Paper Towns, written by John Green, is a book that follows high school senior Quentin Jacobson and his desperate search for his neighbor and childhood friend, the ever-popular Margo Roth Spiegelman.

Quentin spent his life loving adventurous, spunky Margo from afar, never working up the courage to even attempt to talk to her. He believes he is destined to finish high school without ever re-connecting with her. But all that changes when Margo knocks on his window one day and drags Quentin through town on a campaign for revenge. The next day, Margo disappeared. The rest of the book tells the story of Quentin’s search for Margo; not only where she went, but who she was and what would motivate her to run away.

Paper Towns is an excellent book. Green creates characters perfectly, and each person had their own unique voice. Green managed to make fun, humorous characters without compromising the dignity of his story. Even long after finishing the book, the characters are still fresh and easy to remember, and each one has wonderful depth. Even Margo, who was not seen for 90% of the book, had a strong voice that came through in the narrative.

Green also builds a fantastic world. Though the story takes place in Florida, he took it and made it his own. He adds strange, almost magical elements to reality, such as an abandoned building out in the middle of nowhere and the existence of “paper towns”. “Paper towns” were fake towns mapmakers added to their maps to ensure they were not plagiarized. Green weaves these elements into his story beautifully, managing to make them fantastic and yet realistic at the same time.

Despite its fun and light-hearted atmosphere, Paper Towns is not a frivolous book without meaning. Each chapter is thought provoking and engaging, and Green knows how to pound a belief in his reader’s heads. Sometimes it is almost too much; Green will pack so much into his book that it feels like he is ranting, and occasionally he comes across as a bit pretentious. Green does not seem to understand that it is the subtle messages that make the most impact, not the ones that are screamed until the reader is sick of hearing them.

The end of the book also left much to be desired. The biggest problem lies with Margo and her actions. Quentin remembers Margo as a spunky, happy girl who just made a few poor choices. When he meets Margo, though, he discovers she is far from the girl he remembers. Green deserves praise for making the actual Margo different from the Margo Quentin remembered; it is one of the strongest parts of the book. However, at the end of the book, Margo does something quite out-of-character, making the end feel forced.

The end feels rushed, quite unlike the rest of the book, and the contrast makes it seem like Green just stuck in an ending at the last minute. It leaves a dissatisfied feeling, like it was only half a book. It does not ruin the book, though, which actually speaks to Green’s ability; his characters, world, and story were all too powerful for a messy ending to ruin the book. If they were any less well-crafted, the book would not have been half as enjoyable.

So, despite the less-than-perfect ending, this book is well-worth a read. It is a book everyone can enjoy. It has romance, mystery, action, and even a little adventure. It is impossible to put down, and the messages it conveys are worth thinking about. Overall, I give this book a 4.5/5.