Review: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (Spoiler-Free)

I'm completely floored by this book. We are and were, would, and will always be. (If you've read the book this sentence makes sense hehe). Very little of the time will I be so enthralled by a book that I have no desire to do anything else but read it. Even during school. I legitimately broke the laws of the universe to create time for me to read this. (definitely possible shhhh)

Please enjoy the following quote montage before returning to your regularly scheduled program:

“I was beginning to learn that your life is a story told about you, not one that you tell.” - John Green (Turtles All the Way Down)

“You are as real as anyone, and your doubts make you more real, not less.” - John Green (Turtles All the Way Down)

“True terror isn’t being scared; it’s not having a choice on the matter.” - John Green (Turtles All the Way Down)

“The worst part of being truly alone is you think about all the times you wished that everyone would just leave you be. Then they do, and you are left being, and you turn out to be terrible company.” - John Green (Turtles All the Way Down)

I loved everything about it from beginning to end. Everything. Of course though, the characters were 100% the best part. 100%. Aza suffers from anxiety and OCD. As someone who has dealt with anxiety in the past I could truly see myself in Aza and could feel her pain and frustration in dealing with mental illness. And, I am very happy to say that I think if someone who has never suffered from mental illness read this book, they might be able to begin to understand. Begin is a keyword here, because no one can truly understand someone else's mental illness, but I thought that the way it was portrayed as unavoidable and as an all powerful force was great representation for its reality.

Of course, the rest of the characters were fabulous as well. Davis is someone who seems so lost and alone in the world. He lives a life of privilege and enjoys time alone until he realizes that being alone and being lonely are two very different states. His relationship with Aza is both heartwarming and painfully realistic as it evolves over the course of the novel.

Aza's best friend is Daisy who I also adored. She's more of the wild friend and admits her mistakes and faults as a person as the story goes on, but I respect her and what she lives for. [psst future Emily here. I have a spoilery comment about this on my goodreads review, so check that out and click "view spoiler" if you wanna hear my thoughts]

Overall, if you are going into this book expecting a mystery, change your expectations. This is a beautiful story of mental illness, imperfection, and the endless spiral that must be followed to find one's true identity. (If it truly exists of course.)

Song I was reminded of while reading: Waving Through a Window