Reviews

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

tartdarling's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

sanjana_datla's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Few write bildungsroman novels as well as John Green. He weaves stories that are full of joy and wonder and discovery of adolescence but keeps them rooted in the listlessness and anxiety and melancholy that comes with crossing the threshold from childhood to adulthood. 
This is a little treat of a novel. It could never mean as much to me as Fault in Our Stars meant to me at nineteen, but just because my taste veers toward more adult themes now doesn’t mean I can’t recognize the beauty of a simple story about grief, mental illness and coming of age told with kindness and understanding. John Green’s books always spare empathy for all his characters, both the deserving and malicious, and it’s nice to live in a world with that much grace even if it’s only momentary respite.

However.
Adult me can't get past a few details: 1) Are all John Green teen characters geniuses? Blessed with the ability to quote and understand numerous classic literature references, have an in-depth knowledge of art and media and a very accomplished understanding of science and the universe. 2) As an extension of 1, no character speaks in a way that is believable or unique to them. So many literary references (which I love) that are wholly unrealistic in a teen novel. 3) This book could have worked just as well without a missing parent angle, the mystery felt gimmicky, distracting and irrelevant to the story. 

amarachireads's review against another edition

2.5

This book buckles under the weight of itself and ends five separate times 

gretaxo's review against another edition

3.0

"There's this very famous scientist,and he's giving a lecture on astronomy  to a large audience. And he's describing how the Earth orbits the Sun, and the Sun orbits the galaxy, etcetera, etcetera. And when he's finally done, a little old lady in the back raises her hand and says, "Professor, with all due respect, what you've just told us is bullshit. The truth is, the Earth is resting on the back of a giant turtle." So, the very famous scientist gives a smug smile and says,  "So, what is the turtle resting on?" And the woman replies, "It's resting on the shell of another giant turtle, of course." And the scientist says, "And that turtle?" And the woman exclaims,  "Don't you understand? It's turtles, all the way down." You're imagining the true self, the self that exists independent of circumstance, as that turtle on the very bottom of the pile. But maybe it's turtles, all the way down. Maybe you're infinite. And I think your doubts make you more real, not less."
"You're just so pathologically uncurious that you don't even know what you don't know."
"I think you will have a very full life. But I don't want to lie to you. I think it'll be hard sometimes. I think, you'll see that life unbuilt. But you'll always rebuild it. And you will never be alone. Because you will always love and be loved. And love is both how you become a person and why. Love, is how you become real."

its full of cliches but an interesting plotline

schattenkeks's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Car accident

rachie_dunn's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

katherine_christina's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

It's been a long time since I read The Fault in Our Stars, but after reading this book, I know I need to go back and read all of John Green's books. I felt gripped to the pages from start to finish, and I loved John Green's writing, like loveddd. Something about it just made me feel incredibly connected to the characters, captured me from the first page, and left me highlighting many, many quotes. I knew nothing about this book until I saw the trailer for the movie, but I think it came into my life when I honestly needed it the most. John Green has a way of putting into words feelings that I didn't know I needed until I read them. I wasn't sure how the book was going to wrap up, but the ending was perfect and had me crying. It's a 4.75 solely because at times I felt like the characters talked in a way that no one actually talks, but I honestly don't even care, so this may end up getting changed to 5 stars. I know that this book is going to be one that sticks with me forever so thank you John Green, thank you.

probablestars's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

danifarmer3312's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

samanthaem's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5