Review- Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle

  BOOK SUMMARY:

A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today’s bestselling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.

Release date: December 2016

Published by: Speak

Page numbers: 353

REVIEW: 

Let It Snow is a collection of three interwoven shorter stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle, that take place during one Christmas that ends up being a lovely experience full of laughter, love and warmth for the characters and the reader alike. While it took me a really, really long time to finish this book, it is impressive how well it has been written, which is not a surprise given the contributors. Each writer brings something unique to their story, making the entire book a superb read.

The first story titled The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson was a wonderful story that kicked off the book in a way that left me wanting for more and at the same time, feeling super content with the way the story itself ended. John Green’s A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle, while a beautiful story of friendship and love, was slightly underwhelming given the huge name associated with it. But it was a good story overall, and that’s what matters. The last sorry, Laureen Myracle’s The Patron Saint of Pigs was a cute and coming of age sorry that left me laughing and crying tears of joy.

Overall, this is an amazing collection of three stories set in the freezing cold but that’ll warm your heart, just like your favourite beverage does at the end of a tiring day.

Review- Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Turtles All the Way Down on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. In his long-awaited return,

Release date: October 10th 2017

Published by: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Page numbers: 304

REVIEW: 

Like most readers who have read and loved John Green's books in the past, I too was excited for Turtles All the Way Down. While it took me a really long time to get to it, when I finally did, I literally felt like I was at home with a John Green book in my hand. 

I have practically read every John Green book out there- The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines and Will Grayson, Will Grayson. When I finally got to Turtles All the Way Down, it was like any other John Green book where the teens talk like extremely mature adults, the protagonist is hard to like but the writing is incredible. 

Turtles All the Way Down is the story of Aza whose mental health is portrayed terrifically. While I found it extremely difficult to get used to and like Aza because of her- as her friend rightly puts it "narcissism", I did connect to her on a mental level. Aza meets up with her childhood friend Davis whose billionaire father has suddenly disappeared. There is a reward for the person who finds him. So Aza's friend Daisy takes up the task of doing some investigation.  

For a plot that sounds quite mysterious and interesting, it was neither mysterious nor interesting. Had the summary not mentioned anything about detectives and mysteries, I would've liked the book more because clearly it lacked a strong plot. While it barely took me a couple of days to finish the book, Turtles All the Way Down didn't really have me pumped up or excited to get back to it like some other books by the author have in the past. I hate saying this, but I was really disappointed. 

Although not his most incredible book, I would still recommend Turtles All the Way Down to fans of John Green for his brilliant writing, the on point portrayal of mental health, the superb character of Daisy and for the moment where you realise why it's called Turtles All the Way Down. I wasn't impressed by this one, but I'm glad I didn't miss it. 

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Summary-

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. 

In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.

Release date: October 10th, 2017

Published by: Penguin

Page numbers: 286

Review-

It is difficult for me to review a John Green book. I am not a crazy John Green fangirl but I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson. It still remains to be one of my all time favourite reads. Turtles All the Way Down is the story of Aza and her struggle with her mental illness and anxiety. So while I did find Turtles All the Way Down to be an interesting read it did not blow my mind away.

I want to start with the good. I love John Green's writing style. The only reason I want to read his books are for the way he strings together words into sentences to make perfect sense of what we feel sometimes. It does sound philosophical and I have a hard time imagining a sixteen year old would have these thoughts but it is beautiful. I could keep on gushing about his writing forever. Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about-

"Anybody can look at you. It's quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see."

"And we're such language-based creatures that to some extent we cannot know what we cannot name. And so we assume it isn't real."

" I thought about him asking me if I'd ever been in love. It's a weird phrase in English, in love, like it's a sea you drown in or a town you live in. You don't get to be in anything else- in friendship or in anger or in hope. All you can be in is love. And I wanted to tell him that even though I'd never been in love, I knew what it was like to be in a feeling, to be not just surrounded by it but also permeated by it,"

"In the best conversations, you don't even remember what you talked about, only how it felt."

See what I mean? I think John Green does a good job of showing how mental illness and anxiety affects Aza. While we are in her head we can see how difficult it is for a person going through these things. How it feels impossible to overcome one's thoughts and it is a spiral which keeps tightening and tightening and tightening.

What fell flat for me in Turtles All the Way Down was the mystery plot of the billionaire Russell Pickett. At first I was intrigued but then I basically didn't care and lost my interest. There is also a sweet romance between Aza and Davis who is her childhood friend and the missing billionaire's son. Again while I thought it was cute I wasn't very invested. I did admire Aza's best friend Daisy though. Her character had spunk and she was a good friend to Aza.

So as you can probably make out from my review, I have some mixed feelings about Turtles All the Way Down. I would highly recommend it if you're a die hard John Green fan or if you enjoy his writing. If you're looking for more though, I'm not sure you'll find it.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publishers in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Review- An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

An Abundance of Katherines on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life.

Release date: May 10th 2012

Published by: Penguin Books Ltd

Page numbers: 213

REVIEW: 

After having read The Fault in Our Stars, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines was the only unread John Green book on my shelf. So one day, when I was in a John Green mood (meaning I wanted to read something brilliant), I decided to pick it up and not so surprisingly, the book turned out to be super brilliant. There's just something so magical and addictive about John Green's writing and story-telling that it is both hard to put the book down and to finish it.

An Abundance of Katherines follows the story of child prodigy Colin Singleton, who after having dated not one not two, but nineteen Katherines, is working on a theorem to help prove the longevity of a relationship based on a Dumper- Dumpee approach. Now all the math love aside (which is just incomprehensible gibberish to my brain), everything about Colin made me love him. He was like most of John Green 's characters- simple, ordinary, relatable but self-centred and way too intellectually developed and enlightened for his age, who is just trying to figure himself and the world out.

Colin, along with his friend Hassan, goes on a road trip where he encounters Lindsey Lee Wells while stopping to see the grave of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Now Hassan and Lindsey were characters that I instantly liked because of how cool they were. Hassan was probably the funniest and most adorable character John Green has written, while Lindsey was a nice and smart girl who was the most relatable as well. Colin and Hassan decide to spend the summer at Gutshot, Tennessee when Hollis, Lindsey's mother, offers them work.

A story well told and extremely well made, An Abundance of Katherines is told in the third person point of view and has a mix of both the present and Colin's past with his many Katherines. If I were fond of or even the least bit interested in math, I would've loved the whole theorem inserted very cleverly and neatly in the book; but because I'm not, it didn't really matter to me. Which brings me to the most important point: in spite of all that, the book still managed to be fun for me, because it had so much else going on which was done in a lovely manner.

If, like me, you have read a couple of John Green books, keep in mind that this is a very John Green book, so if you, like me, have liked the rest, you're bound to like this one as well.

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- Paper Towns by John Green

Goodreads Summary:

Quentin has always loved Margo Roth Spiegelman, for Margo (and her adventures) are the stuff of legend at their high school. So when she one day climbs through his window and summons him on an all-night road trip of revenge he cannot help but follow.

But the next day Margo doesn’t come to school and a week later she is still missing. Q soon learns that there are clues in her disappearance . . . and they are for him. But as he gets deeper into the mystery – culminating in another awesome road trip across America – he becomes less sure of who and what he is looking for.

Masterfully written by John Green, this is a thoughtful, insightful and hilarious coming-of-age story. 

REVIEW:

At first, when I began reading Paper Towns, it seemed like it was another Looking for Alaska with a nerd guy and an attractive, popular and quirky girl. For about fifty percent of the book, it was just that, except we have no girl. But it's when Paper Towns has barely twenty percent remaining that it really begins to kick and goes on to become this action-packed, comical, almost innocent and philosophically enlightening read. That obviously means that the first eighty percent of the book wasn't all that extraordinary, but it wasn't bad at all because overall, the book was great. Honestly speaking though, only the last twenty percent of the book- which makes up part three or The Vessel- is necessary because that is the part where there's that promised road trip. The rest is just filling pages up to make a novel. 

Quentin and Margo know each other since childhood as they are neighbours who end up going to the same school. Their acquaintance doesn't really go anywhere until one night when Margo decides to get into Quentin's window and take him on an adventure. Speaking of love and romance in this novel, it was very typical. And even dumb, if I may say so. But the end was simply superb. It was perfect not just in terms of the friendship and all stuff unspoken between Quentin and Margo but for Quentin and Margo as individuals. Quentin was just a regular guy with regular dreams, which was nice and refreshing. Margo was his opposite. While very unconventional, she did stuff without any reason, and both qualities are admirable. But her absence was more than her presence and that was disappointing. Also, her personality and story lacked depth. 

The most fun and interesting aspect of Paper Towns is Quentin's friends, Ben and Radar. They were just so fantastic and fabulous that it was hard not to laugh or at least smile when either or both of them were involved. Ben and Radar were amazing friends who were always there for Quentin whether he needed them or not. It is only for these two awesome guys that I have added another half owl to my rating. It would be really cool to read more about them. In the form of novellas, perhaps? Another really lovely aspect was all the hidden philosophy and thought-provoking stuff that John Green is famous for. Also, the pee jokes! I genuinely appreciate toilet humour, so it was hilarious. 

While Paper Towns was not something that can be called a marvel or a masterpiece, it was still a fun read that has many points to contemplate. John Green, once again, tells us a brilliant story of American teenagers who are very intellectual for their age. A nerdy book in its essence, Paper Towns is a nice read that is funny and contemplative all at once, which makes it very unique in some way. The reason I read the book is because I wanted to get to it before the movie, so I hope the movie is decent enough. But again, speaking honestly, a movie can be made with just the last twenty percent of the book. Just saying. 

RATING:

Review- Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Goodreads Summary:

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both of them legions of faithful fans.

REVIEW:

For our twenty first birthdays, Janhvi and I had decided to gift each other copies of Will Grayson, Will Grayson. We were both extremely excited to read the book and after putting it on hold for almost a year, we finally read it. We didn't just read it though, we buddy read it and it was awesome. Being an ardent admirer of both David Levithan and John Green, I knew this book was going to be epic. And guess what? It was just that. Absolute. Complete. Total. Epic. The story of two boys named Will Grayson, the book revolves entirely around a school play initiated by Tiny Cooper. 

To make it easier, I have systematically divided my review into the following parts- Will Graysons, Tiny Cooper, the plot, the writing and the overall/ final verdict. 

Will Graysons: I honestly don't know how to differentiate between the two Will Graysons but this is how I will distinguish between them (as that's the only way I come up with)- Will Grayson and will grayson. Those who have read the book will know exactly who Will Grayson is and who will grayson is. I loved both the characters and how absurd, confused, normal and relatable they were, but I did find myself leaning more towards will grayson, who for me, was so honest, real and true. Having said that, Will Grayson himself possessed similar qualities as well, but he didn't get me as much as his namesake did. In a chance encounter, both the Will Graysons meet at a porn store in Chicago and while the two don't have many interactions throughout the novel, they play a major role in helping each other become better individuals and find their purpose and worth. 

Tiny Cooper: Those readers who have read Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan must already be aware of how lovely a character Infinite Darlene is. She is literally one of the most epic LGBT characters of our times, if I may say so. But brace yourselves to hear the next- and sorry for this, Infinite Darlene- Tiny Cooper beats Infinite Darlene. He was, as he rightly says, fabulous. But not just that, he was also awesome and fantastic. I loved his character so much, I wish he were real. Tiny was hilarious, but underneath that fun person, there was a very deeply disturbed, troubled and really nice person. For me, this book was Tiny's. The authors should've just named it Tiny Cooper. 

The plot: Like I previously mentioned, the plot revolves around a school play initiated by none other than Mr. Fabulous himself, Tiny Cooper. Initially, it seems like the play is just a random idea that makes the story interesting, but the end makes the reader realise that it is the most important part of the book. It's not just for entertainment purposes, but the play has a lovely story to tell and a simple and sweet message to convey. Aside from this, however, the plot was quite fascinating. I was highly intrigued by the lives of both our Will Graysons and I couldn't wait to see how everything turned out in the end. While the ending wasn't concrete as such, it's the kind of ending I absolutely love, so it worked really well for me. 

The writing: Honestly, I have read enough David Levithan and John Green books to know the writers' writing style. David Levithan is known to surprise me with every read. Each book of his sounds like it has been written by a new person altogether. While Tiny Cooper was the epitome of a David Levithan creation, will grayson sounded so much like a character portrayed by David. Will Grayson's story was like a John Green book, but then again, Tiny was part of his story. From the interview I read between the two authors, I could make out that John wrote about Will Grayson and David about will grayson. But it is a co-effort, so I guess both the authors made the book and the writing what it is together. I don't have words to describe how immaculate and spectacular the writing was and how that made the characters so loveable. To show how great it was, I will share this photo I shared on my Instagram. Seriously, my hot pink and orange post-its are practically over- the writing was that magical. 

The overall/ final verdict: Wow. It's been a long time since I read a book that made me use words like epic and wow. The last book that made me do that, coincidentally was Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan. I know I've praised David a lot in this review, but he deserves that and so does John, who is seriously one of the coolest authors ever. I love them both and I sure hope that this collaboration of theirs wasn't a first and last of its kind. They don't just make my day or week or month, but they make my whole year with just one read. I hope to see more epicness form the two epic writers. I. Loved. This. Book. So. Damn. Much. I honestly don't have any more words to express how much I loved Will Grayson, will grayson. It was epic, exciting, very deep, unforgettable and thoroughly wow. The length of my review shows how much I love it, and if that's anything to go by, the book is a must must must read. 

RATING:

Review- Looking for Alaska by John Green

Goodreads Summary:

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

REVIEW:

When I first bought Looking for Alaska, I had already read and loved The Fault In Our Stars. When I picked it up to read, I wasn't sure what to expect, but seeing as it's a John Green book, I knew that it would be, in it's own and unique way, epic. Unfortunately, it wasn't all that life-changing, mind-blowing and totally oh my God, but Looking for Alaska was still a great read, but I only wish I had loved it more. 

Looking for Alaska is actually a very simple story of a bunch of friends who realise how short and valuable life is after they are struck by an incident none of them foresaw. I've read plenty of books with a similar plot and I've definitely read better. But what I must say is that Looking for Alaska is indeed a very nice story. I loved the aspect of what remains when we are gone that was taken up in it. Finding the "Great Perhaps" and all that. That was very interesting. But what has stayed with me and will stay with me most is the following line which I loved so much: 

"You just use the future to escape the present." 

The bunch of friends I spoke of before are Miles or Pudge, Chip or Colonel, Takumi, Lara and Alaska. I loved the gang, yes, but I especially loved Colonel. He was a cool and funny guy. And I loved his mom as well. While the book is actually from Miles' point of view, aside from his curiosity, I didn't really connect with him. Takumi had two absolutely great moments that I'll always remember when I look back at the book. Lara was really nice in her own way, but I didn't really like Alaska all that much and it's a shame, because the book is about her. She was messed up, but I would have loved to know the "whys" of everything, but I felt that somewhere, it was necessary to keep it unsaid and undone anyway. 

What made Looking for Alaska a very quick and interesting read was John Green's writing. It was nice and simple and there were plenty of funny moments, although after reading The Fault In Our Stars, I didn't find it as brilliant. Besides, if I take into consideration the fact that this book is the author's debut, it was some really great writing.

I liked how the book was divided into Before and After and we go backwards and forwards from the day on which the incident that I won't tell you about happens. The summary is a little deceiving though when it talks about the After. I didn't find anything that wasn't the same except the excessive drinking and smoking which I didn't care about anyway. Speaking of the incident, I have my own theory, but to avoid spoilers, I won't mention it, although I feel everyone knows it for what it actually was than what it was made out to be. Looking for Alaska had some aspects that made it just about great for me, and I did like it while I was reading it. 

RATING:

Review- The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Goodreads Summary:

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.

REVIEW:

To say that The Fault In Our Stars made me think would be an understatement. It made me contemplate about life and death and everything in between. I had previously read stories about cancer patients in the various Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul editions. I knew what to expect from John Green's The Fault In Our Stars. I knew it would be a bittersweet tale. The book is an outstanding work of fiction and deserves all the five glorious, shinning stars that readers have generously bestowed upon it. John Green, the nerdfighter, is, in the truest sense of the term, a rockstar. 

The Fault In Our Stars is the lovely story of Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters, two cancer patients who build an unforgettable forever in the little time that they have left. Both Hazel and Gus were magical. There was something so simple about them, it was very easy to connect to them both. They are the kind of characters who find a way into your heart and you know that they will remain there for a very long time. I loved the conversations between the two. Their discussions and arguments were super intelligent and super cool. The two made for an adorable and awe-inspiring couple. Reading about Hazel and Gus was both bitter and sweet. They are selflessly devoted to each other. Gus was totally swoon-worthy, a complete stunner and a sweetheart  and Hazel was such a lovely person. 
The book is from Hazel's point of view, which was clean, simple and absolutely absorbing. An ardent fan of Peter Van Houten's An Imperial Affliction (which isn't a real book, though I hope it was), Hazel gets Gus into the book and there begins their journey of discovery, love and life.  
Both Hazel's and Gus' families were extremely loving. Just like all families do, they came with their own set of discomforts and comforts. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking to see their parents go through everything they go through. 
Hazel and Gus' friend from Cancer Support Group, Isaac was an inspiration. He was a supercool boy and I am at a loss for words to describe how adorable he was. 
I have a feeling that no matter how much I say about this book, it isn't going to be enough, which is why I will leave it to everyone to just read the book by themselves to really appreciate it (which most of the people have already done). 

I seriously have no clue how to praise this book, it was so so , oh my God, oh so good. 
This has been one of the prettiest books I've read. The writing is simple, the story believable and the characters truly mesmerising. 
The Fault In Our Stars is an unforgettable book that leaves it's footprint in your heart. The kind of book that makes you want to not make presumptions, but put yourself in somebody else's shoes before judging them or trying to figure out their lives. It is a bittersweet moving tale about surviving, living, making the most of life and leaving a mark. It is a pretty, very very pretty work of art. 
John Green and his novel. Are. Both. Simply. Outstanding.  

RATING: