Reviews

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

pypingpanda's review against another edition

4.0

He did an excellent job of portraying how difficult it can be to live with any kind of anxiety or mental trauma.

cordeliareads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

I wish I had read this book when I was in high school. As a fellow Haver of OCD and Anxiety, the way Aza talks about her fears and thoughts was so relatable and somehow comforting to me. The underlying mystery was an interesting enough plot on its own but the story of Aza’s personal growth despite her self-doubt and anxieties was beautiful. Also I loved Davis. John Green, I love you for this book, thank you. 

fallonciera9's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

issianne's review against another edition

5.0

Wow. Did not expect to love this book the way I do. Aza’s mental illness was so powerful. It’s not a plot point; it’s not a plot twist. It’s her, and she’s it. Not in the way that she won’t be able to make it through, that she’ll never be able to come out ahead, but that it’s part of her. OCD and generalized anxiety disorder aren’t the same...but man, I felt known in so many of these moments. I was lost in her spirals with her, good and bad. John Green really hit the mark.

burkhartsa's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring fast-paced

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

4.5

freckledlife's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective tense fast-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

5.0

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

3.25

"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