Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Turtles All the Way Down

I liked it and have nothing to complain about except for that I felt as if there was something missing throughout the entire story.

Although, Out of all the coming of age contemporary teen books I have read, this one is my least favourite.

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izzyrose8's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring slow-paced

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

3.5

My first impression was that the characters are quirky and charmingly realistic in that uniquely John Green-y way. This, as per usual when it comes to his work, was the best part. Overall, the plot just felt like it was lacking a little. I enjoyed Aza’s character development, as well as the friendship dynamic between her and Daisy, but felt as though all of the truly meaningful elements of the story were overshadowed by the presence of a mystery that I really had no interest in solving. Davis, Aza’s romantic interest, simply wasn’t intriguing enough to spark any interest about his life, which is required to care about the mystery the main characters are trying to solve. For the most part, he serves as a basic pretty-boy love interest with a tragic backstory, but has no discernible personality traits outside of being rich and pretentious. I felt sad for his circumstances, but not to the point where he became endearing to me or lead me to care about his family. I was far more concerned with Aza, which created an overall sense of, “Oh, I hope things turn out well for Aza and Daisy! They remind me so much of myself and the friendships I had when I was younger. How nostalgic… oh and also there’s a big spooky mystery going on. Kinda forgot about that.”

However, while I found the inclusion of Davis’ character to be slightly… meh, I also feel that it is unfair for me to fully criticize this aspect, as it wasn’t meant for ME to enjoy. The characters act like typical teenagers - pretentiously overusing Shakespeare, writing fanfiction, and maintaining edgy Tumblr blogs. To a teenage girl, the first basic pretty-boy love interest that walks into her life is an incredibly huge deal. Therefore, when looking at this elements from the perspective of a young adult, it’s easy to roll your eyes. You either need to BE a teenager or put your nostalgia glasses on to really appreciate the cheesiness here. While I was put off at first, this realization made the characters much more endearing and deepened my appreciation for the book as a whole. I feel like it’s important to consider this before jumping into the reading.

That note aside, I do absolutely love this story’s representation of those suffering from anxiety and intrusive thoughts. Aza’s inner monologue is so accurate to the personal experiences of many, myself included, and serve as a great comfort to those who have struggled with similar circumstances. It inspires hope and provides reassurance that we are not alone in navigating our personal mental health issues.
The ending of the story was particularly strong in this message, and made me tear up a little with feelings of pride and love for Aza, after having undergone such a heartfelt journey with her throughout these pages.

All in all, it was a good story. Nothing that blew my mind in itself. Had I had the right mindset going into it, I might have appreciated it a little bit more from the beginning. HOWEVER, if you have known struggle in the realm of anxiety and intrusive thoughts, Turtles All The Way Down might very well be worth picking up. Green’s awareness of the realities of mental health coupled with the story’s hopeful overarching message makes for a combo that is both refreshing and reassuring. You are not alone.

Cry counter: 1

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grboph's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I read this book early in high school but decided to read it again because I didn't really remember anything about it. I liked it a lot - the story was creative and interesting, and I like that it portrays mental health conditions in such a humanizing way. Aza and Daisy's friendship was also great, and while I am admittedly a bit sad that Aza and Davis did not end up together, I think that was the most realistic thing that could have happened. It did feel a little teenager-deep at times, but in general, it was really entertaining and I'm very glad I decided to reread it! I'd recommend this one to anyone who is a fan of John Green or is interested in stories about mental health.

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skan's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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illgiveyouahint's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I really loved Aza's unique voice. It's clear that John has personal experience with OCD. The plot at first feels very John Green-esque until you realise the plot is not the point and it's only a means to an end. The first two thirds of the book were fine but felt kinda like any other John Green book but then the last third took up speed and really drew me in. Like this might end up being my favourite book of his after The Anthropocene Reviewed.
I'm glad this book exists so people can understand OCD a bit better.
Also there is just so many book references in this. That's such a John Green thing to do tbh

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clovetra's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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casira's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I didn't have a good time with this. It was meandering and it didn't always seem entirely sure of what it was trying to say. The ending was very "love is the answer to everything" in a way that didn't seem to truly address most of what the rest of the book was about? And the characters were a bit insufferable.

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chelseeaa's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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