Margo Roth Spiegelman. She has been the subject of Quentin “Q” Jacobsen’s affection since the day they discovered the dead guy in the park when they were nine. Even though they had this common bond, the two grew up to be vastly different: Margo Roth Spiegelman is the high school’s queen bee who will mysteriously disappear for days only to come back to school with stories of great adventure and hijinks. Q, although not a complete nerd, does not show up on anyone’s radar, especially Margo Roth Spiegelman’s. So the night she crawled through his window and drags him, willingly, out on a night of breaking and entering, vandalism, and practical jokes, changes his life forever.
The next day at school, Q hopes that Margo will talk to him, or maybe even look at him and acknowledge his existence because they spent such a marvelous night together getting revenge on everyone who ever wronged her at school. But Margo never showed up at school the next day, nor the next day. Since she was known for her strange disappearances, which were thought of as adventurous and quirky by the other students, but selfish and dangerous by her parents, no one thought much of it. Except for Q that is. He knew something was different this time, plus he starts to find clues---clues to Margo’s recent disappearance, and these clues seem to have been left for him by Margo herself.
The rest of the book follows Q on a mystery—the mystery that is Margo Roth Spiegelman. As he follows the clues, he discovers things about her that no one knew, things that change the way he sees her, and things that could lead to finding her. However, Q worries that he might not find her in time…
This book is dubbed a mystery, and I agree that it is at first, but then it turns into a very seriously deep coming-of-age story that keeps the reader thinking and feeling until the very last page. A teen who reads this will relate to the characters and the cut-throat world of high school, but the adults who read this book will relate to the heartbreak and realization that people can’t always be who we want them to be.
The next day at school, Q hopes that Margo will talk to him, or maybe even look at him and acknowledge his existence because they spent such a marvelous night together getting revenge on everyone who ever wronged her at school. But Margo never showed up at school the next day, nor the next day. Since she was known for her strange disappearances, which were thought of as adventurous and quirky by the other students, but selfish and dangerous by her parents, no one thought much of it. Except for Q that is. He knew something was different this time, plus he starts to find clues---clues to Margo’s recent disappearance, and these clues seem to have been left for him by Margo herself.
The rest of the book follows Q on a mystery—the mystery that is Margo Roth Spiegelman. As he follows the clues, he discovers things about her that no one knew, things that change the way he sees her, and things that could lead to finding her. However, Q worries that he might not find her in time…
This book is dubbed a mystery, and I agree that it is at first, but then it turns into a very seriously deep coming-of-age story that keeps the reader thinking and feeling until the very last page. A teen who reads this will relate to the characters and the cut-throat world of high school, but the adults who read this book will relate to the heartbreak and realization that people can’t always be who we want them to be.
John Green is one of my all time favorite authors. He is funny and witty, which is reflected in his writing style. After you read Paper Towns, read his other two books Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines. Also, follow his blog, which is in my links to the side and watch is Vlog Brothers videos on Youtube. You won't be sorry.
UPDATE: Paper Towns is being made into a movie by the same people who made Juno! AWESOME! Read it now before the hype begins...
It's on my shelf, just waiting for me! Shelby Cook read and liked it. Your summary reminds me of As Simple As Snow, and I loved that one :)
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