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

emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I read this book years ago but finally bought a copy and decided to reread, and I still love it to this day.
I do think it is advertised weirdly, though! This isn't centered around the "mystery" of the book- it is almost 100% centered around the main character, but not in a bad way, just in a mental health way. 
I personally have OCD and anxiety, and this book is the best representation I have ever found. Aza's thought spirals and intrusive thoughts are presented so accurately. It's so easy to get stuck in your head with disorders like this- your doctors tell you it's just a thought and to "find the originator", but it's turtles all the way down. There is no originator with intrusive thoughts.
I will mention - and I did not have this warning my first read - if you have OCD or anxiety, this may be triggering. The entire book is Aza's perspective and we see her thoughts displayed in extreme detail. There are also multiple instances where she self harms
and a few where she consumes hand sanitizer
. If you're easily triggered by detailed mental health writing like this, I would recommend avoiding this book.
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