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Paper Towns

John Green

Start date: September 7, 2015

Finish date: September 11, 2015

Discussion: Book/Genre of the Month

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What Members Thought

Oct 01, 2015 Angela Blount rated it it was ok

Shelves: contemporary, ya

2.5 Stars

Congratulations, John Green. I will never be able to forget the name: Margo Roth Spiegelman. Repetition works.

Plot-in-a-nutshell:
Quentin, a self-proclaimed “well-adjusted” high school senior of middling popularity, is suddenly commandeered one night by his fascinatingly eccentric classmate and neighbor, Margot—asked to act as her accomplice in a series of delinquent acts of vengeance. Having been “in love” with Margot (or, let’s face it, simply infatuated with the idea of her and not ...more

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Sep 13, 2015 Meera Nair rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Thank you Bloomsbury India for sending me a copy of this book for review :)

Paper Towns starts off as your typical high school story, complete with parties and prom, dating troubles and unrequited love. Quentin Jacobsen has always loved Margo Roth Spiegelman, his childhood friend who grew distant after high school politics got in the way. And so when she appears out of nowhere at Quentin's window, demanding that he help her carry out an all night revenge plan, he complies. Unfortunately for Quen Thank you Bloomsbury India for sending me a copy of this book for review :)

Paper Towns starts off as your typical high school story, complete with parties and prom, dating troubles and unrequited love. Quentin Jacobsen has always loved Margo Roth Spiegelman, his childhood friend who grew distant after high school politics got in the way. And so when she appears out of nowhere at Quentin's window, demanding that he help her carry out an all night revenge plan, he complies. Unfortunately for Quentin, he gets his hopes up, beginning to wonder if they will finally become the friends they were meant to be. However, the next day presents a varied truth. Margo has not only gone missing, but she's left behind clues with which to be found. As Quentin and his friends embark on a speedy road trip, they begin to wonder if they had ever really known Margo at all.

Having read a book by John Green before, I was certain I would enjoy this one. But I hadn't expected to absolutely love it. Not even three-fourth into it, did I think it would be a book worth reading again. But here's where John Green's writing bolsters the story. The last few chapters become so much more than a high school story. The philosophy behind it all is sure to reach out to anyone, as we are all merely trying to find our place in this world. Interspersed with several Whitman quotes and references to other literary figures' works (which I loved reading), Paper Towns shows us that paper (two dimensional) people and paper places have a life of their own. The moment something is put down on paper it is infused with some of the creator's soul. The idea behind the paper towns reminded me of Wislawa Szymborska's poem, The Joy of Writing - "Why does this written doe bound through these written woods?" In keeping with this idea, Margo becomes one with her writing. Her escapades enact her, rather than the other way around.

For a majority of time, I disliked the character of Margo Spiegelman. She appeared to be insensitive to Quentin's feelings, was rather self centered and attention seeking. And throughout their road trip, I kept wondering why they didn't turn around. Why were all these people incessantly looking for a person who didn't want to be found? But you come to understand, as did Quentin, Margo's perspective towards the end. While it isn't ideal, it is understandable. While road trips are all fun and games, it does test your strengths. This scavenger hunt of sorts definitely increased the appeal of road trips for me. Quentin, Ben and Radar's friendship was one of the highlights of the book. They are the kind of friends who would set aside even the most important of matters when the other needs them. I wished Margo could have better understood Lacey. They could have been fast friends too, after everything Lacey did for her. There's enough humor in the book to crack you up occasionally. It was a splendid story, one that I will read again. I recommend it to all those who haven't read it yet. ...more

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Sep 21, 2014 Vikas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

Quentin has always loved his neighbour Margo but from a distance. So when one night Margo asks him to accompany her on a night of adventure he can't say no to her.

And she disappears next. There are some scattered clues which seem to call Q to Margo.

This is typical John Green book which is funny and tragic. This one is mostly funny. I am on to 'Will Grayson, Will Grayson' now.

People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have m ...more

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Jul 29, 2015 Kari rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 13, 2014 Kylie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013, books-i-cant-live-without, young-adult-and-fantasy

This is a book that will definitely stay with you after you finish it. I found myself feeling like I was in the car with Q, Radar, Ben, and Lacey as they were traveling 1200 miles in search of Margo Roth Speigelman, a girl whose full name is always spoken. An enigma of a girl, a girl who no one really knows, who no one really wants to know, and a girl who will be forever misunderstood. This is a wild-ride; a book that will leave you breathless as you embark on the adventures of a group of friend ...more

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