Common Sense Media Review
Edgy, compelling teen angst mystery.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 23 parent reviews
Based on 105 kid reviews
Kids say the book offers a captivating mix of humor, mystery, and themes of friendship and self-discovery, appealing primarily to older teens due to its frequent use of strong language and mature content. While many appreciate its engaging storyline and character development, some criticize the plot for being lacking or repetitive, suggesting that it is best suited for more mature audiences who can handle the controversial themes presented.
- mature themes
- humor and mystery
- character development
- strong language
- friendship exploration
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
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
- Author :
- Genre : Friendship
- Topics : Adventures , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dutton Children's Books
- Publication date : October 13, 2008
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 12
- Number of pages : 320
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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