Paper Towns

I have to say, I absolutely loved Q, Ben, Radar and Lacey. This book does a delightful job of combining humor with more serious matters. While Paper Towns shares some similarities to Going Bovine, I found the language and sexuality much more subdued, which was appropriate for the context of the book. Like Cameron, Q’s narration gives us laughs, but I found the humor in Paper Towns much more universal and less over-the-top. The friendship between the characters is endearing, realistic, and relatable; I love that Q was able to grow and understand his friends better in spite of their differences. This novel will appeal equally to males and females, and both genders need to realize that they have to be tolerant of other people’s flaws because no one is perfect, not even themselves.

Q’s quest for Margo kept me turning the pages, but I only cared for the Margo character because it was the focus of the adventure. There were occasional times when I felt sympathy towards her, but any good will towards her was destroyed as the gang finally caught up to her.

I do feel that a lot of teens can relate to this story. In middle and high school, the first “love” is dramatic in that oh-my-god-I’ll-love-them-forever-and-ever way, but as Q comes to realize, that love sometimes does not endure. Margo also provided insight on the feelings of being trapped that causes a lot of YAs to act out. This is a serious concern, as one in seven kids between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away, according to national statistics. Perhaps novels like Paper Towns will allow these would-be runaways an escape, and more importantly, show them the effects of their actions.

The facts about copyrighted maps and the “paper towns” were really interesting, and a good way to get people interested in history and geography! I know I searched for Agloe, NYon Google maps, but of course nothing came up. The next time I see a print map, I’ll be sure to take a peek.