When Margo and Quentin ("Q") were nine they find a dead body. Jump ahead 9 years, and Margo and Q are just about to graduate high school. Over the years the two have drifted apart as friends, yet they remain neighbors. One night Margo crawls through Qs window and begs him to drive her around so she can enact a series of vengeful acts on her closest friends after finding her boyfriend cheating with her best friends. Over the course of this evening, Q realizes he has no idea who Margo is anymore, yet it rekindles his childhood crush for her. The next day Margo leaves town without telling anyone where she is going. Q and his two best friends must put together the small clues Margo left behind as they try and find the significance of Paper Towns, and ultimately why Margo left town. Since finding the dead body, Margo has become obsessed with mysteries, and thus the novel is set up as one large mystery that unfolds.
I enjoyed the mysterious aspect of the novel and continuously found myself trying to put together the clues. However, I was thrown off by just how philosophical and mature the main characters get for being the 12th grade. Yet the book had parts that were laugh out loud, which is right on par with John Green's style in his other novels.
Challenge: Figuring out the symbolic meaning that resides in the title may be difficult for some students, but it adds a rich meaning to the novel. As well as other philosophical ideas that accompany finding and loosing oneself.
Curriculum Connection & Themes:
The book is framed in four parts, and digs deeply into concepts from Walt Whitmans "Song of Myself." This poem could easily be used in conjunction with the novel. Students could also explore the genre of mystery and how the author layers in suspense and clues. Discussion Guide from Penguin
- Emotional vs. Physical Isolation
- Identity/Coming of Age
- Chasing after what you want in life, no matter what is left behind (According to John Green)
Lexile: 850L
Interest Level: high school +
Controversial Scenes/Content:
There is foul language, some graphic sexual scenes, and drinking. This book has been removed from some schools reading lists, however, it's not to a level that I would not be uncomfortable using it in a classroom because it's about so much more.
Rating: 3.5/5