A Book & A Blog: Turtles All The Way Down

The John Green drought have finally ended with his new book, "Turtles All The Way Down."

"I would've told her that Davis and I never talked much, or even looked at each other, but it didn't matter, because we were looking at the same sky together, which is maybe more intimate than eye contact anyway. Anybody can look at you. It's quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see."
This is from chapter 1 of the book, the chapter read by John at a vlog he posted. And from there, I knew that this book is going to be amazing!

SPOILER FREE SUMMARY:

• In his latest work, John tells the story of Aza Holmes - who is trying to be normal by living with what is expected of her, while struggling with a mental illness

RECURRING THEME:

• Characters in the book are looking for someone (ehem)
• Main protagonist still does not have a sibling (ha! Sorry Hank)

THINGS THAT I LOVE ON THIS BOOK:

• The Star Wars fan fic, hahaha!!! 
• On how Davis’ blogpost would start with a quote. It is like how John starts “Dear Hank and John,” with his favorite poem
• On how real the reaction of people around Aza. Sure, they know about her condition, like tiptoeing on a thin ice, but because I enjoyed reading on how they would snap at some point in the book. That was amazing! It shows the vulnerability of not only Aza, but her loved ones as well. Some books that dealt with mental health tried to make it as if it was a perfect story, hence, more fictional. 
• Speaking of, I loved it when Aza realized that she may be fictional. She’s not breaking the fourth wall a! Just her having one random thought that, what if, she’s not real!
• Oh wait, that’s what Aza’s story is about, on finding out if she is real or not (and her struggles to prove the same). 
• So yup, as much as the book mainly tells the story of Aza, it is not just about her. It deals with a ninth grade math teacher mother, a Star Wars fan fic writer best friend, an orphan boy, a billionaire orphan boy, and a struggling artist (and so much more)!

REACTION:

• I am in awe on how the story of Aza went. As she was struggling with OCD, I was reminded on John's personal struggles of having a mild OCD. I was teary eyed while reading the part on how Aza struggled. On how much she tries to control things but can't. 
• Then I realized how thankful I was for not going through so much inner struggles. That the only problem I need to face are those created by own laziness (aka backlogs from school that I purposely neglected for this pseudo-vacation). 
• That mental health should be taken more seriously and that people should be more understanding.
• No sugar-coating! This book was not made to please, but rather, to tell a story whether the reader will like it or not. Just look at how the last chapter goes. 
• As a person who has no personal knowledge of what or how a mental illness goes, or knows on how a person who is suffering from one feels, I am thankful to have read this book.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS:

• It's by John Green. If friend kita and you love me, you should read this. Might be hyping it to you right now, though
• Mental health awareness!!! ACK!! YAS! 
• A young adult novel, hence, a light read. It still depends on what light means to you though. 

MESSAGE TO JOHN GREEN:

• You’ve done well, John! After that book tour, go to rest. Thank you for sharing your book with us.