Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

[Kenzie]

John Green’s Turtles All The Way Down features a teenage girl named Aza, also known as “Holmesy”, who struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and extreme anxiety. When a reward is announced for information on the whereabouts of an old friend’s millionaire father, Aza and her best friend, Daisy, reconnect with Davis Pickett, the defendant’s abandoned son, with hopes of finding his father. Aza soon diminishes her search for Mr. Pickett when she finds herself growing closer to Davis, but the only thing standing between them is her all-consuming compulsions that refuse to go away.
Although I wouldn’t consider this novel one of my favorites, I did really enjoy Turtles All The Way Down. John Green is an amazing realistic fiction writer and all of his books that I have read are personal, well written, and honest. Before reading T.A.T.W.D., I did not think it would be as good as some of the other Green books I had read (e.g. The Fault In Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, and Paper Towns). However, upon reading it, I grew attached to Aza and I found myself understanding what she was going through with OCD and anxiety. Aza’s character was based on the author’s own struggles with mental illness and this novel really helped me grasp what it is like to live with a mental disorder and what my peers or people around me could be dealing with on a daily basis. Like many of John Green’s female characters, Aza is awkward and quirky, yet independent and smart. Her struggles with her compulsions make her relatable to so many people and I would eagerly recommend this book to any teens or adults. I think it is really important to educate ourselves on what others experience and this book does just that and more. Definitely a must read!