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A review by themoonwholistens
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
3.0
“At some point in life, the world’s beauty becomes enough. You don’t need to photograph, paint, or even remember it. It is enough.”
FORMAT READ: Audiobook (Recommended)
SIMILAR VIBES: Eiza and Her Monsters
RECOMMENDED FOR: contemporary novel with good mental health rep
*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless states otherwise*
— overall thoughts: 3.0 —
I had no regrets, it was great read. But I saw everything that was coming. I probably would’ve rated this higher if the plot wasn’t so predictable.
Don’t get me wrong: It’s enjoyable and talked about mental health at it's core which was great. Just predictable.
i’m gonna be honest… i started reading this because i needed a book that wasn’t too long for a readathon (shameless plug: August 2020 Readathon) and the audiobook for was just 7 hours long.
I’m proud to say I didn’t regret it though :3
— writing style —
I just need to say outright that I’m so sick of those romanticized brown eye thing that happens in too many contemporary books... and it happened here once again.
And as a biology student i’m assuming i’m supposed to understand the bio giberish she spouts out throughout this book but most it just made no sense to me. I might just be a bad student tho.
There was a line that said went like “the sun was behind him that i couldnt see his face” and what I imagined was something like this but make the blue orange:
![description](https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7aTmzt5TMNan0dKU/giphy.gif)
The thing with john green’s writing is I feel like it’s predictable but there’s always one (1) thing that makes it standout enough for people to remember it.
For example in this book we have: that tubatara
“I knew monsters weren’t real… but I knew I could be hurt by things that weren’t real”
— mental health rep —
ANYWAYS moving forward:
This was a fun read and the representation of anxiety was realistic. Even though I personally don’t have that Aza’s level of anxiety I think it was able to accurately get across what it would feel like.
Which was interesting part to read about since I’ve never really read a book that presented anxiety/ocd in the way that was still realistic and relatable even to someone like me.
— characters —
Daisy... i hated her. She says such hurtful things to Aza when she knows what Aza is going through. Her actions were mean and inconsiderate.
But the thing is: I feel like a younger version of me would have reacted the way daisy did in the situation. Which makes her realistic. The only reason I’m not bashing her more is because there’s something to learn from her.
“you can’t always know someone’s hurt”
By the end of the story I don’t know if she truly realized what she did but you know what if they’re both happy with it, it’s fine.
The character that spoke to me the most was Davis with his mindset. Of course, he is a poet and kinda the typical love interest. But maybe sometimes that’s what we need.
— conclusion —
I don't have much else to say other than it’s a good read with a very realistic story. Dare I say it: I just feel like it was hyped up too much. I just don't have strong feelings for this book I'm sorry.
“something about the night makes me homesick but not for home.”
i felt that quote a lot
plot: ★★★☆☆
writing style: ★★★★☆
world building: ★★★☆☆
characters: ★★★★☆
themes: ★★★★★
pacing: ★★★☆☆
page turner: ★★★★☆
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The only reason this interested me was because I took an Ethics course this semester and "turtles all the way down" was said by some philosopher
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