Book Club Recap: Paper Towns

Last month, our book club group read Paper Towns and then got together at my apartment to chat about it (and have wine and cheese, of course). Really, half of the reason we chose this book was because the movie was coming out, and the other half  of the reasoning was because it's written by John Green. It was an easy read - something we could enjoy by the pool or curled up before we fell asleep - which is what we were all looking for over the summer.

The story is set around a group of kids at a high school in Florida. We're introduced to the main character, Quentin, a member of the nerdy group, and his infatuation/childhood crush on the popular girl, Margo. A few days before prom, they have a night full of high school-style mischief and revenge, and then she disappears, but not without leaving a few clues behind. The story paints a strong picture of self-discovery, confidence and accepting people for who they are - and there are a few nice quotes that come out of it, too!


Overall, I'd say it was slightly too shallow for my taste. There wasn't a whole lot of getting to know the characters themselves versus filling their character's role (popular girl, best friend, nerd, etc.) and, I won't lie, I was let down in the end. The movie actually followed the plot line very closely and portrayed the closing scenes more along the lines of how I would have liked the cards to fall without changing the ending entirely. I have heard a lot of high school-age people really relate to it, though. Maybe I would also have related to it more seven years ago.

So, here's where I'm at.

Book: ★★
Movie: ★★★

Have you read the book? What did you think?


What's up next? Another beach read, of course! Tune in later this month to hear about Eight Hundred Grapes and the drama that surrounds secrets in families and relationships.


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