In today's entry we learn that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but maybe occasionally you should pick a book because of its cover. For my 6th [of 26] book I decided to search out #3 A book you pick solely because of the cover. I had been on the lookout for a cool looking cover almost since the beginning of this quest and hadn't been sucked in by any until I was at work one night and came across a book with a picture of a giant red thumbtack sticking into a map on someone's desk one night while I was doing my nightly cleaning of offices. I didn't recognize the title or the author yet I couldn't get my mind off the big red thumbtack, it was like it kept telling me the same thing over and over, first in just a gentle whisper but later in a full throated I'm about to go hoarse way "You are here!!!!"
I finally decided to relent and purchased a digital copy of Paper Towns by John Green for $4.99. Before I downloaded I did read the synopsis and it sounded interesting, I also learned that John Green was the author of a little book titled The Fault in Our Stars which you may of heard of, upon learning this it did give me pause, after all that book is a YA [young adult] tearjerker, which I didn't have any intention of reading, that had recently been turned into a rather popular movie, which I didn't have any intention of seeing. I also learned that Paper Towns had also been adapted into a movie soon to hit theatres. This one, I think I will see, at some point, maybe not in the theatre, but definitely on dvd or blu ray or digitally.
[This review won't be as long as some of my previous ones, but as always if you wish to only know my barebones opinion, scroll down.]
I feel some amount of responsibility to not spoil this book for those who haven't read it yet are interested in watching the movie, like for instance the meaning behind the title. What I will tell you is that it is about an Orlando, Florida High School senior named Quentin, which everyone just calls Q and it is about Q's neighbor, and one time close friend, Margo. They get into a small adventure which becomes a mystery which leads to a bigger adventure which leads Q and his friends Ben and Radar to the other side of the country. Along the way there are prom dates to find, questions to be solved, but more than anything there are people to be understood.
When it comes right down to it, Paper Towns is about answering the question, 'are the people we know really the people we know?' The book doesn't quite phrase it that way, but that is where it all boils down to. Each person in the book is who they are, but they are also all so much more and at times less. Paper Towns is about the people we create in our minds and how much that creation actually aligns with the way people really are. This is, of course, true when it comes to our memories of people but Paper Towns also posits that it is how most of our current relationships work also.
I read the first 30 pages of Paper Towns on day 1, didn't read any on day 2, and then ended up reading 275 pages on day 3. I devoured this book, section 1 was just plain fun, section 2 was the uncovering of the mystery, section 3 raced toward the final destination and race section 3 did, until the final chapter when it came to a screeching halt in quite a bit of exposition. The book's ending, left me wanting, wanting to know what was next, wanting more resolution. It also left me with a bit of confusion. The book begins with Q narrating in such a way as to suggest that everything that is going to happen has already happened to Q, but then the book ends in a moment, I'm not sure if the whole story was told from his perspective right before the end or what, I was expecting an end to the story and then an epilogue to finish what began in the prologue, instead it was just an end.
At base how I feel about this book:
I greatly enjoyed Paper Towns, evident by the speed at which I read the book. It had quite a bit of humor throughout. It does have some language and mature elements, much like you would find in a PG-13 movie aimed at teens. While the ending left me both wanting and with some confusion I would still highly recommend this book. When all is said and done I am glad that one of the books I was to read in this challenge was one I chose only because of the cover, that big red thumbtack took me on a pretty cool ride.
Peace and Love,
Pastor K
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