Book Review: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Rating: 5/5 stars

Favorite quote: “Anybody can look at you. It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.”

Okay, the writing in this book was SO GOOD. Turtles All the Way Down is the third John Green book I’ve read, and it is definitely my favorite so far. The novel follows the internal struggles of Aza, a sixteen-year-old girl with severe OCD and anxiety as she investigates a mysterious disappearance and falls in love.

John Green does an amazing job of putting you in Aza’s head and presenting her anxiety in a way that feels realistic. The book is full of beautiful prose and haunting metaphors; it was so hard to choose my favorite quote. And the thing is, I wasn’t even expecting to like it! John Green’s writing can get a little pretentious- which is why I didn’t love Paper Towns or The Fault in Our Stars – but in this one I thought all the metaphors and extra deepness were well done (or maybe I was just in the right mood this time). Another good thing about it was that although Green recycled his romantic, overly philosophical love interest trope, the plot centers around much more than Aza’s love life. It focuses mainly on Aza’s mental health and internal journey, tying in her relationship with her best friend, and her perception of her identity.

The book deals with so many powerful themes, delivers its message beautifully, and makes me want to read more of JG’s books. I highly recommend Turtles All the Way Down for fans of YA contemporary fiction!