Module 7 - Paper Towns

Module 7 - Paper Towns

Book Summary -
Q and Margo have lived next door to each other most of their lives.  Close as children, they drifted apart in their teen years, especially after they find a suicide victim in the park.  One night in the spring of their senior year, Margo sneaks through Q's window and asks him to help her.  They get revenge on a few of Margo's former friends.  Then she goes missing.  Q finds that she has left clues to where she has gone.  At some point he wonders if he is looking more for her dead body than her live one.  Right after graduation, Q and his friends (through searching and searching), go to find Margo, who they feel is living in a "paper town", one that used to exist, but now only exists on paper.  They find her in New York state.  Q talks her into calling her family, but she stays in New York.  Q goes home.

APA Reference -
Green, J. (2008). Paper towns.  New York: Dutton Books.

My Impressions -
I loved the way most of this book read.  It is a mystery, but has the added humor of teenagers.  It is fun, and it really is thought provoking.  It really made me excited to see what Q would find and how he would find Margo.  The thing I really didn't like was the end.  I felt it was a bit of a letdown.  I was excited to see what Margo had to say when Q found her, but when he did, she was surprised because she didn't intend anyone to search for her.  I would have liked more closure, but it is like life in that respect.

Professional Review -
Gr 9 Up-- Quentin has been in love with Margo for years, so when she includes him in a madcap night of escapades and then disappears, he feels compelled to search for her and to learn why she is so unhappy. This suspenseful and emotionally taut story of self-discovery and compassion is laced with smart-aleck humor and graceful prose.

Paper Towns. (2009). School Library Journal, 5556.

Library Uses -

This would be a great book for a book talk.  Getting students' perspectives on Q's search and what the book was ultimately trying to say would be entertaining and a great learning experience for the students who take the time to seriously read this.