Turtles All The Way Down

Spoilers

I love John Green and I loved Turtles All The Way Down.

When you first get the book, read chapter one while listening to John Green read chapter one...

From GoodReads:

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. 

There is so much to be said about Turtles All The Way Down, and so many have already done so. My favorite thing about John Green's novels is the care he puts into his opening sentence. Check out the opening of TAtWD...

At the time I first realized I might be fictional, my weekdays were spent at a publicly funded institution on the north side of Indianapolis called White River High School, where I was required to eat lunch at a particular time - between 12:37pm and 1:14pm - by forces so much larger than myself that I couldn't even begin to identify them.

Here are some of the wonderful things I've found with regards to TAtWD:

144 Thoughts I Had While Reading Turtles All The Way Down posted by TeamEpicReads

John Green on Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

Jennifer Senior's thoughtful review of TAtWD in The New York Times.

Watch Let's Talk About Books on vlogbrothers to learn about the book, The Man Who Couldn't Stop: OCD and the true story of a life lost in thought by David Adam.

Spoilers abound with John Green's AMA on reddit.

Laura Miller's review of TAtWD on Slate.

Constance Grady's review of TAtWD on Vox.com

A tuatara

 A Pettibon spiral

Pogue's Run (jogger's mouth)

Be sure to get this book for all the John Green fans you know. Get this book for all the YA readers you know who have experience with mental illness (either their own or someone they love).

Enjoy reading Turtles AllThe Way Down!

a walking, talking miracle

This weekend I read Release by Patrick Ness.

Ness writes, “How do we ever, ever survive our teenage years? Every young person you meet is a walking, talking miracle.”

From GoodReads:

Inspired by Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume's Forever, Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It's a big day. Things go wrong. It's intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches... 

Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It's a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won't come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, something extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course.

The story takes place during one monumental day in Adam Thorn's life. But it's also written as two different stories: one is Adam's day, the other is a supernatural tale of murder. Both stories come together to define identity and the power of love and loyalty.


Adam and his bestfriend Angela have an amazing farewell:

"When is it that you've got my back again, Adam?" Angela asked in their usual farewell. 

He grinned, "Always. Until the end of the world." 

"Oh, yeah. That's right." She hung up.

If you've read any other books by Patrick Ness, then you know his books are recommended for a more mature YA audience. 

Get this book for the young people you know who are struggling with letting go:

"How do I let go?"... 

"That's the question, isn't it?" says the boy. "For everyone." 

"Everyone," the spirit agrees. 

The boy takes a breath. "Today was a day I had to let go of a lot of stuff. Like everything that was tying me down suddenly got untied."