Turtles All the Way Down

286 pages

Published Sept. 8, 2017 by Dutton Books for Young Readers.

ISBN:: 978-0-525-55536-0

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery 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 Russell 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.

1 edition

holmesweetholme reviewed Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

the one with chewbacca

5 stars

maybe it's just my experience with similar problems but i think John Green did an amazing job with putting you in the mind of Aza and really showing you what makes her tick. it's one thing to tell or describe it in great detail, but rationalising it alongside her really makes you feel how damaging it must be.

i think it was a very good read, it was one of the first books that let me know how much i truly like character driven books. there's so much in the applebees visits, and in the moments where nothing happens.

if i had to complain about anything, the confrontation with Daisy felt a bit... contrived? Daisy didn't strike me as the type of person to hold a grudge rather than addressing the problem. and with someone like Aza i would imagine a friend realises quickly that you just need …

maybe it's just my experience with similar problems but i think John Green did an amazing job with putting you in the mind of Aza and really showing you what makes her tick. it's one thing to tell or describe it in great detail, but rationalising it alongside her really makes you feel how damaging it must be.

i think it was a very good read, it was one of the first books that let me know how much i truly like character driven books. there's so much in the applebees visits, and in the moments where nothing happens.

if i had to complain about anything, the confrontation with Daisy felt a bit... contrived? Daisy didn't strike me as the type of person to hold a grudge rather than addressing the problem. and with someone like Aza i would imagine a friend realises quickly that you just need to point out when they're being an asshat. think of An Abundance of Katherines. Hassan is happy to yell dingleberries whenever colin talks about something that people don't care about.

that and the "oo rich guy goes missing?1??1!1?" is a fairly simple plot device but i think it's fine cause the story isn't really about the plot.

but that's me looking for things to complain about methinks. fun read otherwise, and i'm no doctor so i'm not sure if it's correct but it for sure gave me a different view on OCD which i think is good with how loose you see the word thrown about nowadays

Merovius reviewed Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Review of 'Turtles All the Way Down' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Turtles All the Way Down is a book about a girl living with OCD. And while I don't think it's the best John Green book and I'm not sure it's the one you would like best, it is my favorite by far. I don't have OCD, but I am mentally ill. And I have never read a book which conveys how it is to live with mental illness as well as this one. Almost every page contains a highlight of something Aza says which I find deeply relatable. The book is almost devoid of plot, but that is a good thing. Because that's part of how it feels to live with mental illness and it gives a lot of space to depict Aza's inner monologue.
I can't praise this book enough.