Reviews with content warning for Body horror - Turtles All the Way Down

The question this book raises is: how many stars does a book get for its (good, relatable, rarely well done) depiction of mental illness? I think this was for me the biggest strength of the book. And maybe … when it comes down to it, it’s what made it a good book at all.

Because the representation of OCD in this book is really, really good. It is confronting to see thought spirals portrayed so well. And it was great to see this without any blemish or polish. For my taste, however, too much of the book was about the continuing and worsening spirals, and the (sometimes a little obnoxious) existential wondering included. I guess that’s where this is a YA novel and I am no longer a teen, but it’s a little dramatic. It also made the (at most 50 pages-long) realizations and “recovery” too sudden, too rushed, and unfortunately the book lost some strength here. Yes, it is difficult to write how taking medication regularly will suddenly improve your mental health. But if 3/4ths of the book have been about the hell of the symptoms and the worries about taking meds, it would have been nice to have a bit more analysis. And while the end resonated with my own mental health experiences, it seems counterintuitive and is not often seen and that is exactly why I would have loved for the last 10 pages to last a bit longer.

I just wanted a bit more time in the story. A bit more time for the cool sidekicks. A bit more time for the OCD and for recovery. In the end, though, isn't that also a good sign?

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roaze's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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paleghosty's review against another edition

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emotional informative tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.25

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rosegoes3's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious sad tense

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

4.75

This book is heavy, especially for someone like me who also is mentally ill, it was hard sometimes not to spiral as Aza spirals.

I love John Green’s prose and his understanding of the human condition. Well done.

Daisy sucks. Some of the characters felt very flat and the use of setting was sometimes odd but the dialogue and internal conflict make up for it.

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cstein's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

This, to me, is such an important book. Though the plot itself may not be tremendously innovative, Green's descriptions of the emotional highs and lows of life with anxiety/OCD are at once nauseating, jarring, and comforting in their accuracy. The last few paragraphs gave me goosebumps. As with "The Anthropocene Reviewed," I am profoundly grateful for Green's work here. A rare reread.

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isalovestheocean's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

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