Paper Towns (2008)

By: John Green

So, I started this novel after a friend of mine told me it was incredible. To be fair, I saw the movie first. But I really tried to distance the two, so I could get an unbiased read. This story follows Q in his (misguided) attempt to find the mysterious Margo Roth Spiegelman after she goes missing. He believes her to be leaving him clues as to her whereabouts, so he can come find her and bring her home.

Q was obsessive in the book. And at times, a horrible friend. He isn’t the most sympathetic character, and yet, you want to empathize with him because he’s the protagonist. While the mystery was entertaining, I felt that the ending was incredibly frustrating. I won’t spoil it, but what’s the point of having a novel—an entire novel—dedicated to this mystery and then just end it the way it does. I understand the chase is part of the fun, but I couldn’t connect.