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 research, explains what a "paper town" really is. Ah, that's what I discovered for today!

But more than just imparting what a "paper town" actually is, reading "Paper Towns" by John Green was both entertaining and uplifting. It is a relevant, poignant and simply-written story about growing up, and becoming. It may be just another coming-of-age story - who hasn't read one of those books, right? - but underestimating the quality and essence of this particular coming-of-age novel is a mistake.

Q and Margo are childhood friends. Although they share an important event in their 9th year together, they somehow drift apart: Q has his own geeky circle of friends, and Margo is queen bee to her colony of followers. Around school, they pretty much don't hang around each other. But on a significant day in Margo's life when she realizes that the people whom she calls her friends betrayed her, she takes the ever-faithful friend and next-door neighbor Q along to the execution of an eleven-part plan that would prove to change their lives forever. Thereafter, Q spends the rest of his high school days discovering Margo.

While I had no problem with Q, and especially loved his geeky friends Ben ("ITWASAKIDNEYINFECTION") and Radar, the techie and mathematician, I took a slight disliking to Margo. I will not discount the fact that I felt this way because I perceived her through Q's eyes, but I think she was a selfish, unthinking, and self-centered person who had merely put on a bravado when she did what she did (please bear with me, I'm trying not to have spoilers here), and that despite her statement to the contrary, of course that's what she wanted Q to do, clues or no. Although Margo sufficiently explained herself and her actions, which I found appropriately reasonable, I didn't approve of the manner in which she had things and people hanging.

Nonetheless, I admired Margo's courage and determination, which she did a great job of rubbing off on Q. To me, her character was the moving force of the story; hers were the spirit and vivacity that spun things around and moved everybody forward. On the other hand, although he was the most active character in the story, Q was, in my opinion, the character that buoyed and defined Margo. And that ending, oh that ending. I could almost feel my heart breaking, just imagining it.

I will not end this review without bringing up how I just simply love John Green's humor. It was also a winning point for me with Looking For Alaska, but Green's humor in this book was drier, wittier, and more wry, if that's at all possible. I can still imagine how my husband would look at me in an I-can't-believe-it way when I laugh by myself while reading the book.

The utilization of Walt Whitman's poem, "Leaves of Grass", and the small fact that there was asbestos on the abandoned minimall outside of Orlando (I think the name was Osprey), reminded me of my favorite movie, "With Honors", which starred Joe Pesci and Brendan Fraser. I love that poem.

This is a wonderful, contemporary YA book, and I have absolutely no regrets that I gave in to my curiosity and picked it up. I just knew this kind of YA would never disappoint me.