Review Detail

According to Omnictionary, a Paper Town is a town that does not physically exist. What does that mean? According to Margo Roth Spiegelman, her home town of Orlando is a paper town populated with paper people, whose aspirations are paper thin. She has been trying to run away from her paper town for years, disappearing for days at a time and roaming the county. This time, it appears shes disappeared for good. Did she run off to a paper town?

Quentin Jacobsen has been in love with Margo Roth Spiegelman since they were young. Theyre next door neighbors and were constant companions. However, through the course of middle school and high school, theyve gone their separate ways, she to the cool side and he to the geek side.

But when Margo Roth Spiegelman disappears, it is after a night of adventure with Quentin as her co-conspirator. She gets retribution on her boyfriend who cheated with her best friend. She sneaks into SeaWorld after closing. She leaves her mark, a painted M, wherever she goes. But her disappearance causes concern and the longer she stays away, the more Quentin fears she might have committed suicide, replaying a suicide they both witnessed when they were ten.

Margo Roth Spiegelmans parents are oppressive. Upon learning of their daughters latest escape, they change the locks on their doors. She is no longer wanted. According to them, Margo Roth Spiegelman always left clues, however obscure they may be. This got Quentin thinking and, rallying the support of his friends Ben and Radar, and Margos friend, Lacey, they search for clues, trying to put themselves into Margos head.

There is so much good stuff in this book. The characters are great, every one of them, from those making rare appearances to the main characters. The mystery of what happened to Margo is engrossing. The things you learn about her as the book develops make her more and more real. The relevance of Walt Whitmans poetry adds a touch of class. The action is fast paced. The writing is great. And, who knew anything at all about paper towns, which apparently do exist. John Green is a great writer and his Looking for Alaska is another riveting book. Paper Towns might make it into my top 10 list for 2008. Get this book and disappear behind closed doors while you read it. You wont want to come up for air until youre done.