the much-anticipated Paper Towns by John Green

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life--dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge--he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues--and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew.

When entering this novel, my expectations were high for a favorite author and vlogger John Green. After reading Steph's review I was even more expectant of a major wow-ing.

And I wasn't completely disappointed. This novel comes in three parts (I was actually just imagining John saying that in my head as he does for his videos) and the first of which is astoundingly resonating. Margo Roth Spiegelman is the most dynamic character ever presented by John or any other author and as she leads Quentin through a whirlwind of adventures throughout this part and the rest of the novel, pieces of her start to form together, creating a whole new person no one ever knew.

I can't deny that Paper Towns shows resemblance to Looking for Alaska, John's first novel, but I can't deny, either that it is a book of it's own and should be judged so. Not only Margo, but every other character in this world has his or her own role (just as is pointed out near the end of the story). Quentin's two best friends are Ben, a tragically confident band geek that can't live up to his own hype, and Radar, a computer whiz who spends all his time editing Omnictionary articles on his handheld. And then you have Quentin himself, a regular high school guy on the bottom of the food chain, whose only friends are in band when he has no apparent talent at all and enjoys boredom.

John Green has yet to put together a cast so familiar of a high school and yet so spectacular as he has now done with Paper Towns.

And while the middle drags a bit, as Quentin follows Margo's trail, John's writing transcends this pause in action as he ponders poetry, metaphors, the human nature, and how we're all connected. He uses his brilliance (because John Green has a brilliant mind) to ask questions that reach far beyond the simple mind-set of a typical YA novel.

I can't tell you if Paper Towns is any better than John's other novels because it sits on a different plane. It doesn't have the same hilarity of An Abundance of Katherines, nor the pain and sadness of Looking for Alaska, but it does have it's own unique in between story of a girl and a boy whose lives run parallel for the longest time and finally intersect one night, leaving them both changed forever.

5 large cups of bookstore coffee.

Heather

To pre-order your own copy of Paper Towns online, you can go to Amazon, Books-A-Million, or Barnes and Noble.

An Abundance of Katherines-John Green

Let it be said, dear reader, that I am not fond of math.

Perhaps I should have let Heather write the first review, for this one, because she does, actually, enjoy math. I mean, she doesn't do it for fun, or anything, but it is up there on her list of favorite school subjects. Also, she has a much larger mental capacity for math. (Heather is the smart one, in case you had wondered.) Anyway, it might have been wise to allow Heather to review first, so that my own review could be short and non-descript, because this book includes a lot of math. An abundance, you might say.

Maybe, though, it's better that I write it, so that you'll know: even though I despise equations and formulas and got a C for two quarters of Algebra II, I adored this book. Even- no- especially the math parts.

Colin Singleton has been dumped nineteen times, each time being by a girl named Katherine. (Some part of this statement is actually a lie, but it's what Colin tells us.) The abundance of Katherines dated by Colin is no coincidence, by the way. He hasn't just fallen for nineteen girls who happened to be named Katherine. Girls named Katherine just happen to be Colin's type.

You might think that after being dumped eighteen other times by Katherines, Colin would have learned to expect the break-up, maybe accept with good humor, even. The end of Colin's relationship with Katherine XIX, however, is not expected. K-19 had broken Colin's heart like no
Katherine has ever broken it before. He doesn't cry. He does, however, throw up.

Colin's best friend Hassan, an overweight and Judge Judy obsessed but delightful Muslim boy, has seen the phenomenon of the Colin/Katherine break up many-a-time, and proposes a ROAD TRIP to ease Colin's suffering.

They end up in Gutshot, Tennessee; there they meet Lindsey Lee Wells and her mother, Hollis, who offers Colin and Hassan a position of employment interviewing older residents about Gutshot's major employer- a factory that produces tampon strings.

Despite many very interesting distractions, including the lovely Lindsey, Colin remains totally heartbroken over Katherine XIX. To understand what follows, you must know this- Colin is a prodigy. Or was, anyway, until he became a teenager. He's not a genius- he's very adament about that- but he is very, very, very intelligent. So instead of wallowing around in more self-pity, our little ex-prodigy has his very own Eureka moment.

Colin develops a formula. A formula to calculate relationships, or more specifically, how they will end. Will he dump her, or (more likely) will she dump him? And- here's what we're all really wondering- how long will it last?

Now, despite all of my intense math hatred, I was pretty darn fascinated, at this point. When I thought about it, it made perfect sense, why Colin would turn to a formula after a break up. When I do come across the are person who actually likes math, I usually ask why, just because the idea of liking math, frankly, baffles me.

And here is their answer: Math is dependable, and numbers, if nothing else in life, are always black and white.

So why not apply them to life's most huge and frustrating gray area?

This book is amusing, amazing, and abundant with awesome. When picking up An Abundance of Katherines, reader, be prepared for: anagrams, footnotes, foreign languages(Colin is quite good at eleven), the history of 'fug', dingleberries, a cast of hilarious and wonderful characters, more quirk than I've seen since the cancellation of Gilmore Girls, and another brilliant novel by John Green.

I have two little tiny complaints, though.

The first isn't so much a complaint as a... comparison. I love a book that makes me laugh, but what I really love is something that makes me cry. I realize that this is masochistic and all that, but it's just how I am. Now, this doesn't take anything away from the wonderful philisophical comedy that is An Abundance of Katherine's- all it means is that I liked Looking for Alaska better. Because it broke my heart in every way possible. But I also liked this book for making my crack up incesscantly and supplying me with an endless supply of useless information.

My only real complaint would be(take one guess...) the ending.

The book with an ending that completely satisfies me shall win a prize. A place in a frame, a shiny medal, etc. This particular ending was just... so... happy. Like, wierdly happy, considering that it didn't really fit the situation. I don't know. It could have been better. But this is still a wonderaculous book, and I highly reccomend reading it.

Just, piece of advice? Don't read it when distracted by personal matters. Trust me.
Katherine's get four cups of coffee.

Wondering why the amazing man who wrote this could have possibly been dumped 53 times,

trying to anagram,
dying for Paper Towns,
fugtastically yours,

Caroline

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I, as much as I hate to do this, concur. With almost everything. I liked Looking for Alaska better too, I like a book that makes me cry, and I love the hilarity of An Abundance of Katherines.

The footnotes in this book were particularly great. Except the ones about math. As Caroline has said, I do like math. I am good at it. But the footnotes were a little confusing. The Appendix, however, made perfect sense to me. The footnotes, I guess, were too short (except the one about the first 99 digits of pi). But all other footnotes were informative as well as funny.

The only problem I had with the book, was the ending, as well. Like Caroline said, it was weirdly happy. It was an incomplete happiness. You don't know everything. You don't know where this is going. There are so many things that could go wrong in the next second, but right now, everything is peaceful. Not even exactly happy. Just kind of peaceful. I would rather someone die (not in this book, because that wouldn't fit the plot at all, but in most cases I prefer upset over peaceful).

Other than that, no issues. Katherines is great.

John Green is a genious. He is no prodigy. He isn't very very very intelligent. He's a genius.

That being said, I give this book 4 out of five cups of coffee(I'm hoping to find a book I hate soon so that I can stop giving such high ratings)

wishing that she could make up complicated equations like that, likewise wondering about being dumped 53 times, trying very hard to work the anagrams out, failing miserably

DFTBA,

♥Heather

(excited about I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, a novel by Stephanie Kuehnert. It comes out July 2008)

Looking For Alaska-(Caroline defends her new favorite author's honor)

John Green is NOT a pornographer...

But he is:

A nerdfighter, a list-maker, a possible genuis, a hilarious vlogger, made of awesome, the owner of a completely amazing library that is featured in all of his vlogs for fellow nerds to stare at in envy, and the writer of my new favorite book- Looking For Alaska.

In my review for the Bermudez Triangle, I mentioned my intense adoration for all things banned, especially if they happen to be over 200 book-scented pages of novel-ly goodness. And while I've read plenty of banned books that were called "disgusting", or "objectional", or "morally corrupt", I'd never tried one that had actually been referred to as "pornagraphic." That is hard core bannage, people. So, as soon as I saw the story on Maureen Johnson's blog and saw the video in which John Green defended his book, I knew. I had to read this book.

One unfortunate factor in the life of an unemployed teenaer is that vexing 'lack of regular income' factor. Oh, how I hate that. It is because of that that I did not get Looking For Alaska straight away from the local Books-a-IIllion, but from Amazon. For 2.57, plus 3.99 of shipping and handling. With my mom's money. In three to five business days. (Which actually means seven.)

But when I did, finally, lay my hands on the book yesterday, I was pysched. I had not been so excited to read one certain book since the most highly anticipated book... ever.... came out. Which, yeah, I know, was this July, but still. It was the most highly anticipated book ever.

For me, though, Looking For Alaska was a close second- and, unlike the first, it didn't dissapoint me in the slightest.

Looking For Alaska is about a guy named Miles Halter, but he's nicknamed Pudge 14 pages in and is referred to as Miles all of about six times throughout the book, so for all intents and purposes he is Pudge. The story opens at Pudge's very ill-attended going away party. He's going to his father's alma mater, Culver Creek, which is a boarding school. He's going not to please his father or because he has no friends. He, like the poet Francois Rabelais, goes to seek a great perhaps. Unlike Rabelais, Pudge will not be dying before he finds it. Pudge is completely fascinated by last words. He reads alot, but never fiction. He only reads biographies, and mostly for the last words. This is how he came across his reason for leaving Florida for Culver Creek.

Culver Creek is not one of those luxurious boarding schools that are featured in every other boarding school book ever in YA history- ahem. Sorry. But it isn't. It's one of those linoleum floored, slightly grungy, sucky shower kind of boarding school- it vaguely reminds me of Governor's School, only it's not pretty on the outside either. Anyway, it all strikes me as being very realistic and cool. But maybe it's only Southern boarding schools that are like that, I guess.

He meets his roomate Chip/Colonel who memorizes things on maps. He's in a towel for this meeting. He also meets Alaska who named herself and who rambles and who has the most incredible library in the entire world. I. Want. Her. Books. Anyway, Alaska is gorgeous and charming and Pudge is hopeless. Only, she has a boyfriend who she adores and he soon has a girlfriend who he... um, likes. Things happen. Things Fall Apart. And Pudge is catapulted into the Great Perhaps that he's been searching for.

Until everything crashes.

Looking for Alaska is gorgeously written, heartwrenching, hilarious, and it's remarkable in that it doesn't underestimate the intelligence of teenagers. It's pure amazing goodness, and if you don't go out and buy and read this book then I will send the swan and the Eagle after you.

I give it five cups of artisty, hardcore coffee. (eventually, there will be another book that I don't absolutely love. But this one is beyond the scale.)

Caroline

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

If it's possible to agree one million percent, I do. I really, honestly do.No, wait. Scratch that. If it's possible, I agree infinity percent. With everything.

John Green creates a magnificently superb illustration of the labyrinth, of the Great Perhaps. Looking for Alaska explores and creates questions of philosophy, while simultaneously entertaining the reader to no end.

I warn you against reading this book in a public area. And by public, I mean anywher, anywhere that people are, I don't know, hanging out, talking, doing anything. You will be thought crazy for all the hysterical laughter you'll be doing. And, if you have a heart, and are the type to do so, you might even cry. I did. Honestly. For happy reasons, for sad. I cried.

Pudge, the Colonel, Alaska and Takumi (the four main characters) will entertain. They are the best character cast I've stumbled upon in a very long time.Pudge memorizes last words. He searches for the Great Perhaps.The Colonel memorizes evything. He's a genius (don't believe me, just ask him the population and capital of Azerbaijan)Alaska reads books; she's collected a 'life's library.' She searches for a way out of the labyrinth.

Takumi makes a great fox (;D). He provides constant hilarity.Together, these four make up what is now my favorite book.I concur and give it 5+ steaming cups of coffee (with a little vodka, or maybe Strawberry Hill in them)

Wanting a sexy fox hat, searching for the the Great Perhaps and a way out of this labyrinth, and wondering where 'there' is,

Heather