Paper Towns

By John Green
Lexile = 850

While reading this book, I was stopped several times by random people telling me how much they loved reading this! They might have also loved the movie, but we all know the book is always better than the movie!

I am feeling a bit conflicted about it all, however. It's pretty crude. There's a LOT of boy banter that bounces onto the pages here. Do boys really talk that way? Really? And was it absolutely necessary to move this book along? CommonSense Media review the book with this phrase, "teens will find plenty of salty teen language and sexual references here, though nothing graphic." Ok, here's the synopsis without the soapbox:

Margo is THE popular girl at her high school. Graduation is nearing with all its attendant drama of prom and such. Quentin lives next door to Margo, and they were friends when they were much younger, but Margo has moved on and Quentin is part of the nerdy crowd. Suddenly one night Margo shows up in Quentin's room asking him to join her on an adventurous night of revenge seeking. She is going after the boyfriend who has cheated, the girls who didn't tell, and all others who have wronged her in some way. It is quite the night. Quentin is so excited for the next day at school, when his status will have changed, at least in Margo's eyes.

Margo disappears. I noticed on the book jacket that Paper Towns won the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery, but I hadn't seen the mystery. Then the main character is gone. Let the mystery begin!

Quentin wants to find her, but even Margo's parents seem disinterested. The kids are too wrapped up in high school to care.

I really liked this book, but I admit being overwhelmed with salt.