Paper Towns, by John Green

As with yesterdays' post, my review of Rainbow Rowell's Landline, I read John Green's Paper Towns because I'd been hearing so much about him and the success of The Fault in our Stars. I resolved to read one of his books and I found Paper Towns on my shelves at home. It's about Quentin, who's been secretly in love with Margo all his life. As they grew up she became one of the cool kids while he's remained with his nerdy pack of smart kids. All along they remain friendly, however, and one day Margo shows up at his door to take him on a night of adventure after which she disappears. Quentin sets out to track down the clues and find Margo, learning a lot about himself and the world in the process.

Although I've recently resolved to read less YA fiction (too much drama), I really enjoyed Paper Towns. The characters are interesting and believable: Quentin's psychologist parents, Margo's little sister Ruthie and her uncaring parents, his friends Ben and Radar. The writing is good and keeps you reading. The mystery of what happened to Margo is intriguing and unpredictable; the reader is kept guessing as to whether she's  abandoned everyone in her life or something worse. Paper Towns is also very funny. This book would be good for both teens and adults. I look forward to reading more from John Green.

John Green. Paper Towns. New York: Dutton Books, 2008. Advance uncorrected proof. 305 pages. ISBN 9780525478188.