Turtles All the Way Down

Let’s not get in a fight or have a break up…let’s respectfully agree to disagree if we have to, but…Turtles All the Way Down? 😔 It just didn’t work for me. I didn’t find the plot, the characters, or the relationships believable in any sort of way. I know I’m in the minority here – and I’m trusting you won’t hold my opinion against me forever – but I’m just not sure John Green’s writing is for me. I felt similar feelings when I read The Fault in Our Stars. I don’t know…I haven’t read other books by him and I’m not overly motivated after having two very similar experiences. 

The storyline was so ridiculously unbelievable that I had a hard time getting past it in order to appreciate the characters. But even they fell flat for me. I mean, I understand that Aza has anxiety and it was interesting to “get inside the head” of a person who struggles with the thoughts she had, but her relationships were unrealistic. It’s just not the way high school kids interact or talk to each other, in my experience. 

While it was refreshing to read a story where the character actually gets along with her mother, there were still so many times where I had a hard time believing a mother would behave the way she did. I can’t say too much because I don’t want to give anything away, but many times it felt like Aza’s mother was more concerned with being a friend than being a mother. 

While I didn’t love the book, I will say there are lots and lots of worthy quotable quotes. Some of his statements are so profound that I found myself having to stop reading entirely so I could mull over what he’d written. I love that, and I can greatly appreciate that about his writing. 

I want to love John Green as much as the rest of you, but I’m thinking this time around, the breakup will be permanent. Even though I may be alone in this opinion, can we still be friends??