Turtles All The Way Down : A Kayla Hicks Book Review

Rarely has a slew of characters made me understand an aspect of mental health better than the characters of Turtles All The Way Down

I love all the books that John Green has released so far, so to say I was excited to read his newest book was an understatement.

What Turtles All the Way Down is about?

JOHN GREEN, the acclaimed author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, returns with a story of shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.

Aza Holmes never intended to pursue the disappearance 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 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.

My review:

This book was different for me to read than all of John Green’s other books, mainly because it was about a particular type of character from him I have yet to see.

Green does a wonderful job of portraying Aza and her constant struggle with OCD, anxiety and panic attacks, self-harm, and trying to figure out the meaning of life. And after reading this book, I personally feel as if I learned more about the life of someone with these challenges. As well as how alone these challenges can cause someone to feel.

There were several times in this book where lines caused me to pause and think. One of them was “I read my history textbook for a while, but my consciousness felt like a camera with a dirty lens.”

Such profound moments that left me finding them relating to my life in some way, as a person who often struggles with anxiety.

I would highly recommend this book and give it a 4.5-star review.