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

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

John Green will always have a soft spot in my heart. The Fault in Our Stars was my favorite book for so many years because it captured something special and important about being a teenager.

Turtles All the Way Down does the same thing, but extends it to include something special and important about what it’s like to live with a mental illness.

Aza’s story is painful and, at times, heartbreaking to read. But her story is so important.

When you have an unseen diagnosis, it’s so hard to explain it to someone who doesn’t have it. When you have a mental illness, it’s so hard to know if you’re capable of being loved because it’s so easy to fall into the trap of believing that you are simply too annoying, too irritating, too irrational, too hard to love.

And John Green captures every feeling with all the grace, dignity, and humility that I’ve grown to expect from him. 

If you know someone who has a mental illness, please read this book. It will shed light on what it’s like in ways most people can’t explain.

If you have a mental illness, please read this book. It will make you feel seen and understood in ways that you didn’t quite know were possible.

5/5 stars with zero hesitation. Thank you, John Green. <3

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