The way I figure it, everyone gets a miracle. Like, I will probably never be struck by lightning, or win a Nobel Prize, or become the dictator of a small nation in the Pacific Islands, or contract terminal ear cancer, or spontaneously combust. But if you consider all the unlikely things together, at least one of them will probably happen to each of us. I could have seen it rain frogs. I could have stepped foot on Mars. I could have been eaten by a whale. I could have married the queen of England or survived months at sea. But my miracle was different. My miracle was this: out of all the houses in all the subdivisions in all of Florida, I ended up living next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman. Here is what I said in my original review of Paper Towns in April: "Because I enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars, I was really looking forward to this book, also by John Green. It was just as good, if not a little better, than The Fault in Our Stars. Quentin Jacobson has spent his middle and high school years loving the adventurous, magnificent, Margo Roth Spiegelman from a distance. But then one night she climbs into his room and summons him to help her conduct a campaign of revenge, which takes the whole night. The next day, Q arrives at school and discovers that Margo has disappeared. But he discovers special clues-for him. They lead him to Margo, but he discovers that he hardly knows who she really is.
'What can I say? This book had a great plot, quite interesting. Also, Q's narration was very funny at times; he definitely sounded like a teenager. And of course, Margo, a very appealing character: spunky, clever, funny, and adventurous. And the book had a nice feel in hand. Some of the ideas expressed in the book were very intriguing, too, and now I think I might tackle Leaves of Grass, which played an important part in Q's finding Margo. Paper Towns has some really hilarious moments, and the concept of the paper town was new to me. I won't give it away, but it was very cool."
As I mentioned in my review of The Fault in Our Stars, I've recently begun watching the Vlogbrothers (I'm up to late 2010 now!). At any rate, I remember really enjoying Paper Towns, and I thought that I would enjoy it even more having heard what John has to say about the book and its hidden meanings. The hardcover edition (on left) has two different covers, two different wrong perceptions of Margo that people have. Because when they look at Margo, instead of seeing her, they see themselves embodied in her. They're both wrong. Also, the black Santa collection in Paper Towns is very symbolic. Anyway, you should go check out the Vlogbrothers, and the many videos about Paper Towns. DFTBA.
My favorite John Green book is at this point certainly The Fault in Our Stars, followed by Paper Towns. Then Will Grayson, Will Grayson, then Looking For Alaska, then An Abundance of Katherines. I haven't read Let it Snow, though I kind of want to.
Paper Towns has is its hilarious moments and also its deeply thoughtful moments. There are many great quotes, and it really is an amazing book. The first 20 pages or so are a bit slow, but it quickly picks up. The road trip towards the end of the book is one of the most hilarious things ever. I loved this one, more than the first time I read it. The premise may be a tad bit unrealistic, but it's still an excellent book.
Read Paper Towns:
- if you like John Green
- if you like books set in Florida
- if you like books with road trips
| Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf For Rereading (jf I own it)! |
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