Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - Turtles All the Way Down

La cosa è che John non è un bravissimo scrittore. Non sa nemmeno cos’è la sottigliezza. A volte può suonare un po’ pretenzioso. Ma ha i suoi momenti.

La storia in sé è stata… eh. Preferivo più la storia della salute mentale di Aza che quella dei Pickett. Mi dispiace, capisco che la situazione di Davis è cattiva, e me ne simpatizzo. Ma non simpatizzerò che è un ragazzo ricchissimo. Ecco, povero Davis. Tutto il mondo solo vuole essere il tuo amico per il suo denaro. Che difficile è la tua vita. Mio Dio 🙄.

Il solo personaggio che mi piaceva davvero era Noah. Povero.

Quella merda con Daisy e Ayala mi ha arrabbiato moltissimo. Dico, Aza è migliore che io, perché se fossi lei, non potrei seguire essere l’amica di Daisy

Content Warnings

lainiereads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don't think I will ever stop thinking about this book.
A major reason for that is the focus on the mental health issues that can take place after a diagnosis. Often, books about mental illnesses show characters discovering their problems and finish with them deciding to get help after the story ends. Aza’s story starts where the others would end; she is already in therapy, already on medication, already aware of what is going on in her brain. However, she is still ill. Her mental illness was not gone once she got help- she continues to struggle. While both of these stories are real and important, it's rare to see a book that covers this part of the mental health journey. As someone who spent four years trying various medications before finding one that worked, I have never seen that aspect of mental illness shown in media, I cannot say how much I appreciated reading about Aza’s struggle- because I have felt those things too. There is still so much pain that can come after a diagnosis, and that part of the journey is often forgotten. Our illnesses may be different, but I still felt seen while reading this.
Definitely look into trigger warnings before reading this, especially if you have struggled with your own mental health. We follow many of Aza's mental spirals throughout this story, which were very relatable and therefore, triggering.

some of my favorite quotes:
-[about doctors] "You can kind of measure how crazy you are based on how soon they want to see you back."
-"I think and I think and I think."
-"It’s easy enough to say what it was like, but impossible to say what it was."

Content Warnings

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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louisesmith's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective sad 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

4.0

I ended up really enjoying this book. I think that John Green writing style for this novel was what was either going to make it or break it. The representation of mental illness in the characters was beautifully terrifying. I'm a huge fan of the inclusion of Davis' writing with the quotes too, it added to the somber feeling that this book gave me. It was sad, but the ending of this novel left me feeling content in a strange way. Aza's character was messy, complicated and exhausting but so were the thoughts in her head which is why I believe that was the way that Green intended us to feel about the character. The dynamic that Daisy added as a side character was much needed and I think in some way that she almost acted like us as the reader too. The way she used her fan fiction to express her feelings about having Aza in her life was a brutally honest way of doing it and my heart did ache as Aza was reading them. This book isn't the type you can really fall in love with and rave about but the feelings it gave me as a whole is what gives it such a high rating. A beautifully written representation of the demons living in Aza as she tries to come to terms with the pain they cause her. A sad but important novel in todays society.

Content Warnings

idailf's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny inspiring mysterious 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

4.75

Very well written and interesting! I could not put it down (which is why this review was written 4:36 in the morning)

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