The Catalyst

By Bri Castellini, Commentary and Web Editor

What do road trips, abandoned subdivisions and impossible romances have in common? They are all a central part of author John Green’s latest novel, “Paper Towns”. Green had a lot to live up to after his first two novels. “Looking for Alaska”, his first novel, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award and made the American Library Association’s 2005 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults. His second book, “An Abundance of Katherines”, won the Michael L. Printz award in 2007 and was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize.

However, “Paper Towns” has lived up to the hype. It was fifth on the list of the New York Times bestsellers as soon as it came out in October of 2008, and was honored with the 2009 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. Green recently announced on his YouTube channel, that he has finished the first draft of the “Paper Towns” screenplay. It isn’t far off to say that this is his best book to date.

The book follows Quentin Jacobson and his lifetime crush, Margo Roth Speigleman, in the last weeks of their senior year of high school. When Margo disappears, “Q” finds himself in an unfamiliar world of mysterious clues, fear of the unknown and Margo’s hidden life. As he searches restlessly for her, he begins to see her as she had never been seen before.

The thing I like about John Green’s books is the characters. They’re so vivid, so lively; sometimes I forget they aren’t real. His clever dialogue incorporates both intellectualism and teenage vulgarity. Not only are the characters enthralling, but the plots invoke questions and themes that many young adult authors don’t dare touch on. Green isn’t shy talking about sex, underage smoking, underage drinking and suicide, which make his novels though provoking and realistic. Teenagers don’t want to read books glamorizing high school; they want to read books about themselves. About how things really are.

Green captures the high school spirit through his first person narration. His books don’t read like a patronizing adult telling “us kids” about the ways of the world. Instead, it’s as if your best friend is telling you a story, and they tell it in such a way that you get to see the stories through their eyes, raw, unfiltered, and passionate.
If, like me, you can’t get enough of John Green’s slapstick humor through his books, then check out his YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers , where he and his brother create a virtual dialogue about current events, music, literature and everything in between. Whatever the media, however, Green’s unique voice can touch the hearts of boys, girls, teenagers and adults. So crack open “Paper Towns” and settle into your couch, because once you start reading, the pull of the characters will keep you from putting it down.