Review: Turtles All the Way Down

author: John Green

length: 286 pages

genre: YA fiction

my rating: 4.3/5

trigger warning - anxiety

Turtles All the Way Down is the story of Aza, a sixteen-year-old girl from Indiana who tries to appear normal, but really she lives inside the tightening spiral of her thoughts. Still recovering from the death of her father, Aza lives her life in a constant panic - worried about diseases that she'll probably never get, and continuing old habits in the fear of bad things happening if she stops. A billionaire's son, a fearless friend named Daisy, and a certain tuatara are also involved - but mixed in with all of this are Aza's ever-tightening thought spirals.

I've actually read a few negative reviews of Turtles All the Way Down, which say that it's too philosophical and doesn't really have much of a plot. However, I thought that the book has a definite structure, and I enjoyed Aza's point of view, as it's hard to imagine what constant anxiety would feel like. Although it is quite intense in parts, the book was mostly enjoyable to read (and re-read!). The viewpoint and the characters were definitely unique, and I liked the diversity - Davis's lifestyle really contrasted with Daisy's, and I could see how Aza's mind would be hard for the other characters to understand.

Probably my favourite thing about Turtles All the Way Down was that its characters seemed like real people, which is something I don't see in a lot of books. It made the characters' feelings more genuine, which really helped me to understand and enjoy the book more.

I would recommend this book if you're looking for something that will stay with you, or a book with intense themes. Although I haven't felt the way that Aza does, it was really eye-opening to see how it would feel to live with Aza's anxiety.