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A review by lainiereads
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
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."
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
Graphic: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Vomit