2009 edgar winner best young adult

High School and Up - Quentin 'Q' Jacobsen considers growing up next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman the miracle of his life. Though they were friends as children, now in high school Q and Margo move in different social circles. Margo is adventurous, popular, idolized; nerdy Q is in the school band crowd, though he himself is not musical. Through the years since their friendship, Q has loved Margo from afar, so when she comes tapping on his window in the night, only a few weeks before graduation, to ensnare Q in one of her wild plans, he can't say no. In the morning, Margo is gone. While many other people in her life believe this is just another one of Margo's awesome adventures, Q can't stop thinking about her cryptic words, clues she seems to have left just for him, and a disturbing event from their childhood. What does Margo mean that she is 'never coming back?'
Paper Towns is a funny and thoughtful mix of teenage introspection and antics. John Green seems well aware of the tropes of young adult literature (the road trip, the party, the unattainable girl) and plays off them to say something really important about what it means to know another person. This novel made number one on YALSA's 2009 Teen's Top Ten. Recommended for all teen collections. ( )

My second book that i read was Paper Towns. John Green wrote this book. I was recomened this book by a class mate. i read the first few pages and knew i would like it. I personaly really liked this book. It was relatable to common day life. Especially the charaters, normal teens. The writing was exciting. deff beleivable.

The main charaters are all teens. In the book it talks about the everyday problems that all teens have that the characters are having. Such as Q. He is the average kid in school. He has a group of friends. He meets them in a certain place at school in the mornings. He has his problems with the jocks. Them teasing. The usual nerd - jock relationship. Q likes the popular beautiful girl that of course has a boyfreind. But they just have more of a event filled life. They like to "explore" and some like to just leave. The story keeps you on your toes.
I knew when i read those first few pages that i would like this book. it seemed normal enough, which i like. i like the day to day teen books. something i can relate to. The problems that go on in this book are relatable.

Reviewed by coollibrarianchick for TeensReadToo.com

I first fell in love with John Green when he came out with the book LOOKING FOR ALASKA. I was equally enchanted with AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES. Last night, I finally finished John Green's latest and greatest addition, PAPER TOWNS. Mind you, I have been trying to finish it for three days crammed between work, work, and more work. It got to the point that something had to give and it was going to be my work, because I just had to finish the book. I read someone else's review and she said that she was tempted to skip to page 305, the last page, to see what happened to one of the main characters, Margo. I want this person to know I was tempted to but, alas, I did not peek either - I was so proud of myself. Besides, waiting until the end made the book even more satisfying.

Reading this book reminded me of the people who I went to high school with - the band geeks, the jocks, the Untouchable popular kids. I knew people that were like Margo, Quentin, Radar, Ben, and Lacey. Some I liked, others I didn't. I get Margo's feeling of needing to get out of the paper town she lives in so she doesn't get even more sucked in.

Would I have done it her way? Probably not, but her way led to some really funny dialogue between the characters and a neat little mystery to figure out.

PAPER TOWNS pulls you in from the beginning. One thing Green does so well is go into detail, painting rich layers seamlessly tying together the characters and their stories.

We read a story about something that happened in Quentin and Margo's childhood and then skip forward many years to a time right before Prom, which Quentin will not go to for any amount of money offered. Things get interesting when Margo shows up at his window dressed liked a ninja, insisting that he has to help her. Mind you, Margo is Quentin's unrequited love, so you tell me, does he go along with Margo's adventure? It only takes a little coaxing, but he sure does. The night, as they accomplish all the things on Margo's list, who is hellbent on revenge, is pretty magical, not just for Quentin but Margo, too.

School the next day was definitely interesting, for lack of a better word. Quentin struggles to say awake in class because their adventure lasted to just about dawn, and then realizes that Margo isn't in school. I am not sure if I would have gone to school, either, after all they had done the night before....

The question will soon become - where is Margo? She has seemingly disappeared, leaving clues for Quentin to find. Will Quentin and his friends figure out the clues, and will they lead to Margo? And if they do, will she be dead or alive? You will just have to read the book to find out.

It will not surprise me one iota if Green walks away with a few awards for this book. Definitely another winner! ( )

Paper Towns was an excellent book. It showed a Young boy named Quentins Love for his neighbor Margo Roth Speigelman. He always admired her from afar, but one day she appeared at his window. After an exciting night of revenge against others at their school Q was really in love. The next day Margo was gone she left behind clues for Q to put together. This was just the begininng of Quentins journey for Margo. ( )

Fantastic book. This changed my life. ( )

Greene is always funny and snappy. The story is compelling. Characters are fun. I am a little disappointed in the simarity in the character from Looking for Alaska. John really puts his leading ladies on a pedastal. ( )

I have to echo one of the earlier reviewers who found fault with the ending. Had the ending been a little tighter and a little less esoteric, this would have been a 5 star read.

But even with the questionable ending, the book was still great, and I devoured it quickly because the rest of the text was so well written. ( )

The premise was hard to swallow, a smart, popular high school girl opting out of life in the middle class for a life alone on the road, but John Green is such a skillful writer he made me believe it. Quentin Jacobsen is a smart, nerdy kid who has nursed a crush on his next-door neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman, practically since they were in diapers, but certainly since the day they found a dead man in the park when they were young. Margo has spun into a different orbit as they've grown, into a popular and daring teen. One night she appears at Q's window, and beckons him on the adventure of his young life. The next day she disappears. Q becomes obsessed with finding her, or finding out what happened to her. The book is filled with wit and observations about life, and though it is marketed as young adult fiction, adults will enjoy it as well. And what is a paper town? That's an interesting story in itself. ( )

Here’s a book you can give to young men and women in equal measure. For girls, it will give them a rare glimpse into male obsession. For guys, it’s a male bonding experience with some great pranks. For all teens, the story offers a strong dose of detective work and high adventure--a road trip, in fact. Quentin (“Q”) Jacobsen hits the road with his buddies in search of Margo Roth Spiegelman.

Full review:
http://www.twentybyjenny.com/admin/cm... ( )

All his life, Quentin has been fascinated by his neighbor, the lovely Margo Roth Spiegelman. She's beautiful, confident, snarky, and everyone loves her. But how well does everyone really know her? When Margo disappears after taking Quentin on a whirlwind one-night road trip, she leaves clues behind. Quentin knows that she means for him to find her. But can he do it in time?

I think I've come to the realization that I like John Green himself more than I really like his books. I really enjoyed the funny parts of this book (and there were many). But really I found both Margo and Quentin to be pretty obnoxious, which may have been partly the point of the book. This will please Nerdfighters and if you get a chance to hear John Green speak, please do because he's awesome, but Paper Towns was not really my cup of tea.

Oh, the audio recording was great. Very good narrator able to pull off the funny bits. John Green reads the prologue and author's note. ( )

An excellent read for Young Adults as well as adults. Paper Towns captures teenage angst in a way no other author can. His fluid language and original characters allow readers to experience each and every page with exciting detail. The mystery behind Margo Roth Speigleman may never be fully explained, but that's what makes this novel so great--finally a YA novel that doesn't need a clean ending. ( )

The search for Margo begins the night after she and main character Q spend a night together causing all sorts of mayhem allover town. Fearing that Margo is dead, Q stumbles across clue after clue which he believes will lead him to Margo, dead or alive.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it not long after fininishing Looking For Alaska and still found the writing style fresh and unique. I think the unique-ness of this book is what makes it so different from all the other teen books out there. It's a story that seems so realistic, but is not at all boring. The characters are great, and have that real depth to them, and are much unlike any other characters in any other books I've ever read.
I can't tell whether I enjoyed this more than Looking For Alaska, but I loved it all the same. It was definitely one of the more funny and realistic books I've read. ( )

Being a big fan of Green's An Abundance of Katherines, I was very happy to give another one of his novels a try. He did not disappoint. Paper Towns amply supplies the quirky kind of sense of humor mixed with a serious plot and likable characters that I had fallen for in his earlier work.

Quentin Jacobsen is a little shocked when his former childhood friend, Margo Roth Spiegelman, approaches him at his bedroom window a few weeks before high school graduation to engage in an all-night revenge spree on her fellow popular "friends". Although the two had spent a great deal of time together when they were young (including finding the body of a neighborhood man who had committed suicide in the local park) but the two had gone their separate ways as the beautiful Margo grew increasingly popular. Quentin (called Q by his friends) had admired Margo from afar all these years and jumped at the opportunity to spend some time with her. However, when Margo disappears the very next day Q is left with a mystery on his hands. What's more, Margo has left some cryptic clues for him to follow- clues that point to her permanent disappearance, alive or otherwise. Can Q unwrap the mystery that she has left for him and uncover the real Margo Roth Spiegelman?

This is a great read about a rebellious girl who is caught in the trappings of normality and popularity. The story explores familiar high school archetypes and keeps the reader interested while teaching an important lesson about being who you want to be. It isn't the deepest plot, and some parts of the mystery that seem obvious to me as an adult reader would be more intriguing to the younger audience. Still, it's an excellent YA read. ( )

I agree with the YA who loaned me this book: the female lead is obnoxious. I also agree with her, though, that the book is fun despite the obnoxious female lead. The relationship between the narrator and his two best friends is particularly enjoyable, and I snickered out loud more than once. It is through these relationships, more than through his relationship with the runaway female lead, that the protagonist learns about what it means to be a friend, to be an individual, and to live life both responsibly and without regret. ( )

As many nerdfighters would agree, this book is made of awesome and it is nerdtastic. Some of the action taking place and some of the dialogue made me laugh out loud. I love how there are so many references to brotherhood 2.0 and the nerdfighter community. Despite the unlikelihood of certain events, such as breaking and entering quite a number of times, I was awed by how much I can relate to one character in particular: Margo. She describes nearly all the people in her life as being plain or two dimensional (like paper) which drives her to escape and immerse herself in her own desired reality. Having people see what they expect from you versus being true to yourself and others is a reoccurent theme in the book.

The story features two roadtrips and those are the peeks in terms of suspense and adrenaline. I found that the middle part of the book drags a bit as Q discovers the clues and tries to make sense of them. It's simply a change in dynamic. I also found that the characters were lacking in somethings. Perhaps the best way to put it is that they too were mostly two-dimensional and therefore not as layered or believable.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Paper Towns as it is humorous and nerdy. I also like how Margo is eccentric and I appreciate how this book can be read by both genders as it seems the YA book market is geared more towards female readers. I may be wrong on that last one though. ( )

This novel aimed at older teens is a funny and tender story of friendship and (believe it or not) poetry. Margo has gone missing, leaving clues for Quentin and his friends to follow. A major clue is a copy of Walt Whitman’s long poem, Leaves of Grass. Margo has highlighted certain lines, but what do they mean? There is also her record collection. How did none of them know that she was such a fan of Woody Guthrie and Billy Bragg? How do we really know anything about another person? Old maps, abandoned buildings, clues left on archane ‘Omnipedia’ entries, lead to Q. & co missing graduation to try to save a friend. In Paper Towns John Green takes us on a merry ride across several American states, has us considering the wisdom of lines of poetry we wouldn’t have thought twice about yesterday, and introduces us to some odd, endearing and also some pretty annoying characters.

It is 1:34AM and I have successfully read Paper Towns within 24 hours. I started some time after 6PM. Although I positively adored John Green's book An Abundance of Catherines, this one lacked something. I have to admit it did keep me reading but there was no...reason behind it all. Not really. Perhaps that was the point: sometimes life gets random. But I did not like the ending and the story itself didn't seem to have very much grounding. I was rather dissapointed. ( )

Quentin "Q" Jacobsen is in love the perfect Margo Roth Spiegelman. One day, Margo shows up at Quentin's window, and together they play pranks on Margo's enemies. The next day, Margo has disappeared. Soon, Quentin finds clues left by Margo, and his quest to find her begins.

I absolutely loved Paper Towns. I could not put this book down, and I ended up finishing it in three school days. Usually, with school, it takes me at least a week to finish a book. The book was witty, meaningful, and just plain fun. The deeper meaning was my favorite part of the novel. Because of the similar theme, Paper Towns strongly reminded me of The Great Gatsby. In fact, after I finished reading The Great Gatsby and Winter Dreams (a short story also by F. Scott Fitzgerald with the same theme) for English last semester, I could not stop thinking how people wrongly perceive other people as idols or perfections. Now, I am experiencing the same feeling.

Green also seamlessly wove symbols into the story. One example is the black Santas that Radar’s parents collect. I actually did not catch this one while I was reading. How did I find out about it, then? By looking at a vlog by John Green. I don’t know how many of you have seen it, but if you’re interested, it’s at the end of this post. Another thing I enjoyed about the novel was the inclusion of interesting tidbits. The obvious one is paper towns, specifically where Margo disappeared to. Omnictionary was also a clever name, and I enjoyed Leaves of Grass too. Paper Towns is now one of my favorite novels. ( )

I wasn't that impressed with the book. I personally found it hard to stay interested and follow it. Not until then end, when they were searching for Margo, did I really get into the book.
The strength was the characterization - you did feel like you knew the characters and could relate them to someone in real life.
The weakness I thought was that it was a little long and drawn out. I thought it was hard to understand in parts and wonder if middle school aged kids would miss a lot from that. I don't think some of the profanity and sexual connotations added to this book. ( )

(#23 in the 2009 Book Challenge)

YA novel, by the same author of Looking for Alaska which I love ... which worked out pretty well because it's essentially the same story. Endearing but slightly awkward guy has a crush on a cute but troubled girl. I do find his books laugh out loud funny, so there's that.
Grade: B+
Recommended: Well, if you liked Looking for Alaska and would like to read it again, this would be great for you. I also like the Ode to Suburban Florida that this has going on. ( )

This book was thought provoking and challenging; it is clearly not a "beach read". This book, I think, was meant for mature readers.

Paper Towns strength was characterization. The main character, Quentin (or just Q), has a quirky habit of saying things in a list. Mary Roth Spielgeman is an adventurous girl who is searching for more than her superficial friends can provide. Q's best friends have quirks as well. Radar's parents have the second largest collection of Black Santas. Ben is a nerd who really wants a girlfirend, but unfortunately refers to females as 'honey bunnies'. I felt that these characters were real, and relatable. The characterization in this book helped me get into the story.

The weakness of Paper Towns it that it is not accessible or appealing to all young adult readers. Admittedly, John Green says he writes for teenagers that are very thoughtful and mature as readers (teenreads.com). He uses complex vocabulary that most students would not know. The idea of a paper town - a town full of superficial people- is a particularly thoughtful theme. Also, there is quite a bit of Walt Whitman's poetry in this book. "Song of Myself" from Leaves of Grass is spoken of and analyzed frequently. Overall, I think this book is only accessible to higher-level thinkers and mature readers. ( )

Last word first: I loved it, and when I finish this review, I am going out to find all other books written by this author. Paper Towns is hilariously funny, well-written, and has a cast of characters you can't help but love.
"The way I figure it, everyone gets a miracle... My miracle was this: out of all the houses in all the subdivisions in all of Florida, I ended up living next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman."

All his life, Q has adored Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she shows up at his window in the middle of the night, asking him to be her getaway driver on a mission of revenge, of course he says yes. Q thinks maybe their new bond will change things between him and Margo, but she's become even more of a mystery.

My thoughts: I can't remember the last time a book made me laugh this hard. Margo's revenge makes me want to go out and make some enemies so I can play these pranks on them. Q and his friends are a bunch of disgustingly accurate teenage boys (not that I've ever been a teenage boy, but my husband tells me that, yes, they are this gross among themselves), but wittier than most teenage boys, and I was laughing out loud pretty much every time they spoke.

Aside from the humor, this book talks about a lot of serious issue that apply not just to teens. Though there is the typical coming of age type of theme, it is visited in a way that I found fresh and interesting. Paper Towns also has a lot to say about the way we percieve others, and whether we can ever truly understand another person. I think this book has one of the best perspectives I've ever read on the walls that make you feel alone in a room full of people. I wish my younger self could have read this book.

As a side note, I find it interesting that authors always write such emotionally mature teenagers.

I am struck by how incredibly quotable this book is. Here are a couple of my favorites:

"She wore white shorts and a pink T-shirt that featured a green dragon breathing a fire of orange glitter. It is difficult to explain how awesome I found this T-shirt at the time."

"I'm not sure what you're supposed to say to the checkout lady at twelve-thirty in the morning when you put thirteen pounds of catfish, Veet, the fat-daddy size tub of Vaseline, a six-pack of Mountain Dew, a can of blue spray paint, and a dozen tulips on the conveyer belt. But here's what I said: 'This isn't as weird as it looks.'
The woman cleared her throat but didn't look up. 'Still weird,' she muttered." ( )

I know John Green is supposed to be a wonderful author; the reviews on the book are impressive, etc.--BUT this book left me wondering why everyone likes him so much. The description of the various social groups in a high school were right on and I loved the interaction of the group of friends...but, come on, how many kids would skip their high school graduation (and the parties and the family gatherings and the gifts)? And I guess I didn't think that kids think so deeply, looking for meaning and significance where there might not be any. ( )