Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9082 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
I first fell in love with John Green when he came out with the book LOOKING FOR ALASKA. I was equally enchanted with AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES. Last night, I finally finished John Green's latest and greatest addition, PAPER TOWNS. Mind you, I have been trying to finish it for three days crammed between work, work, and more work. It got to the point that something had to give and it was going to be my work, because I just had to finish the book. I read someone else's review and she said that she was tempted to skip to page 305, the last page, to see what happened to one of the main characters, Margo. I want this person to know I was tempted to but, alas, I did not peek either - I was so proud of myself. Besides, waiting until the end made the book even more satisfying.

Reading this book reminded me of the people who I went to high school with - the band geeks, the jocks, the Untouchable popular kids. I knew people that were like Margo, Quentin, Radar, Ben, and Lacey. Some I liked, others I didn't. I get Margo's feeling of needing to get out of the paper town she lives in so she doesn't get even more sucked in.

Would I have done it her way? Probably not, but her way led to some really funny dialogue between the characters and a neat little mystery to figure out.

PAPER TOWNS pulls you in from the beginning. One thing Green does so well is go into detail, painting rich layers seamlessly tying together the characters and their stories.

We read a story about something that happened in Quentin and Margo's childhood and then skip forward many years to a time right before Prom, which Quentin will not go to for any amount of money offered. Things get interesting when Margo shows up at his window dressed liked a ninja, insisting that he has to help her. Mind you, Margo is Quentin's unrequited love, so you tell me, does he go along with Margo's adventure? It only takes a little coaxing, but he sure does. The night, as they accomplish all the things on Margo's list, who is hellbent on revenge, is pretty magical, not just for Quentin but Margo, too.

School the next day was definitely interesting, for lack of a better word. Quentin struggles to say awake in class because their adventure lasted to just about dawn, and then realizes that Margo isn't in school. I am not sure if I would have gone to school, either, after all they had done the night before....

The question will soon become - where is Margo? She has seemingly disappeared, leaving clues for Quentin to find. Will Quentin and his friends figure out the clues, and will they lead to Margo? And if they do, will she be dead or alive? You will just have to read the book to find out.

It will not surprise me one iota if Green walks away with a few awards for this book. Definitely another winner!

Reviewed by: coollibrarianchick

NERDFIGHTERS, FTW
I am surprised that there are not that many reviews on this book. I would like to elaborate that this is one of the most epic books that I have read and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested.

Over hyped
Before buying this book I read alot of reviews describing this book as a '5 star' book and expected it to be fantastic. To be honest, I was a little disappointed. The story in it's self is an interesting one and I can see why it appeals so much to a teenage audience as it reminded me so much of my own mindset as a teenager. However, I did find the writing to be quite linear and predictable which ruined the book a little for me. Perhaps its my own fault that I expected 'Paper towns' to be more than what I always should have known that it would be, a book aimed primarily at a younger audience.
All in all, I would recommend this book as a good read to a younger audience, especially if you've read John Green' previous books, this really is more of the same. However, to older adults i would say 'have a think about it first and don't be expecting a literary masterpiece or you may find yourself disappointed as I was.