Turtles All the Way Down
John Green
2017, 286 pages
Young Adult
In this novel, the main character, Aza, struggles to handle her obsessive compulsive disorder while leading a somewhat normal life. Juggling life, school and friends as a teenager is never easy, especially when it feels like a never-ending spiral, which in Aza’s head it is. However, a twist gets thrown her way when a local billionaire goes missing once the police come looking for him. It being the father of her old childhood friend Davis, everyone thinks that she might know something that could help. Through this tragedy she is able to rekindle an old bond with Davis; they had gone to camp together for people who had lost a parent. Their relationship is tested as Aza struggles to gain control over her OCD which seems to be increased as clues to Davis’s father’s disappearance unfold.
John Green has done it again with his most recent novel, Turtles All the Way Down. It is such an incredible read that keeps you wanting to read more and more as you get to the end of each chapter. Aza is such a great, relatable character that gives you an idea of what it is like to try to handle mental disorders and the ordeals that people may be facing because of it. The final few sentences of the book (no spoilers, I promise!) will leave you satisfied with the message that Green is trying to convey through this book about friendships and how to handle tough situations.
Elizabeth Sousa Concord Public Library
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