Book Reviews: John Green Novels

I went to a book store with my mom as I wanted to buy two books. So, I was surfing through the wide array of books over there. Finally, I selected Great Expectations and was in a dilemma between two other books: Brief Answers to Big Questions (Stephen Hawking) and Turtles All the Way Down (John Green). 

I contemplated on which of the books to buy, though I seemed more lenient towards the S. Hawking book as I am a huge fan of his! But then I also wanted to start with YA and try to read more contemporary stuff 😊. Basically, in the end, I ended up choosing Turtles All the Way Down because the book store guy said that he would exchange the book for a new one the next time I would come🤣.

 

So, I wasn't completely new to John Green's writing as I had read Fault in Our Stars previously, but it had been long since I had read another of his work. 

I observed it to be different in Turtles All The Way Down as I could kind of relate to it. The protagonist Aza Holmes, has anxiety problems, something which I too experience quite frequently. She is also an introvert who tends to keep to herself rather than becoming specious. 

This engrossed me in his writing, again! 

Though I am a huge fan of classics, I gotta say that the plots and settings seem alien-like because they were set in the past and I just need to rely on my brain to make up some concoction that transports me to the 1800s. However, in John Green's books, It didn't feel as exotic; since it is set in the same era as the technology-booming one we live in right now.😁

After being astounded by Turtle's All the Way Down, I set off on an expedition to google everything about John Green. 

John Green has written 4 books on his own: 

• Looking For Alaska 
• An Abundance of Katherines 
• Paper Towns 
• The Fault in Our Stars 

And, has co-authored two other books: 

• Will Grayson, Will Grayson with David Levithan 
• Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances with Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

I found out that he has been running a YouTube channel with his brother Hank called Vlogbrothers for almost 14 years!!!! That is quite a feat! 

John and Hank took a challenge to seize all text, call, or email forms of communications and vouched to communicate through videos only on Tuesdays (John's time) and Fridays (Hank's), and they still do it till today; while coping with stardom!! 

He also has two podcasts, Dear Hank and John, and The Anthropocene Reviewed

By now I was awestruck by John Green's writing style and his achievements that I felt motivated to read all of his novels. One by one I started reading his books and this week I successfully finished all his books!!! Woohoooo!!!! 

Here is the summary of all John Green Novels + my thoughts on it! They are ordered according to when they were released.

First up, 

𝕃𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕒

(Young Adult, Coming-of-Age, Fiction)

Miles "Pudge" Halter is a normal teen, with a dull life back home in Florida. He has quite the fascination for the last words of famous people and the only thing he craves is "The Great Perhaps"(Francois Rabelais, poet). Hence, he goes to Culver Creek- a boarding school in Alabama. At school, his life flips from being sluggish to becoming spectacular, ever since he met the daring Alaska Young. Along with the "Colonel", Takumi, and Lara, these teens pull Miles into their world and give him moments that will scar him for life... 

This book gave me emotions of laughter, grief, sorrow, heartbreak, and even thrill! It was the perfect debut novel, filled with sentences that touch you deeply. One can truly feel Alaska's contagious sprightliness and you weep along with the characters. 

The book is divided into two parts: before and after a particularly climactic event, which I won't be revealing. 

Electric, heart-warming and jubilant: it is a perfect addition to your TBR list. 

Pic Courtesy: Wikipedia

I give it: 4 stars

Next, 

𝔸𝕟 𝔸𝕓𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕂𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕤

(Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary Novel)

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And he is always the 'dumpee,' with nineteen experiences in his bag. Before going to college, this anagram-loving, ex-child prodigy teams up with Hassan, his best friend to go on a road trip with $10,000 and of course, no more Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove 'The Theorem of Underlying Katherine' Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship. 

So, I didn't particularly enjoy this book very much. The characters weren't as progressive as any other ones from J.G. Novels, but still, they had their own idiosyncrasies. Lindsey, Hollis, TOC, Katrina... to name a few. This book didn't have any mind-boggling climaxes or any twists in the story; it was just a serene story of a road trip to Gutshot, TX. I was annoyed by Colin's unnecessary whining and his refusal to accept his potential. However, I did like the way John Green tried to inculcate math into a YA book but adding appendices and extra notes. 

If you are looking to start reading John Green's work, I would recommend not to begin with this one. 

Pic Courtesy: Pinterest

I give it: 3 stars

𝕃𝕖𝕥 𝕀𝕥 𝕊𝕟𝕠𝕨

(Young Adult, Romance, Fix-up Novel)

A Christmas eve snowstorm hits the sleepy town, Gracetown, and transforms the lives of high schoolers, looking for their meaning of life. Three interconnected, hilarious, and charming stories about a snow-struck town, starting from one girl and continuing as a chain of reactions, Johnson, Green, and Myracle tell a tale of love, friendship, and the magic of holidays—which can change quite a few lives.

In Johnson’s “The Jubilee Express,” a 16-year-old passenger named Jubilee meets Stuart, who takes her home to his family and convinces her that she needs a better boyfriend than the one she left at home. John Green's “A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle,” narrated by Tobin, who struggles with his buddies through the snow so they can meet 14 stranded cheerleaders. Myracle contributes “The Patron Saint of Pigs,” about a local girl named Addie who has just broken up with her boyfriend.  

A lot of strong characters and emotions... not a very 'rollercoaster' type book, but a good option when you are looking for something tranquil and just to relax. I didn't read this book thoroughly, as I was kind of losing interest in it-- I just did some bit of reading here and there in the library, but I was able to get the gist. However, I did watch the Netflix adaptation, though it wasn't completely based on the book. 

But I would say, it was touching, hilarious and just the right book to get you hyped up for Christmas! 

Pic Courtesy: Wikipedia

I give it: 3.75 stars

ℙ𝕒𝕡𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕠𝕨𝕟𝕤

(Young Adult, Mystery, Fiction) 

Quentin "Q" Jacobsen had spent his high school admiring his intrepid childhood friend Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar, but all that changes when one night Margo enters Q's room and summons him on a journey filled with revenge. After that fruitful night, Quentin returns to school hoping that his far-off relationship with the enigmatic Margo would have been altered. Alas! Q is in vain, as Margo has now disappeared, leaving behind clues that he hopes to decode. His whole life is about to change...

What a spellbinding novel! I was hooked into the pages, tracing Margo's eccentricities through the eyes of naive Quentin and his gang. John Green perfectly combined witty mystery with tender love and that gave rise to the most perfect novel written! The scrambled thoughts in Margo's brain, Q's uncanny connections, and finally the last road trip the teenagers take to reveal Margo's location- it was sublime! Though Quentin/Margo seemed quite similar to Miles/ Alaska's story, they were widely different with varying depths in the story and more mystery. 

It is a perfect read, that will also make you more knowledgeable (John Green has the apt way into making people smarter in a fun way). 

Pic Courtesy: Wikipedia

I give it: 4.5 stars

𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕤𝕠𝕟, 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕤𝕠𝕟

(Young Adult, LGBTQ, Fiction) 

One cold night, in the most unlikely corner of Chicago, a fortuitous event occurs: Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. After this quirky convergence, the lives of these two typical teens, change and becomes forever intertwined and different. With the help of some friends-- Tiny, Jane, Maura, and many more, this novel draws to the most epic closure with the greatest musical to ever grace a high school's stage.

John Green has the tendency to create characters who are similar-- nerdy, quirky obsessions, way too eloquent, etc. He wrote the lines of Will Grayson 1 who carries the same qualities. However, the other Will Grayson (written by David Levithan) is different- he is a bit crazy, sarcastic, and someone who enjoys solitude. This was coupled beautifully, creating a contrast of emotions. 

This had the perfect 'happy and flamboyant ending by mending broken scenarios and creating a perfect utopia. This was also the first LGBTQ-themed novel I have read. 

I really liked the idea of this book, having two authors create a character each and alternate their points of view throughout the novel. For me, it was an entirely different kind of experience and the two authors have such unique styles that I would say it is definitely something everyone should read. 

Overall, great story with some intriguing characters and thought-provoking material.

Pic Courtesy: DeviantArt

 

I give it: 4 stars 

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕦𝕝𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤

(Young Adult, Romance, Fiction) 

Hazel Grace Lancaster is a 16-year-old girl with Thyroid Cancer. Afraid that she is depressed, her concerned mother asks her to attend a cancer support group. There she meets breezy Augustus Waters, who is currently in remission from osteosarcoma. They bond immediately after sharing their favorite novels, where Hazel expresses her love for 'The Imperial Affliction.' In order to know the true ending of the book, Hazel and Gus embark on a magical trip to Amsterdam, to meet Peter van Houten, the estranged author. After their miraculous meeting, and this trip, nothing can ever be the same for these two teenagers. 

Can one talk about Young Adult Novels without mentioning The Fault in Our Stars??? With a spectacular movie adaptation, I really don't have to elucidate why you ought to read this book instantaneously! This book sets the standard for a teen novel, and expresses all the emotions: sorrow, grief, mourning, joy, laughter, quirkiness, etc! 

All novels are personal, but Green's novels seem, to me, to be especially so. But this one is personal in a different way. John Green worked as a student chaplain in a children's hospital, and his bond with those children was exemplified in this novel. 

How did he manage to create such characters with such authenticity and naturalism? I have no words to describe the splendor of this poignant novel! I was in tears while reading and watching the movie (which by the way, did do a pretty good adaptation). The narration was from first person POV, which was the icing on the cake, as it made all the emotions feel humane, and not distant. I could go on and on raving about how good it is! 

The perfect novel for a perfect cry... Go read TFIOS right now!! 

Pic Courtesy: IMDb

I give it: 5 stars

And finally, 

𝕋𝕦𝕣𝕥𝕝𝕖𝕤 𝔸𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕒𝕪 𝔻𝕠𝕨𝕟

(Young Adult, Mental Health, Fiction)

For Aza Holmes navigating her way through high school is hard; she has OCD and anxiety. But, she finds solace in her super cool best friend Daisy Ramirez. Things flip when both of them decide to search for a fugitive billionaire who happens to be a neighbor's father. She is grieving the loss of her own father while a budding relationship grows between her and the billionaire's son. As their journey becomes less superficial, they go through changes that would remain ingrained in their lives forever. It also stars uncanny stuff-- a tuatara, Star Wars Fanfic, and C-diff. 

Turtles All the Way Down felt like such a real and raw story with so many small observations, thought-provoking ideas scattered throughout and I loved it. Green's humor is dense and also palatable, even when the overall theme of the novel is not exactly humorous. 

Aza's journey is one aspect of the novel I enjoyed very much. The case of the missing billionaire (Russell Pickett) felt a little absurd, yet it juxtaposed so deeply with Aza's own journey of mental health and kind of tied in at the end. The deuteragonists like Daisy, Davis, Mrs. Holmes, Mychall, added their own exquisite touches which made the story even more splendid. 

Metaphors played a major role in depicting the spiraling thoughts, that plugged Aza into misery. Green connected the bits and pieces of each sub-story and composed it into a whole novel. 

TATWD had Paper Towns and Looking For Alaska vibes, especially in the mystery thing. There were some serendipitous moments that threw me off route, but it managed to keep me engrossed. Even the way, the characters found the solution at the end was tenable. 

It had a fulfilling ending! 

Also, there have been some rumors that a movie adaptation of Turtles All the Way Down could be in the making... I am stoked to watch it!!! 

Pic Courtesy: Nerdfighter Art: Tumblr

I would give it: A Perfect score

Also, John Green is releasing a new book: The Anthropocene Reviewed on May 18, which is his first non-fic work, where he reviews the different facets of the Anthropocene. 

I hope to read it as soon as possible! 

Also, March 23 was World Book Day!!! 

Well, that's all. I hope you liked the post!! Do you like reading John Green Novels? What were your thoughts? What are your favorite books? Do you have a blog? 

Tell me in the comments! 😁