A review by elliott_the_clementine
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

3.5

I would give Turtles All the Way Down five stars for its accurate, painful depiction of what it is like to live with the panic caused by obsessive-compulsive disorder and related mental illnesses. However, the story itself feels lacking with its painfully not-like-other-girls protagonist and weird side plot involving a missing billionaire, both of which could have been further developed into something interesting (changes that would take this novel from solid to spectacular). Still, it is a good read and an amazing introductory text to translate the experiences of OCD into language that folks without OCD may be able to understand and in which folks with OCD can see themselves. 
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