Turtles All the Way Down by John Green was an insightful book about mental illness and the life of a teen going through different issues.
Aza and her best friend, Daisy, find out that there is a reward leading to the discovery of a man on the run Russell Pickett. Daisy wants to find him and get the reward, yet Aza, who is dealing with several mental disorders (unspecified in the book), isn't sure she wants to get involved. Aza is especially concerned because she used to know Pickett's eldest son, Davis.
This was, at times, a hard book to read, partly because the narrator, Aza, is very unreliable due to her mental illness and one isn't always sure if what is happening is really happening (since this is part of her psychosis). Throughout the book, I did get a little annoyed at the character, much like some of the others in the book did, but then I thought about that, and when one is dealing with a family member, or specifically a child, with mental illness, this might be an example of their life. How do we protect the ones we love if the ones we love have no idea how to protect themselves? It's a provocative and thought provoking question.
In the novel Daisy balances her life, the friendship she has with Aza, and a sometimes boyfriend. Daisy may be one of the only people who can handle dealing with Aza long term, as they have been best friends forever. I loved Daisy as a character, I loved her honesty, especially in one moment when she and Aza had a confrontation. I loved this moment because it showed the real side of Daisy, and it showed how others who aren't dealing with the mental illness are affected. If one doesn't have it, they won't know what it is like, and going down a spiral into thoughts you can't control sounds horrifying.
Now, of course, this book may not be for everyone, and those who have people in their lives who do suffer from mental illness might not find this book enjoyable. Then again, they might find this book to be an accurate depiction of what they or their loved one is going through. Someone with mental illness might feel the same, they might find this book to be an accurate depiction, and others might find this offensive or untrue. It all depends on the person.
Now I have to say that the end of the book was a little disappointing. I felt as if the characters didn't learn much, and there was a short snippet of 2-3 paragraphs of the future of one of the characters, which felt like an attempt to say "everything is all right in the end," but in all honesty I don't think it added much to the overall story. I would have liked more detail about Davis' father, and I would have liked to know a little more about what happened to him, it almost felt like it was an afterthought to finish that part of the story.
I would have liked to see a little more in the way of development in both Davis and Noah Pickett. They were there to add to Aza's mental issues, but they didn't seem to add anything to the feel or the story.
I think if you want to read this you should, but don't expect a great story. This is more of a look inside mental illness, not a book that tells a great story.
Aza and her best friend, Daisy, find out that there is a reward leading to the discovery of a man on the run Russell Pickett. Daisy wants to find him and get the reward, yet Aza, who is dealing with several mental disorders (unspecified in the book), isn't sure she wants to get involved. Aza is especially concerned because she used to know Pickett's eldest son, Davis.
This was, at times, a hard book to read, partly because the narrator, Aza, is very unreliable due to her mental illness and one isn't always sure if what is happening is really happening (since this is part of her psychosis). Throughout the book, I did get a little annoyed at the character, much like some of the others in the book did, but then I thought about that, and when one is dealing with a family member, or specifically a child, with mental illness, this might be an example of their life. How do we protect the ones we love if the ones we love have no idea how to protect themselves? It's a provocative and thought provoking question.
In the novel Daisy balances her life, the friendship she has with Aza, and a sometimes boyfriend. Daisy may be one of the only people who can handle dealing with Aza long term, as they have been best friends forever. I loved Daisy as a character, I loved her honesty, especially in one moment when she and Aza had a confrontation. I loved this moment because it showed the real side of Daisy, and it showed how others who aren't dealing with the mental illness are affected. If one doesn't have it, they won't know what it is like, and going down a spiral into thoughts you can't control sounds horrifying.
Now, of course, this book may not be for everyone, and those who have people in their lives who do suffer from mental illness might not find this book enjoyable. Then again, they might find this book to be an accurate depiction of what they or their loved one is going through. Someone with mental illness might feel the same, they might find this book to be an accurate depiction, and others might find this offensive or untrue. It all depends on the person.
Now I have to say that the end of the book was a little disappointing. I felt as if the characters didn't learn much, and there was a short snippet of 2-3 paragraphs of the future of one of the characters, which felt like an attempt to say "everything is all right in the end," but in all honesty I don't think it added much to the overall story. I would have liked more detail about Davis' father, and I would have liked to know a little more about what happened to him, it almost felt like it was an afterthought to finish that part of the story.
I would have liked to see a little more in the way of development in both Davis and Noah Pickett. They were there to add to Aza's mental issues, but they didn't seem to add anything to the feel or the story.
I think if you want to read this you should, but don't expect a great story. This is more of a look inside mental illness, not a book that tells a great story.
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