Paper Towns by John Green

Green, J. (2008). Paper Towns. (p. 416). Bloomsbury USA Children's Books.

ISBN: 1599902036

Classification: book, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 10th-12th grade

Subjects: coming of age, fiction, friends, identity, love story

Reader's Annotation: To follow the clues his friend Margo left when she disappeared, Quentin must come to understand Margo as she sees herself and abandon his idealized version of her personality.

Summary: Quentin Jacobsen has always loved Margo Roth Speigelman. He considers it his personal miracle that she grew up as his next door neighbor. As children they were good friends, until the day they found a man in the park who had killed himself. After that, Margo became a mystery to Quentin. Then, one night in Q's senior year, Margo shows up at his window, dressed in camoflauge and asks Quentin to borrow his parents car. They embark on a night of pranks and petty crimes, getting back at the friends who have betrayed Margo. The next day, Margo disappears. Q, with the help of his two good friends, finds clues Margo has left behind. Quentin is determined to save Margo from herself and hopefully win her love in the process.

Reviews / Awards:

Teenreads Review
An Abundance of Katherines and John Green's first book, Looking for Alaska, both were Printz Honor books.

Author Info:
John Green's website

Potential Hotspots:

drinking, sex, vandalism, breaking and entering

Readalikes:

• The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
  
• 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
This is a story all about discovering the truth about who someone is, as opposed to the myth that has been built about that person. I think this is a message that teens can warm too, as probably many have felt pressured to be something different than they are. Also, the scavenger hunt / mystery angle will keep teens reading until the very end.

Other:

• Fans of John Green should also check out his "Brotherhood 2.0" website, a collaboration with his brother, Hank, and the Nerdfighters website.
• John Green's talk from an ALAN conference, about Paper Towns and why teens are great readers
  

Evaluation:

5 stars