Turtles All the Way Down

by John Green

[anastasia]

Full Review on my blog!


“You’re deflecting.” I just stared at her. “You’re right that self isn’t simple, Aza. Maybe it’s not even singular. Self is a plurality, but pluralities can also be integrated, right? Think of a rainbow. It’s one arc of light, but also seven differently colored arcs of light.”

Where do I begin? John Green is one of those authors that always brings the feels. Turtles All The Way Down is the latest YA Contemporary from best selling author, John Green. I’ve read other books by John Green, you know the typical ones, TFIOS, Looking for Alaska, & Paper Towns. Which were all really great, so I kinda had expectations going into this one. And let me tell you, WOOOW, what a novel. This is a book about mental illness, it’s a book about the power of lifelong friendship, and there is a bit of romance thrown in the mix.

It all begins with a fugitive billionaire and the promise of a cash reward. Turtles All the Way Down is about lifelong friendship, the intimacy of an unexpected reunion, Star Wars fan fiction, and tuatara. But at its heart is Aza Holmes, a young woman navigating daily existence within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

Aza’s character felt super realistic and I am so impressed now. This was honestly one of the best depictions of anxiety or any mental health battle I’ve ever read. It didn’t sound like someone trying to write the concept… John Green has clearly lived this. It was incredibly raw, honest, and beautiful at times. Aza’s story isn’t the easiest to read, and she probably won’t be a relatable character to all people. There were things about her I could relate to, and I loved her voice. I also adored her friend, Daisy. Their friendship was actually my favorite part of this story. I also liked Aza’s mom and the Davis story-line, even though it wasn’t the focus.

“The problem with happy endings is that they’re either not really happy, or not really endings, you know? In real life, some things get better and some things get worse. And then eventually you die.”

I think everyone will relate to this on some level because the story grapples with the types of realizations we all face while growing up (so it’s kind of reassuring that we’re not alone in those thoughts). Aza spends a lot of time examining to what extent we author our lives and what our definition of “self” involves. But then she gets stuck in obsessive, infinitely tightening thought spirals that are SO well depicted.

“It’s getting sucked into a whirlpool that shrinks and shrinks and shrinks your world until you’re just spinning without moving, stuck inside a prison cell that is exactly the size of you, until eventually you realize that you’re not actually in a prison cell. You are the prison cell.”

This wasn’t the typical John Green romance with quirky teens, but that ended up being a refreshing change for me. Overall, I really enjoyed it and totally recommend. I am actually looking forward to whatever John Green writes next. I recommend it! Let me know what you thought!





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