“So surprising and moving and true that I became completely unstrung.” – The New York Times
Named a best book of the year by: TheNew York Times, NPR, TIME, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Entertainment Weekly, Southern Living, Publishers Weekly, BookPage,A.V. Club, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Vulture, and many more!
JOHN GREEN, the acclaimed author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, returns with a story of shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.
Aza Holmes never intended to pursuethe disappearance 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 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.
3.5 stars. Pretty good - I read it quickly but probably more because (1) I was off work and (2) I had a book club deadline I wanted to meet more than that I couldn't put it down. In fact, there was a few moments fought off sleep.
On one hand, I like Aza as a character. She's annoying and frustrating, but the way she's struggling with this mental illness (It feels like a version of OCD to me) felt pretty realistic. My husband has OCD and believe me, he's annoying and frustrating at times. But I still love him and Aza was still loveable. I felt for her and the pain and frustration she felt with her inability to control her spiral.
On the other hand, it's so hard to picture a teenager talking/thinking the way she does. In fact, that would be my most common complaint with John Green's portrayal of teenagers. Sometimes they get really angsty and realistic and other times, I find myself WISHING teens thought that deeply more often. This definitely had a bit of both.
I really REALLY enjoyed Aza interactions with her crush... whose name I have currently forgotten. Man, did I feel for him and his little brother Noah. And the mystery surrounding their father was interesting, though far less prominent to the story than i thought it would be.
Overall a good read, just not my favorite for the year or anything.
