Paper Towns

'Paper Towns' is the fourth novel by author John Green. The book tells the story of a young man chasing the girl he is fascinated with across the US following clues.

The novel was so successful it was adapted into a popular film.

Key Facts about Paper Towns

  • Title: Paper Towns
  • Writer: John Green
  • Published: October 16, 2008
  • Genre: Young Adult Fiction/bildungsroman
  • Point-of-View: First-person
  • Setting: Primarily Orlando Florida
  • Climax: When they decide to avoid graduation to go find Margo.
  • Antagonist: Margo Roth Spiegelman
  • Protagonist: Quentin Jacobsen.

John Green and Paper Towns

Green has so far written five novels and one collection of essays. Many credit Green as responsible for a shift of tone in YA fiction in general. He broke the trend of all YA fiction being related to the supernatural and instead ushered in an era of fiction based on pithy dialogue, realistic characters, and realistic romance – this has been affectionately referred to as GreenLit.

As well as writing, Green is an avid social media user. In particular, he runs a couple of popular YouTube channels. The first, “vlogbrothers” is run by John and his brother Hank. The second Crash Course also features both brothers and consists of educational videos.

Paper Towns by John Green Digital Art
Paper Towns by John Green Visual Representation

Books Related to Paper Towns

A lot of books written for the YA market would fall into this bracket. Since Green started writing, many authors have tried to emulate his style. A few similar books are discussed below:

‘Tietam Brown’ by Mick Foley

Despite being a wrestler, Foley is both articulate and funny. In his first foray into fiction, he looks at the life of Antietam “Andy” Brown. Abandoned at a young age and lost in the foster system, his abusive upbringing makes him a volatile young man. The story of him trying to reconnect with his estranged father is both funny and heartbreaking.

‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ by Stephen Chbosky

This charming effort is by writer/filmmaker Stephen Chbosky and details the life of Charlie as he navigates through life as a curious and reflective character. As with ‘Paper Towns’, there is a film adaptation, this time starring Emma Watson and Paul Rudd.

Legacy of Paper Towns

Although John Green’s ‘Paper Towns’ is relatively new in the literature timeline, it has still made a significant impact. As well as having a feature film based on it, it picked up the Edgar Award and spent some time on the New York Times bestseller list for children’s books.

Due to its accessibility, it has been widely read in schools, especially in the US. However, one school took exception to its references to sex and drinking culture and consequently removed it from their reading list.

Paper Towns Characters 📌

The well-loved characters of ‘Paper Towns’ include Quentin, Margo, and Radar. These characters, among others, made the book a bestseller.

Paper Towns Historical Context 📌

‘Paper Towns’ was written right near the start of the 21st century. The language used by the characters is very much in keeping with the era.

Paper Towns Review ⭐

‘Paper Towns,’ to some, is considered John Green’s best work. It tells the story of follows a group of high school students as they follow clues, tracking down their friend Margo.

Paper Towns Quotes 💬

As with all John Green books, ‘Paper Towns’ features a wide variety of interesting quotes.