Turtles All the Way Down
by John Green
Aza Holmes searches for a fugitive billionaire and tries to maintain relationships while struggling with her anxiety and OCD.
I haven’t had a lot of luck with John Green books recently, but I really liked this one. It has a similar structure to the other books I’ve read by him. The story centers on the realistic growth of the main character and the small cast surrounding them while a mildly extraordinary plot hums along in the background.
It doesn’t have a whole lot going on in the way of plot. The hunt for the missing billionaire gets things rolling, then moves to the background and casually ties things together as the story moves on. This book is primarily about Aza’s battle with herself, how her mind interferes with her life and affects the lives around her. The way mental illness intrudes on what should be perfectly normal and seemingly simple parts of life. The descriptions of anxiety as an endless inward spiral and the conscious internal impossible arguments with oneself, as well as the expressions of grief were entirely accurate in my experience.
This is definitely not a book for everyone, but if you’re looking for a character-based, plot-light book and are interested in mental illness and grief, I’d recommend this one.
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LessthanThreeD 