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anaguana's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Suicide, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Car accident
chiarara's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Ableism and Homophobia
storeybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
if you don't like casually thrown around slurs, this book isn't for you, as it is set in the 2000's and the main character is a high-school boy.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Suicide
elliana_xoxo's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Unfortunately, I watched the movie before reading the book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism
gray_713's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Ableism and Alcohol
tearonnling's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Ableism
literalottie's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Well, this is actually a bit more mediocre than I remember it being.
There is one key issue that I have with Paper Towns: the deconstruction of the "manic pixie dream girl" trope is just not very well-executed. In fact, John Green had already done it well a few years prior with Looking for Alaska, and this just feels like a poor imitation with shallower characters and a flimsier plot.
Margo is just so, so selfish, and I have a hard time sympathising with her towards the end. I mean,how can she get mad at her friend for coming to find her (after essentially abandoning everyone who cared about her) when SHE was the one who left the trail of breadcrumbs? And yes, she does explain her intentions behind the clues, and how she didn't actually intend them to lead to her, but honestly her excuses just feel like a pathetic attempt to deflect from all of the frustration she puts everyone through . As for Q, he spends so much of this book being almost as self-centred as Margo. I actually felt bad for his friends with how little regard and care he shows them. And that's saying something, because Q's friends, along with the other side characters, all range from uninteresting to aggravating. Lacey and Radar are the only ones that I maybe liked.
The one saving grace of this book, the one thing that keeps it from getting a 1/1.5 star rating, is the road trip which makes up most of the final third. It is full of genuinely hilarious moments and interactions that actually made me like the characters, even if just for that brief section. I haven't watched the film adaptation of Paper Towns, but I would do so purely to see those scenes adapted for the screen.
There is one key issue that I have with Paper Towns: the deconstruction of the "manic pixie dream girl" trope is just not very well-executed. In fact, John Green had already done it well a few years prior with Looking for Alaska, and this just feels like a poor imitation with shallower characters and a flimsier plot.
Margo is just so, so selfish, and I have a hard time sympathising with her towards the end. I mean,
The one saving grace of this book, the one thing that keeps it from getting a 1/1.5 star rating, is the road trip which makes up most of the final third. It is full of genuinely hilarious moments and interactions that actually made me like the characters, even if just for that brief section. I haven't watched the film adaptation of Paper Towns, but I would do so purely to see those scenes adapted for the screen.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Car accident
Minor: Ableism
samvansam's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Car accident
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Vomit