Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Out now from Dutton Books for Young Readers; 304 pages.
Trigger Warning: mental illness, self harm, suicidal thoughts
About the Author: John Green is the best-selling author of hits such as, Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, and The Fault in Our Stars. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife, two children, and fearsome West Highland Terrier, and runs a popular YouTube series and charitable organization with his brother Hank.
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After six years, John Green returns to the page with Turtles All the Way Down, the story of one girl’s struggle to find sure footing in an uncertain world. Cementing a sense of self is hard enough for any teenager, but for Aza Holmes, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder makes it nearly impossible. Plagued by the fear that she may be nothing more than the sum of so many disparate parts, feeling trapped by the prison of her own consciousness, Aza has a lot on her plate even before she and her best friend decide to solve the mysterious disappearance of a billionaire.
While not an entirely happy story, Turtles All the Way Down is woven through with a fragile yet irrepressible optimism, a belief that things can and will get better. It’s a message desperately needed by teens everywhere, but especially by those living with chronic illness, both mental and physical. In this book, drawn largely from his own experiences, John Green reminds us that getting better is not a race. It’s a constant battle, and one well worth fighting.
PRR Staff Christy Duprey