Paper Towns by John Green Review

"Who is the real Margo?

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew..."

Now, I'm very confused about this book. I don't know what to think of it. It isn't like The Fault in Our Stars. No... It isn't as sad. But to me, it is less... touching. When I read this book, I felt totally detached. I felt like I was reading the words, but the emotional impact hasn't quite gotten in my head. Or maybe I'm viewing Paper Towns through a window, and I'm not quite in that world. Not quite through that glass. 

Hmm... I have a lot of feelings on this one, but they are all mumbo jumbo. There is no single feeling I have for Paper Towns, and I think I can label a few... Yeah. I can label a few. Disappointment. Maybe some... boredom, though I suspect my true feelings are border-lining that. Very close, but not quite. 

In my opinion, the best part of the book is the beginning. Now, I can totally understand the ending. I can understand the search for Margo, but I'm like... Huh? I feel like there is something missing in the book. Something lost. Something that can't be found in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, or any of those other places. Something like empathy. Or maybe there is something lost in me. Concern for these characters?

Yeah. Definitely that. On a scale of one to ten, how much do I really care about Paper Towns? I give it a two. Maybe even less. Maybe 1 point 5. Not much. 

Let's talk about Margo. Who is she? Is she the most popular girl? Yes. Is she the most wildest girl one has ever met? In fictional world, I would say no. But in Paper Towns, yes. Is she a friend? Yes. Is she an enemy? Yes. Is she a prankster? Yes. Is she a runaway? Yes. 

The thing is about Margo is that she is all of these and none of these, according to different perspectives. Each character (mirror) sees a different side of Margo. Each character thinks they know who exactly Margo is. But who is she, truly? 

It is a big question, and it could be applied to... Almost every teenager on earth. Who are they? Who will they be? Which facade of them is the real one? It is like trying on different hats and deciding which one you like the most. 

So I get the message, and I get the story's point, but honestly... I felt bored by all of this. Adventure. Road trip. Littering (honestly, I felt a bit peeved by that before reminding myself it is a fictional story). But kids, do not litter. The environment would not appreciate that. Especially that hardcore plastic bag that takes hundreds of years to decompose. (Or maybe never decompose). 

Rating: Two out of Five