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. ( )