Because I am poor (unemployed), I didn't pre-order the book since I wasn't sure I'd have enough money in my account. BUT, I did put it on hold at the library and it is currently in transit, ready for me to be picked up sometime this week :) So hopefully no spoilers pop up online (or I can avoid them) and I will be able to join in all the inevitable gushing and praise by next week!
I intended to review most of his novels as the last day of celebrating John Green Week, but I realized that 1) I love them all, 2) how many times can I really call him brilliant/amazing/flawless/masterful/other-synonyms, and 3) I seriously have little to say about them all other than everyone needs to read his work.
So instead, I'm going to tell you why I love him, and leave you with my favourite quotes from his 4 main books!
I was actually quite late in the John Green world, partially because his novels were released in my college years and I wasn't reading for pleasure for awhile and mostly because I wasn't reading YA. My friends don't read YA, so I'm not exposed to much of it. However, when a trusted blog friend listed John Green's Paper Towns as one of her all time favourites, I thought I'd give it a shot.
Best. Decision. Ever.
I'm not even going to get into the argument of "grown ups" reading Young Adult novels, but let me tell you that I was 22 when I first read John Green and still find everything he's ever written to be a life lesson and applicable to me. I'm just shy of 25 right now (eep!) and can't imagine life without John Green's writing. I find such truth in his words, something that's real and hits all those fears and vulnerabilities we're afraid to have. But more than that, he explores them and makes it feel as though we're not the only one's having these problems and thoughts. He tackles the big problems, the small problems, the personal problems, the relationship problems: everything.
“When did we see each other face-to-face? Not until you saw into my cracks and I saw into yours. Before that, we were just looking at ideas of each other, like looking at your window shade but never seeing inside. But once the vessel cracks, the light can get in. The light can get out.”- Paper Towns
Paper Towns was the perfect book for me to start with, because at the time I was struggling with my perception of home and the people around me and living in Orange County and Suburban San Diego. If ever to live in a Paper Town with Paper People who have Paper Thoughts, Orange County is a safe bet there.
After that, I devoured all the books I could find. Looking For Alaska. An Abundance of Katherines. Will Grayson, Will Grayson (a treat, since I love David Levithan too!). Let It Snow (another treat, love Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle, too). Not a single one has let me down.
“Thomas Edison's last words were 'It's very beautiful over there'. I don't know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful.”- Looking For Alaska
Paper Towns remains my favourite, though that may be just because it was my gateway into this fascinating and wonderful community. Will Grayson, Will Grayson is the close-by-a-sliver second. And it's not like I could ever defend why I love them more than the others - I just do. I love them all, and those two just happen to have an iota of more love.
“That's who you really like. The people you can think out loud in front of.” - An Abundance of Katherines
There's really no point here. I, along with most other readers, people, and nerdfighters alike, admire John Green and what his novels do to us. They bring us together as a community, offer us advice and an outlet for our lives. He's perhaps one of the most acclaimed authors today - and deserves every single bit of it.
“Maybe there's something you're afraid to say, or someone you're afraid to love, or somewhere you're afraid to go. It's gonna hurt. It's gonna hurt because it matters.” - Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Happy Release Day!
(and no spoilers if you can help it, please!)
This bit is written in response to those who find the dialogue unrealistic, particularly for wee little teenagers. To them, I'd firstly like to request that you stop being condescending. Does every teenager speak like that? No, of course not. But please don't assume that means all teenagers are incapable of using words with more than two syllables, or lack the brainpower to be witty, insightful, and existential in conversation.
ReplyDeleteRandomly stalking your old blog posts. HOWEVER, I have to comment, because Paper Towns was my gate way to JG, too. It was handed to me at my internship the first week after I finished college and moved to LA (seriously, I graduated, then got on a plane two days later, interviewed, got the job and this was my first assignment). I was about to turn 22 and at this totally weird place in my life and this book was just like... I felt like I existed and mattered and was understood for the first time in a long time. It's seriously going to be one of my favorite books forever, because it was exactly what I needed when I was alone in a new place.
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