Tolog Reviews: Paper Towns

Paper Towns
by John Green
reviewed by Camille Trevor, class of 2015

Paper Towns, by the prestigious author John Green, combines mystery, humor, and a hint of romance all into one! Green introduces the protagonist Quentin Jacobsen, or as he is familiarly called, “Q.” Q is a regular teenager from Florida in his senior year of high school. Everything in his life had been mundane until that night. At nearly midnight, an old friend of Q’s, Margo Spiegelman, spontaneously shows up at his window. She demands him to go on an adventure with her and reassures him that they will be done before school the next day. He reluctantly accepts. This is the beginning of their grand, adventurous night. Margo carries a list of procedures to complete before sunrise. Some of their escapades include hopping through people’s windows to drop a smelly fish, removing one eyebrow using hair-removal cream, and breaking into Sea World. Most of these maneuvers are for revenge on Margo's former friends and ex-boyfriend before senior year is over. The rest of the night includes the same spontaneous types of experiences that leave Q entranced by Margo. After a full all-nighter spent with Margo, Q is eager to start reconnecting with her again in and outside of school. The next day, however, Margo is said to have ran away and gone missing. Nothing serious is thought about this until few days pass with no information about her. Q is completely dumbfounded and puzzled as to where she could have gone, why she left right before graduation, when she left exactly, etc. After discovering small hints that appear to be for Q specifically, he makes it his goal to find and retrieve Margo. As he accumulates more and more clues, he is led to a deeper understanding of who Margo really is. This case consumes his mind to the point where he cannot focus on school, graduation, or family. He is determined to unravel the mystery that is Margo Spiegelman and goes to drastic measures in order to catch a glimpse of her once again. If you like thrilling journeys and mysteries, you'll love this book! Also, if you are a fan of any of Green's other books, you'll love this book!