. Quentin is much like Pudge and Collin, Green's other narrators, but Q loves words and books and metaphors. I'm sorry he didn't read Moby Dick, but I just read that myself.

Q needs to come to terms with Margo however he can, ignoring her, worshipping her from afar, or chasing her up the east coast. He needs to. He thinks he's following clues she left for him, but that ...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Oct 15, 2008

Ellen rated it

I was disappointed in this book, especially since John Green is an author I've been meaning to read for some time now. He writes Young Adult novels (Looking for Alaska [wherein "Alaska" is a girl's name], An Abundance of Katherines, to name a couple) and is both a popular and critical success. This is the first of his books that I've read, and I wish now that I'd started with one of his earlier ones.

In a nutshell, this novel bored me. If I were a teenager (the novel's pr...more

like 21 likes

· see review

Aug 29, 2008

Chris rated it

To me, John Green is kind of like the Wes Anderson of YA fiction writers. His works have a certain kind of feel to them that distinguish them from the others. I like both of them because they both do a tremendous job of creating their own miniature little worlds with a distinctive look and feel, but at the same time, sometimes their works are just too similar and self-indulgent. To me, Paper Towns is so reminiscent of Looking For Alaska (albeit with certain important differences) that I'm afraid...more

like 10 likes

· see review

Nov 26, 2008

Anne rated it

Shelves: teen

I was pretty disappointed in Paper Towns. I am a big fan of John Green but found this book plodding and boring. I hated the Margo character and thought that Q was a big whiner. His obsession with Margo, who he didn't really even know, was really annoying. I realize that this was one of the messages of the book, that we all assign traits and "personalities" to people we hardly know, but it was still hard to take, page after page.

I still love John Green and his blog, s...more

like 16 likes

· see review

Nov 21, 2010

Emir rated it

· review of another edition

If I were to follow the Young Adult categorization of Paper Towns, I wouldn't be near the thing by a minimum of fifty shouting feet because 1.I'm not young; 2.I sure don't act like your usual adult some or most times; 3. I love to tease friends and some GR friends loved this book and gave it five stars and I didn't like to read it and I just wanted to give it one star if I do so they can plot how to kill me with hardcover John Green books. But Paper Towns actually tries to defy that: categoriza...more

like 10 likes

· see review

Jan 22, 2012

Kelly Leigh rated it

Recommended to Kelly by: Kyle

Shelves: contemporary-lit, young-adult

Awesome awesome book. For reals. I'm usually all about contemporary fantasy, all day every day, but if this book is any indication of how much fun John Green's books are (not referring to story, just the feeling that arose within moi), well, then, I'm gonna have to start cheating on ol' reliable fantasy and veer over into the company of contemporary-lit. I devoured Paper Towns in one sitting. I think maybe because it reminded me somewhat of My So Called Life and a smattering of all of my favorit...moreAwesome awesome book. For reals. I'm usually all about contemporary fantasy, all day every day, but if this book is any indication of how much fun John Green's books are (not referring to story, just the feeling that arose within moi), well, then, I'm gonna have to start cheating on ol' reliable fantasy and veer over into the company of contemporary-lit. I devoured Paper Towns in one sitting. I think maybe because it reminded me somewhat of My So Called Life and a smattering of all of my favorite John Hughes movies. I'm not sure, I think it's just the feel-good vibe that hummed through me while reading this book. Plain and simple. Two kids having an adventure over the course of a weekend, and come the next day everything goes back to normal. Will their relationship change? Will he/she notice the other as more than a friend?

Also, the fact that the story's location was Central Florida warmed the cockles of my heart. Maybe that made the reading experience even more enjoyable for I knew exactly what Green was talking about, referring to. He had to be a Floridian as well, was my thought. Or former as is the case from reading his acknowledgements. He just knew too much. Abandoned subdivisions. The fact that Florida can't stand to have trees standing, no way, nature? No, a minimall would fit in that nature preserve just fine. So add abandoned minimalls to the list of creepy oddities (as in deserted subdivisions, they really are creepy) peppering Florida. Anyhow, back on track.

The quote about Paper Towns, about paper people who are keeping up with the Joneses has now become a favorite: "...look at all those cul-de-sacs, those streets that turn in on themselves, all the houses that were built to fall apart. All those paper people living in their paper houses, burning the future to stay warm."

(view spoiler)All in all I was satisfied with the ending. It was absolutely, positively realistic. So so true.

As I finish typing up my thoughts, I'm gonna move the rest of John Green's books to the top of my TBR shelf. And I'll end with this quote, another favorite from the book. "But I can't say anything because she kisses me again, and it's in the moment that she kisses me that I know without question that we're headed in different directions." I've said the following many times to friends: So much can be said with simply a kiss. And Green nailed it with that quote. (less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Jan 26, 2011

Evelyn Gray rated it

Okay, so it was my friend who lent me this book (and she is like a massive John Green fan) and before i even opened the first page, she reassured me that "I will deffinatelly love it" Bizzarely enough-i didn't.
The reason why I gave it only 2 stars was because I found the writting style of this book rather childish and reminded me of the kind of things I used to write at 8th grade. A typical plot: "There is a really unpopular guy who is in love with a very popular girl who e...moreOkay, so it was my friend who lent me this book (and she is like a massive John Green fan) and before i even opened the first page, she reassured me that "I will deffinatelly love it" Bizzarely enough-i didn't.
The reason why I gave it only 2 stars was because I found the writting style of this book rather childish and reminded me of the kind of things I used to write at 8th grade. A typical plot: "There is a really unpopular guy who is in love with a very popular girl who everybody loves etc. etc." This book is aimed at young adults and teenagers, but in my opinion if you are reading a book it should at least teach you something moralistic and give you something to think about, but what about paper towns? Sorry if I sound like a grumpy 60 year old woman its purely my opinion-but what does it teach you?? How to be attention seeking? how to run away from home? how to ditch your friends and be an asshole?-it's for you to decide. As a beach-read page-turner to read while sunbathing-yes it's great. It doesn't overload your brain, doesn't really provoke any thoughts in you, but it does make you smile and builds up suspense. While reading it I have failed to develop any kind of sympathy towards Margo because i think that she is a very selfish character, god knows what was going on in her brain! she was suffering purely because she was hanging out with the wrong kind of people and ignored Quentin because he was not popular enough. Her boyfrind cheated on her and her "best friend" was being mean to her (awwww life is so hard isn't it?), so she could think of nothing better but running away from home, involving Quentin into this whole thing (who she hasn't spoken to for years) and making her parents suffer even more! She left clues for Quentin and at the end of the book actually it turns out that "Oh, what the hell are you doing here? I didn't want you to find me..." WHERE IS THE LOGIC??? I mean there are some people out there who have it a LOT worse than her-they don't run away from home do they?
John Green had some obvious sparks of imagination while writting the novel, but those were only sparks that have failed to turn into a bright warm fire that would burn consistently...(less)

like 6 likes

· see review

Jan 14, 2012

Laura Newcombe rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: adult-diapers-required, memorable-covers, i-own, in-my-bookshelf, high-expectations, favorites, best-titles, 2011-reads

Check out A Work of Fiction for more YA reviews!

I don't normally title my reviews. Okay, sorry, let me rephrase that: I do title my reviews. I have to, otherwise you wouldn't know what I was reviewing, but I've never titled the actual review...until now. Therefore, this review of Paper Towns is going to be called:

There's Something about John Green

No, really. I'm serious. There truly is something about John Green's books that, no matter your age or ...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Mar 09, 2010

Kelly rated it

Shelves: read-in-2008, ya-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This would get a 3 1/2 stars.

Okay. John Green had me in part one. He somewhat had me through half of part two. But after that? I just didn't care.

All of his main characters in each book are the same: the geeky/nerdy smart boy seeking the hard-to-reach girl who is just so captivating. And the cast of flat, monotone characters with whom said boy and girl associate.

Although I think this book is his strongest story-line wise, when it's the third in a series of s...moreThis would get a 3 1/2 stars.

Okay. John Green had me in part one. He somewhat had me through half of part two. But after that? I just didn't care.

All of his main characters in each book are the same: the geeky/nerdy smart boy seeking the hard-to-reach girl who is just so captivating. And the cast of flat, monotone characters with whom said boy and girl associate.

Although I think this book is his strongest story-line wise, when it's the third in a series of same, it's not that interesting anymore. Green has a gift of writing and telling a story, but it's time to move on to something new and more exciting. I'd rather read something that is an utter failing than the same thing over and over.

That said, I think people who aren't part of the John Green cult would feel similarly. It's repetitive. And were I to recommend a John Green to someone, it would probably not be this one. I like Looking for Alaska best because it was the first and it was the original idea; this is a better telling, perhaps, but it's also not original.

Likewise, I find the entire idea of the paper town/paper person metaphor extremely trite. Even young readers get it. There's nothing new or original. I also think it moves slowly, particularly the last 100 pages of the book. We know EXACTLY what'll happen, and there is nothing that saves the miserable ride through those last pages. It tries too hard to be funny with the roadtrip scenes, particularly in reference to the clothing fiascoes.

But, the book redeems itself for a few reasons garnering it a 3.5, rather than a 2.5: I love the use of Whitman's poem, though I think it's not explained enough (almost with the teacher, but then the emergence of Emily Dickinson at the end really makes the explanation falter); the images and descriptions are fun; and, well, the story isn't terrible.

One thing that continually frustrated me was the fact the story tries to be realistic but there are just too many things that don't belong. It's unreasonable to believe anyone would let their kid skip graduation to go on a roadtrip to nowhere New York. It's also unrealistic these kids would carry 200 cans of beer with them, UNDERAGE, to New York. And, why is it none of them has a cell phone? Pick one: be real or be unreal. You can't do both!

As a total aside, there's a line in the book along the lines of "people as places as people," and it seemed way too uncanny that Green would write that himself. It's a name of a song by Modest Mouse, released about a year before the book. Why I mention it and would even notice is that Green weaves the Mountain Goats into the book, and it almost seems unattributed. It could be coincidence, but it almost seems like it's impossible for that to be the case.(less)

like 3 likes

· see review

Jun 03, 2010

Kristina Marie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, audio

While this book starts off okay, it soon becomes so exciting that you can't wait to see what Quentin and Margo do next. Just when you're hooked the plot drops and it becomes boring. Boring enough that you wonder if this is even worth finishing. I did finish this book, though, due in part to the narrator who was decent enough. However, I am not sure which had more stereotyping: his voices or the writing. My biggest problem with this book, though, is the main character, Quentin. He's suppose...more

like 5 likes

· see review

Sep 05, 2008

Jennifer rated it

I had heard mixed reviews about Green's new book. However, I went into it with an open mind. After all, I enjoyed his previous two books. Unfortunately, I didn't fall in love with this one. Although I enjoy Green's writing style (sometimes it becomes too cutesy for me), this book seemed too similar to his previous two books. Nebbish, way-too-worldly-for-his-age teenage boy falls madly for the wrong girl. While trying to find out what life is about, boy makes physical journeys and engages in the ...more

like 4 likes

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 1391 1392 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Do you think that Margos decision of not going back with Q was right?	6	50	Jan 28, 2012 09:31am
The Davis Alliance: Paper Towns Discussion: Spoilers May Be Within	1	7	Jan 16, 2012 05:14pm
margo	10	102	Dec 19, 2011 02:12pm
Amazing Ambrosia'...: Paper Towns by John Green	1	8	Nov 20, 2011 08:59pm
Do you love the characters or writing style?	6	46	Oct 30, 2011 10:45pm
good or bad?	12	65	Oct 24, 2011 11:09am
Discussion questions 5 and 6--Paper Towns	1	24	Mar 13, 2011 11:48am

combine
Other Editions (29)

More editions...

Genres

Young Adult

1,013 users

Mystery

201 users

Young Adult > Teen

170 users

Realistic Fiction

127 users

Romance

77 users

Contemporary

69 users

Young Adult > Coming Of Age

43 users

Humor

47 users

Adventure

35 users

Young Adult > High School

28 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About John Green

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this page for more information.

John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. The film rights to Looking for Alaska were purchased by Paramount in 2005. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Mi...more

More about John Green...

Books by John Green

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About Paper Towns

31 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Paper Towns

“What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person.” — 1,462 people liked it

“I'm not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” — 878 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved Paper Towns

Young Adult Fiction for A...

4506 members

last activity 12 hours, 45 min ago

shelf: read

Filipinos

1448 members

last activity 27 minutes ago

shelf: read

The Mortal Instruments

1047 members

last activity Feb 04, 2012 08:10pm

shelf: read

title link	preview: Paper Towns
avg rating	preview: Paper Towns Goodreads rating: 4.16 (24599 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2914097-paper-towns?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327869758m/2914097.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2914097-paper-towns?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Paper Towns by John Green[/url]

Paper Towns

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website