Book Review : Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

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So, I must confess, the first time I ever heard the name of John Green was during all the hullabaloo when the movie 'The Fault in the Stars' released. As we all know, 'The Fault in the Stars' dealt with two adolescents surviving Cancer. The book did bring tears to my eyes the way it was written and it helped me pick up one of his other books, 'Let it Snow' written in collaboration with two more authors. Though honestly, the book was quite a drag but the plot written by John Green was quite interesting. So with all the hype surrounding the book, I had to pre-order the book and see what John Green has brought to the table this time.

The first thing that catches one's eye is the interesting title which has no reference anywhere across Google and we get the reference only when we reach almost three-forth of the book. No, I'm not planning to spoil the reference for anyone unless one wants to know about it specifically. Apart from the title, the book cover is quite beautiful and it does attracts a lot of eyes.

Getting down to the plot, this book is the story of Aza Holmes, a teenager suffering from anxiety and her best friend Daisy. The two best friends befriends Davis Pickett who is the son of a fugitive billionaire. As the book progresses, Aza and Davis are involved romantically with one another and also, their apprehensions in taking care of Davis' brother Noah. The plot moves forward quite slowly and we are introduced regularly to Aza's anxiety issues every now and then. From what I have heard online, John Green himself have suffered from anxiety and the book somehow relates to him quite personally.

From a person who himself have suffered from anxiety, though not during my pre-teen years, this book does brings put one thing right. The overthinking capability of such a person. Apart from this, the book itself, speaking blatantly, is quite boring and baseless. The author does not have the clarity on what he wants to convey throughout the book except for the information that the protagonist isn't well. The book falls flat in every aspect ranging from character's  sketch to the way the book is trying to proceed. My attention seemed to waver every now and then as the book progressed and I just wasn't able to take in the story nor connect it in any way possible.

For Star Wars fans, you would surely love the small references to Star Wars throughout the book but do not expect anything more than a few sentences here and there. Also, when we finally reach the climax, the book becomes so bland that one just could not connect to the emotions of the characters and the book just does not stay in the heads. More than the main protagonist, I felt the supporting character Daisy more interesting and to be the life of the book.

I have read quite polarising reviews online about this book and this is my take on the book. Some may love the book depending on the writing style and being previous fans of the author, but for me the book the book just didn't connect with me. In short, the book was Vague, Boring and Baseless and one can pick up better books where the protagonist suffers from Mental Illness.

My Rating - 🌟 out of 5 (Sorry John Green Fans)


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