Paper Towns

The prologue to the novel opens with our protagonist Quentin “Q” Jacobsen recalling an incident from when he was nine-years-old; when he and his neighbour and childhood friend Margo Roth Spiegelman found the body of Robert Joyner, who had committed suicide.

The novel flashes forward, Quentin is now a senior in high school and like many childhood friends he and Margo have drifted apart. It is a month before his graduation, when in the middle of the night, Margo shows up at his bedroom window with a plan to seek revenge on those she feels have wronged her.

After their night of revenge on classmates who have wronged them the duo break into theme park SeaWorld.

The next day at school Quentin wonders if he and Margo will reconnect. Margo does not come to school that day or the next. After three days her parents file a police report. As Quentin was the last person to see Margo he is questioned by police.

Quentin learns that Margo has run away multiple times before and that her parents now seem to be beyond caring – her mother plans to change the locks. The police point out she is not a minor and that she left on her on accord.

When looking at Margo’s window Quentin notices a poster of musician Woody Guthrie taped to back of her window shade. Quentin enlists the help of his best friends Ben and Radar and they bribe Margo’s younger sister to let them search her room. This search leads them to Guthrie’s song ‘Walt Wiltman’s Niece’, which leads them to a collection of Wiltman’s poetry with lines highlighted.

He believes that Margo has left these cryptic clues for him to find her. With the help of Radar, Ben and his girlfriend Lacey, the four set off on a road trip in search of Margo Roth Spiegelman.

Before reading the novel I was unaware of the term ‘Paper Towns’ and found it interesting to learn about Paper Towns along with the characters and have done more research on the subject since finishing the book.

There are incidents of excessive underage drinking, sex and nudity. These incidents are not glorified but rather a portrayal of teenage life. I would recommend Paper Towns for junior high school age students and older.

This book is about a girl Margo who goes missing and Quentin takes it upon himself to try and find her as his own personal mission.
I believe this was a great book that kept readers intrigued for most of the book. Paper Towns has a great plot and was interesting through the entire book but I don't like the characters in this book as I believe it was over the top. The obsession Quentin has with Margo was annoying as I read the book and so many important things he put off. Also, Margo sounds like a very selfish character which I just didn't appreciate. I did not enjoy the end of this book but the creativity of John Green to not go with the obvious ending most people would have expected. I would recommend this book to anyone because it is enjoyable and has a very interesting plot.

People are always fascinated by those who treat them badly and thats exactly what Margo Roth Spiegelman does to Q in this book and he just EATS IT UP! This is a good book but I found myself getting it really mad at both of them. Her for being so manipulative and him for being such a chump. I recommend the book but be prepared to grit your teeth sometimes with Margo's insane behavior.

I’m going to be honest here and say that I didn’t really like Paper Towns much for most of the story. I didn’t hate it or anything, but I didn’t especially like it either. I hated Margo, I hated that Quentin was so obsessed with her, and I hated that Margo hated that Margo hated the future and started to make Quentin question the entirety of his life. As you can see, pretty much all my problems revolved around Margo :P

But then we get to the road trip. I can’t even count how many times I laughed out loud during that long car ride. It was just so freaking fantastic. The side characters are what really added to it. I mean, I lonely road trip is all fine and dandy, but Quentin had some seriously awesome friends who were pretty much made to go on a road trip. I already know I’ll reread the chapters containing the road trip multiple times for years to come.

For those of you who’ve read Paper Towns I just wanted to talk about the whole idea of paper towns for a minute. Now, I know it mentions them about a gajillion times in the book but I’m referring to Margo’s version: that the whole world is made of paper and made of people who live in the future and how that’s a terrible thing. I feel like I’ve gotten weirdly offended by this. I have no idea why I feel so strongly about it, but maybe it’s partly that I can identify with Quentin’s enjoyment of boredom. I like sameness and planning and knowing what’s going to happen. In fact, I not only like it, but I kind of rely on it. So in a way, it felt like Margo was telling me that my idea of life was the wrong one. And yes, I realize I just referred to a fictional character talking to me.

And now I think I’m done being “deep” :P

The Nutshell: So, I wasn’t a fan of Margo, but I did, in fact, like the rest of the characters. Paper Towns is one of those books you read because it’s fun, it makes you think, and the side characters are all freaking fantastic. And there’s a road. And it’s an awesome one.

Hit

All of John Green's book have one thing in common: they are incredibly hard to put down. Like seriously, I stop my life when I get a hold of one of Green's books. Another thing they have in common is a boy that makes me want to wish upon every shooting star. These dudes are great! Quentin and his friends are some of the funniest guys ever!

Paper Towns is about a boy named Quentin who has been infatuated with a girl named Margo Roth Speigelman for all of his life. Margo appears in his room one night and they embark on an all-night revenge-seeking adventure. The next day at school, Margo is not there. Nor the next day. Nor the next week. Quentin and his friends discover clues about Margo and her whereabouts as the story continues.
The blurb on the cover says that Paper Towns is "profoundly moving," but I wouldn't go that far. The characters are developed very well in this story, and I applaud John Green for that. Green also took the time to carefully arrange each piece of the story arc, like it was a spider web; if you took one little strand, you'd find yourself led to the next one until you found Margo in the center. Although the book did receive a four star from me, it went downhill after the first half of the book. I became a bit confused with where Quentin was searching and why he was there, so you definitely have to pay close attention to all of Margo's clues.

Reader reviewed by Tessa'sTalkingTigers

                Quentin Jacobson has always admired
Margo Roth Spiegelman so when she invites him on an adventurous night of
revenge he goes. After their revenge adventure Margo disappears. She has left
clues for Quentin to find her and he cant ignore them. As he follows these
clues he starts to see Margo as a whole new girl.

            Our group rated this book a 4 on a
scale of 1 to 5. We really enjoyed the book but the ending could have been
stronger. This book was very entertaining, funny, and interesting. Our group
would recommend it to and teen looking for and adventurous yet realistic book.
This book helped us realize that just because you see a person one way doesnt
mean that they are not a completely different person behind closed doors.

Reader reviewed by Alisha, Kate, Robert, Jessica

Margo
Roth Spiegelman is more unique then many people think. After being back stabbed
by multiple friends, Margo plans a long nights worth of revenge and Q is just
the person to be her partner in crime.

On a
scale from one to five Id say this book is a four. From the beginning it was
interesting and kept me wanting more. I would recommend it to young adults,
especially women.

Reader reviewed by Jill at The O.W.L.

Reader reviewed by Melyssa

Quentin Jacobsen has an ordinary boring life and that is just the way he likes it.  That is until his neighbor/girl of his dreams, Margo Roth Spiegelman shows up at his window, just 24 days before graduation.  After a night of adventures, full of righting wrongs, punishing the wicked, and breakings very separate from enterings, Margo disappears.  This begins the greatest adventure of Quentin, the boy next door.  Aided by his best friends, Radar and Ben, they embark on a search for Margo and learn that perhaps they never really knew her at all.

 

I read a lot of books and many of them are very disappointing.  That being said Paper Towns was a pleasure to read.  John Green masterfully tells the story of Quentin and his adventures.  Full of humor, intrigue, and a wistful sort of love, Paper Towns is the real deal.  You will find yourself tearing through the pages of this book, enamored of the journey.  In truth, this review cannot possibly do this book justice, so if you are looking for a supremely wonderful reading experience, pick up a copy of Paper Towns, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.