Paper Towns

Book review by Matt Berman, Common Sense Media
Paper Towns Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 14+

Edgy, compelling teen angst mystery.

John Green Friendship 2008
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 22 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 104 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Paper Towns features slightly sophisticated writing and themes, like author John Green's other books. It has a plot point about suicide and some vulgar and sexual references but nothing too graphic. There's an encounter with a dead body, mean-spirited pranks, petty vandalism, and a road trip to hunt for a runaway teen girl. Paper Towns lends itself to discussions about expectations, responsibility, and identity.

Community Reviews

BeavisandButthead123
BeavisandButthead123 Adult
June 4, 2020
age 12+

Paper Towns review

Paper Towns written by genius author John Green is a coming of age novel featuring young Quieten who has, since grade school fallen in love with Margo Roth Speiglman who was a mystery. She was on top of the pyramid of popularity, but when her life takes a twist for the worst things grow complicated. When Margo has disappeared yet, another time as she is notoryus for leaving, but when she hasn't shown up for a week this starts to worry people. Quin notices a trail of clues which she was known for leaving , he takes in the responsibility of bringing her home. The book has sevral greta representations including friendship and trust between assiting characters helping there allie in finding the supposabl love of his life. I would recommend the story to kids twelve and up because of it's heavy mattireal.

This title has:

Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
7th grader
7th grader Adult
February 1, 2019
age 12+

My english teacher suggested this book

My English teacher suggested this book for me, I don't think she had read it though because is has some inappropriate parts. I am a 7th grader and this book seems appropriate.`

This title has:

Great messages
Too much swearing
See all 22 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In PAPER TOWNS, childhood friends Quentin and Margo go through a traumatic event that causes them to drift apart. By high school, Margo is wildly popular, and Quentin still has a crush on her. She mostly ignores him -- at least until a few weeks before graduation, when she shows up at his window, leading him on a nightlong series of payback pranks, after which she disappears. Worried that she may have died by suicide, Quentin obsessively pursues clues that he thinks she's left him. He calls on his friends to join him on a trip to search for Margo.

Is It Any Good?

The key to author John Green's success is his books' vivid and engaging characters, both major and secondary, who are trying to figure it all out. With his third book, Green seems to be developing a specialty: thoughtful, talky stories about smart but clueless high school boys trying to figure out girls, love, and life while dealing with a crisis and a road trip. Margo is AWOL for much of the book, and Quentin is obsessively trying to figure out what happened to her -- so it's his supportive friends who provide the reader with the humor and pure joie de vivre that makes the book fun as well as thoughtful. Quentin's two best friends are characters in both meanings of the word: Both are band geeks; Ben is obsessed with prom, thrilled to have a date, and likes to think of himself as retro-cool (he refers to girls as "honeybunnies," and Quentin is unable to convince him that it's not cool, it's just dorky). Radar is a fanatical editor of a Wikipedia-like site, and his parents have the world's second-largest collection of Black Santas. Together with Quentin, they're a pretty sweet group of teens, and readers will enjoy their journey -- and conversations.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about edgy coming-of-age stories. Does the language or other mature content in this book seem realistic? Is there anything that is -- or should be -- off-limits when it comes to books marketed to teens?

  • John Green's characters often go on road trips. What other road trip books or movies can you think of? Why are road trips so often a part of coming-of-age stories?

Book Details

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