#TurtlesAlltheWayCountDown: Week 1 – The Unboxing

Hi everyone!

Penguin Random House is having a John Green read-along to promote the release of his latest novel, Turtles All the Way Down! Every week will feature a John Green book, right up until the big release.

Week 1: THE UNBOXING

Thank you so much to Julia at Penguin Random House International for the mail!

I'm super excited to get back into John Green's books–I haven't read one in AGES, and I've read almost all of them...except for Will Grayson, Will Grayson, so now's the perfect time to do so!

Tell me: 

which John Green book is your favourite?

The Fault in Our Stars Movie Review

I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (review here) on September 2nd, 2012.
I watched the movie yesterday on June 8th, 2014.

My heart has been broken twice. First time by the book, and now the movie.

Okay?

NO.
I AM NOT FREAKING OKAY.

And the most awful thing is: I didn’t cry during the movie.

Your reaction:

Trust me, I’m just as surprised and mad about it as you are. 

You see, I wanted to cry. Oh the gods, the movie literally tore my heart into pieces. A million an infinite amount of pieces. Little shreds of heart bits (ew, that sounded very Hannibal-like) but that is actually how I felt during the movie. When Hazel cries during THAT scene, oh gods, I think I died four or five times just sitting there, watching her cry, frickin wanting to cry along with her as well. Everyone else in the movie theatre cried! I could constantly hear sniffs and sobs from all over the place, and it made me feel like “what the hell is wrong with me? WHY CAN’T I CRY FOR THIS AMAZING MOVIE?!?!” I still have yet to find a movie that makes me cry, so yeah, I guess this makes me an emotionless monster. I’d even shed a tear or two during the book, but I felt that I was definitely more impacted by the movie, because HELLO, it’s right there, visually presented right in front of me. GAH. Anyway, onto other things...

I didn’t like Shailene Woodley in The Descendants and her performance in Divergent was a remarkable improvement in my eyes, but she absolutely KILLED this role. I totally and whole-heartedly believe that she is Hazel. Her emotional scenes were brilliant and oh gods, when she cries, no wonder the rest of the world cried. Amazing performance, absolutely top-notch. Even though there was that whole thing with her view on feminism in some interview or the other, which kind of made me do a whole face-palm-thing, I loved her.

Now: Augustus.

TRUTH (Y)

I mean just look at this cutie–

I don’t think I can function properly after Ansel’s performance as Augustus.
His character brought a lot of the humour to the story, and damn, you can’t help but fall in love with this smirking one-legged real-life prince charming. WHY JOHN GREEN WHYYYYYYY.

*swoons*

The romance– oh the romance. I loved the scenes in Amsterdam (obviously because of all the amazing romance development) and seeing how much closer they get. I mean seriously when this line came up, I think I melted into a puddle of goo and mush:

The other characters were great as well! I mean, Isaac? LOVE LOVE LOVE. I wish there were more scenes with Isaac, as there were in the book, but I mean, for a small role, his was pretty amazing. And plus, that just meant more romance. BUT STILL. If they had to increase screen time for one more character, it would have definitely been him.

Speaking of screen time... I totally didn’t see John Green’s cameo! A bit disappointed that it had been cut out :( I did on the other hand find it on tumblr... it would have been awesome to see him in the movie.

Check out the rest of the GIF set here

I think I’ve rambled on a bit too much and chucked a whole load of GIFs at you all, but seriously GO SEE THIS MOVIE. Unless you haven’t read the book. Then in that case, read the book first and THEN go see the movie. Trust me, it’s heartbreaking and probably going to make you cry and shake your fist at John Green, but totally worth it.

**All images link back to the sources

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Release Date: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Dutton Books
Rated: YA 14+
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed – thanks Ippy!
Buy: Amazon ❘ The Book Depository
Goodreads ◆ Website

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

This book made me do something which hundreds of others couldn't. 
It made me cry.

The Fault in Our Stars was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I don't think there are so many words which can describe this magnificent book. It has completely rendered me speechless. These very words which you are reading now do not do justice to this book. It was striking, and I gloriously devoured this novel in one sitting. It made me laugh, till I could giggle and chuckle no more, full of wit and sarcasm that made me smile like a maniac at the words on the page. It also made me ache inside, my heart pounding so loud that it was the only thing I could hear, unable to grasp the deafening conclusion which melted me into a puddle of tears and sadness. This book is not like any other.

Unlike Green's previous books (well, the ones I've read anyway) this one features a female narrator and main character. He's captured her perfectly. Flawlessly, the author has managed to make this girl come alive, her emotions screaming out on every page, forcing the reader to empathize against their own will. Hazel is a character like no other: sarcastic, charismatic, outspoken, headstrong, and yet completely like a normal teen.
Augustus (also known as Gus) electrified my soul. I gnawed on his words, hungry for more. He was so sweet, and funny, and optimistic about everything that you can't help but fall in love with him like Hazel does. I'm still getting that warm, bubbly, tingly feeling when I think about him. Despite his disability, he still comes out as very, very hot, and made me swoon with every crooked smile and goofy grin.
One thing that made me love the book even more: the supporting characters. I honestly did not find one character which I hated. From the hysterically hilarious Isaac, to Hazel's sweet and concerned mother, all of them have such original personalities that you can't help connect with each of them, despite minor flaws and all.

What is this heart-shattering conclusion which I keep talking about? Well you'll obviously have to find out for yourselves. I didn't want to finish the book at the end of Chapter 19 (do not look ahead. I repeat, DO NOT READ THE END OF THAT CHAPTER) because I knew what was going to happen and I just felt so depressed after that, that I nearly put the book down, wishing for a happier ending. But when it comes down to it, I think John Green ended it impeccably.
The language which Green uses is gorgeous. The words seem so simple, but it's so profound! It flows so well, and really seems to come from the voice and thoughts of a teenager. I really loved some passages, such as this one:

❝I was quite sure I'd never seen him before. Long and leanly muscular, he dwarfed the molded plastic elementary school chair he was sitting in. Mahogany hair, straight and short. He looked my age, maybe a year older, and he sat with his tailbone against the edge of the chair, his posture aggressively poor, one hand half in a pocket of dark jeans.❞

Like I said, simple sentences but once you take a closer look, rich diction is bleeding from the pages in buckets.

There is no really good way to ever end a review. Especially for a book such as this. Think of the highest that you can expect this book to be. I'll let you know that it will soar far beyond that. The Fault in Our Stars deserves to become literature now and for future generations. I have never been so in love with a book, so enraptured that I couldn't think about anything else except it. I wish I hadn't gone into it so fast, because now I'll have to try to hold onto what I can, because I know that there will be (for now) very few books which can compare to John Green's masterpiece. 

❝The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, 

But in ourselves, that we are underlings.❞

If you like this, try...

• The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder ◆ Goodreads
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews ◆ Goodreads

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Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green


Published: October 16th, 2008
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Rating: YA 14+
Source: Borrowed from Library
Amazon ❘ Goodreads

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows. 

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues - and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew. 

Printz medalist John Green returns with the brilliant wit and searing emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of listeners.

So... What is a Paper Town?


That's what I asked when I first picked up this book. Nobody knew so I did what most people would do: Google it. I then came across this definition on "Omnictionary" (which I later found was a part of the book!):

A Paper Town is a fictional place that cartographers put on their maps so they can tell when someone breaches copyright and copies their map. They can tell, because it will also contain the fictional place.

Wow...they actually do that? Anyway, it didn't really concern me until I reached the part in the book where it mentions 'Paper Towns'. So anyway, on to the review!


This book really gets you thinking. The Clues in the poems, the reference to different singers, different phrases–everything, just adds up and the connections between things are AMAZING! I seriously had no idea ANY of those things could possible connect. And the Clues? Hidden in meaningful places, so well hidden with only the smallest hint of where to find them. Of course, Quentin has help from his awesome (and hilarious!) friends, Radar, Ben and Lacey. Every step through this is a thrillingly-close experience of discovery.


This is my first John Green novel. I've heard of The Abundance of Katherines and people said it was really good! But this one was standing out in the "new arrivals" in the school library so I just grabbed this one instead.


Well. I think I'd better to go to the library to check out The Abundance of Katherines, 'cause this book was AMAZING!


I have never been so caught up in a story line like this, which is written so... realistically. The beginning made me laugh a lot though, with Quentin going out at night with Margo, and I still think that maybe it could happen. Not saying that we should break into amusement parks!
I really think that the climax AND road trip part was the best though. The climax (I won't tell you what it is) was pretty good, cliffhanging and I didn't really know what to make of it. The road trip part was hilarious, exhilarating and adventurous and I really feel that I there with them as they took turns driving, quickly getting in and out for toilet breaks, etc. What I found interestingly different was the fact that no was one of those "stereo-typical characters". No one was the pretty blonde cheerleader (popular people though!), the tough jock (although...yeah maybe there was one) and all characters were just ones that I actually might find at a high school. And I love how Lacey breaks the barrier of the "social class" in school by going out with Ben :) that was cute!


Overall, Paper Towns is a read for those who want a little bit more, something interesting, something to get you thinking. Poetry and Mystery lovers alike will love this book as it offers something special for all readers.

If you like this book, try...

• Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott (Review ❘ Amazon ❘ Goodreads)
• This Girl is Different by JJ Johnson (Review ❘ Amazon ❘ Goodreads)
• Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (Amazon ❘ Goodreads)