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{{short description|2008 novel by John Green}}
:''For the upcoming film adaptation, see [[Paper Towns (film)]]''
{{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
{{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
| name = ''Paper Towns''
| name = ''Paper Towns''
| image = [[File:Paper Towns covers.jpg|250 px]]
| image = Paper Towns covers.jpg
| caption = The two<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://johngreenbooks.com/the-covers-of-paper-towns/ |title=The Covers of Paper Towns |last=Green |first=John |date=April 2, 2008 |website=John Green |publisher= |accessdate=June 20, 2014}}</ref> first edition covers
| caption = The two<ref>{{cite web |url=http://johngreenbooks.com/the-covers-of-paper-towns/ |title=The Covers of Paper Towns |last=Green |first=John |date=April 2, 2008 |website=John Green |access-date=June 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026190659/http://johngreenbooks.com/the-covers-of-paper-towns/ |archive-date=2014-10-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> first edition covers
| author = [[John Green (author)|John Green]]
| author = [[John Green]]
| country = United States
| country = United States
| language = English
| language = English
| translator =
| translator =
| cover_artist =
| cover_artist =
| genre = [[Young-adult fiction|Young Adult]], [[Mystery fiction|Mystery]]
| genre = [[Young adult fiction|Young adult]], [[Mystery fiction|Mystery]]
| publisher = [[Dutton Penguin|Dutton Books]]
| publisher = [[Dutton Penguin|Dutton Books]]
| release_date = October 16 [[2008 in literature|2008]]
| release_date = October 16, 2008
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]], [[Paperback]])
| media_type = Print (Hardback, Paperback)
| pages = 345
| pages = 305
| isbn = 978-0-525-47818-8
| isbn = 978-0-525-47818-8
| congress = PZ7.G8233 Pap 2008
| congress = PZ7.G8233 Pap 2008
| oclc = 202483793
| oclc = 202483793
| preceded_by =
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| followed_by =
}}
}}
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'''''Paper Towns''''' is the third young adult novel written by [[John Green (author)|John Green]]. It was published on October 16, 2008 by [[E.P. Dutton|Dutton Books]].<ref>{{cite journal | last = Siegel | first = Tatiana | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Mandate, Mr.Mudd ready to roll ‘Paper’ | journal = | volume = | issue = | pages = | publisher = | location = | date = Oct 24, 2008 | url = http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=GRGM&userGroupName=ncowl&tabID=T003&searchId=R6&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=6&contentSet=GALE%7CA189831662&&docId=GALE{{!}}A189831662&docType=GALE&role= | jstor = | issn = | doi = | id = | mr = | zbl = | jfm = | accessdate = 14 March 2012}}</ref> The novel explores the coming of age and search of the protagonist, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen, for Margo Roth Spiegelman, his neighbor and childhood love interest. Along his search, Quentin and his friends, Ben, Radar, and Lacey, discover more about the "real" Margo. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=305}} With the upcoming release of the film adaptation, the novel has been subjected to critical reviews. It has even been challenged in a school district for its sexual content.<ref name="Tobar, Hector">{{cite web | url=http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-florida-school-withdraws-john-green-paper-towns-outcry-20140701-story.html | title=Florida school nixes John Green's 'Paper Towns,' prompts outcry | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=1 July 2014 | accessdate=5 July 2014 | author=Tobar, Hector}}</ref> John Green gained inspiration for this book, through his experience and knowledge of "[[fictitious entry|paper towns]]," during a road trip through South Dakota. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=306}}


⚫
'''''Paper Towns''''' is a novel written by [[John Green]], published on October 16, 2008, by [[E.P. Dutton|Dutton Books]].<ref>{{cite journal | last = Siegel | first = Tatiana | title = Mandate, Mr.Mudd ready to roll 'Paper' | date = Oct 24, 2008 | url = http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=GRGM&userGroupName=ncowl&tabID=T003&searchId=R6&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=6&contentSet=GALE%7CA189831662&&docId=GALE%7CA189831662&docType=GALE&role= | access-date = 14 March 2012}}</ref> The novel is about the coming-of-age of the protagonist, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen and his search for Margo Roth Spiegelman, his neighbor and childhood crush. During his search, Quentin and his friends Ben, Radar, and Lacey discover information about Margo.{{sfn|Paper Towns|2008|p=305}}
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It debuted at number five on the [[New York Times bestseller list|''New York Times'' bestseller list]] for children's books<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/books/bestseller/bestchildren.html | publisher=New York Times | title=Best Sellers | date=November 2, 2008 | accessdate=May 21, 2010}}</ref> and was awarded the 2009 [[Edgar Award]] for best [[Young-adult fiction|young adult]] novel.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mysterywriters.org/files/2009_Edgar_Winners.pdf | publisher=Mystery Writers of America | title=Edgar Award Winners}}</ref>

⚫
John Green drew inspiration for this book from his experience and knowledge of "[[Phantom settlement|paper towns]]" during a road journey through South Dakota.{{sfn|Paper Towns|2008|p=306}} It debuted at number five on the [[New York Times bestseller list|''New York Times'' bestseller list]] for children's books<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/books/bestseller/bestchildren.html | newspaper=New York Times | title=Best Sellers | date=November 2, 2008 | access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref> and was awarded the 2009 [[Edgar Award]] for best [[young adult fiction|young adult]] novel.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mysterywriters.org/files/2009_Edgar_Winners.pdf | publisher=Mystery Writers of America | title=Edgar Award Winners | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827143408/http://www.mysterywriters.org/files/2009_Edgar_Winners.pdf | archive-date=2012-08-27 }}</ref> A [[Paper Towns (film)|film adaptation]] was released on July 24, 2015.


==Plot summary==
==Plot summary==
''Paper Towns'' takes place in and around a fictional [[subdivision (land)|subdivision]] called Jefferson Park, located in suburban [[Orlando, Florida]]. The novel focuses on the narrator and protagonist, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen, and his neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman. As young children, Quentin and Margo one day discover the corpse of Robert Joyner, a divorced man who has committed suicide, in the park. Following this incident, the novel flashes forward to present-day Quentin and Margo, who are now high school students that have grown apart from each other. However, a month before their high school graduation, Margo shows up at Quentin’s bedroom window with black face paint and clothes in the middle of the night. She has devised a revenge mission on a group of people who she feels have hurt her over the course of her high school career. The mission has eleven parts to it. Margo needs someone and more importantly, a car, to help her complete the tasks. So, she convinces Quentin to sneak out and help her seek revenge. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=2-30}}
''Paper Towns'' mostly takes place in and around Jefferson Park, a fictional [[subdivision (land)|subdivision]] located in suburban [[Orlando, Florida]] and focuses on narrator and protagonist Quentin "Q" Jacobsen and his neighbor Margo Roth Spiegelman, with whom Quentin has always had a romantic fascination. As preadolescents, Quentin and Margo together discovered the corpse of a local man who died of suicide in their neighborhood park. Nine years later, Quentin is an outcast whose best friends are Ben and Radar, while Margo is a popular student—both now seniors at [[Winter Park High School]]. A month before their graduation, Margo suddenly reappears in Quentin's life, climbing through his bedroom window as she did during their first meeting. She has devised an eleven-part plan of vengeance on a group of people she feels have hurt her during her time at high school; these people include her cheating boyfriend Jase and peers Lacey and Becca. Margo needs an accomplice and a car to help her, and Quentin accepts. Margo and Quentin successfully complete the tasks, share a romantically ambiguous dance, and return to their homes around dawn.


The next day, Quentin wonders hopefully if Margo will start hanging out with him, but Margo is reported missing by her parents after three days. Quentin, Ben, and Radar soon discover a series of items that Margo has left hidden for Quentin: a picture of [[Woody Guthrie]] on Margo's bedroom window shade, Margo's highlighted copy of [[Walt Whitman]]'s poem "[[Song of Myself]]", and a written address in Quentin's bedroom doorjamb. Quentin and his friends follow these clues to find an abandoned [[strip mall|mini-mall]] in [[Christmas, Florida]], that contains evidence of Margo's recent presence. Quentin struggles to analyze all of Margo's clues and leftover materials in the mini-mall. He suspects the clues are meant to lead him to her current whereabouts, though he worries she may have committed [[suicide]].
To begin their mission, Margo and Quentin head to a local [[Walmart]] to purchase a list of items that they will need to complete their plan. After they have purchased all of the necessary materials, Margo and Quentin visit her ex-boyfriend, Jase, and her best friend, Becca, to begin part one of their mission. Jase cheated on Margo with Becca. Thus, to get back at both of them, Margo has Quentin call Becca's parents to inform them that their daughter is currently having sex with Jase in their basement. As a naked Jase attempts to escape the house and wrath of Becca's dad, Quentin takes a picture of him. Margo and Quentin then break into Becca's home, graffiti a blue ‘M’ for Margo on her wall, and leave a dead catfish in her basement to symbolize her betrayal. After the incident with Becca and Jase, they visit Karin, a minor character in the novel, and leave her a bouquet of flowers. Karin is the character who informed Margo that Jase was cheating on her. Upon the revelation of this news, Margo cursed her out in disbelief. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=31-46}}


Based on a note Margo has left referring to "paper towns", Quentin realizes Margo may be hiding or buried in one of the many abandoned housing subdivisions—"pseudovisions" or "paper towns"—around Orlando. He drives to all of the pseudovisions where he feels that she may be hiding, but he cannot find her. On the day of his graduation, Quentin comes across an obscure Internet post, with a comment left on it which Quentin recognizes as Margo's due to its distinctive capitalization, which tells him that Margo has been hiding in a [[fictitious entries|fictitious town]] in New York State called [[Agloe, New York|Agloe]] (which was created as a copyright trap by mapmakers) and that she plans to leave Agloe immediately after noon on May 29. Quentin, Radar, Ben, and Lacey impulsively skip graduation to drive to Agloe to search for her, rushing to get from Florida to New York before noon on May 29.
Following the completion of the second part of their mission, Quentin and Margo go to Jase’s house, break in, graffiti a turquoise "M," and leave him a fish. They then visit Lacey, one of Margo's best friends and a major character towards the latter half of the text. Margo has always felt that Lacey had never been a good friend to her because she had often ridiculed her and made backhand comments about her physical appearance. Margo and Quentin break into Lacey's parked car. They purposely leave the fish under her car seat and graffiti a blue ‘M’ on the roof of her car.


⚫
In Agloe, they discover Margo is living in an old, dilapidated barn. She is shocked to see them, which angers the group, who expected her to be grateful for their presence. Margo had left those clues only to assure Quentin that she is okay, and did not want to be found. Angry at her lack of gratitude, Radar, Ben, and Lacey leave and spend the night at a motel. Quentin realizes the image he had of Margo was as fake as the one that she had been projecting to everyone else and becomes furious at her for wasting his time. Margo argues that Quentin saved her for egotistical reasons: he wanted to be a knight in shining armor who saved the troubled girl. Ultimately, Quentin accepts that it was unfair for him to expect Margo to live up to his perfect image of her, and he begins to logically overcome his sexual attraction towards her. After their conversation, Margo decides to go to New York City and asks Quentin to accompany her. Quentin wants to stay with her, and they kiss, but he understands his home life and responsibilities prevent him from going. Margo promises to Quentin that she will keep in contact with him.
At 3:15 AM, they sneak into the [[SunTrust Banks|SunTrust]] bank building and enter a conference room on one of the higher floors to see a panorama of Orlando. Here, Margo, for the first time, refers to Orlando and their subdivision as a "[[fictitious entry|paper town]]." She describes it as “fake” and “not even hard enough to be made of plastic.” {{sfn|Green|2008|p=57}} Once they leave the SunTrust building, Margo gives Quentin the option to choose any person that has bothered him over the years to get revenge on. He chooses the school bully, Chuck Parson, who has taunted Quentin since middle school. For the last three years of high school, he stopped bullying Quentin at the request of Margo. Nevertheless, Margo and Quentin proceed to get revenge on Chuck. They sneak into his house, remove one of his eyebrows with [[Chemical depilatory|hair removal cream]], and slather [[Vaseline]] on all of the door handles in his home. After getting revenge on Chuck, they break into [[SeaWorld]], where they are caught by a security guard for trespassing. However, Margo uses her persuasive abilities to get Quentin and herself out of any serious trouble. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=53-79}}

Following their trip to SeaWorld, Margo and Quentin return to their homes around dawn. After their excursion, Quentin, who barely makes it to school on time, spends the entire day thinking about how things have changed. He wonders if Margo will start hanging out with him and his friends, Ben and Radar. However, Margo does not show up to school that day or the following. After she has been missing for three days, her parents file a police report. Margo has run away four times before in the past, so her parents are more frustrated than worried about her. Her mother even reveals that she plans on changing the locks, so that regardless if Margo decides to come back, she will be unable to. Due to the fact that Quentin was the last person to see Margo, he is questioned by a private investigator. He does not reveal much. However, soon after his conversation with the private investigator, Quentin notices a poster of [[Woody Guthrie]] taped to the back of Margo's bedroom shades. As soon as her parents leave her house, Quentin, Ben, and Radar bribe her little sister, Ruthie, to let them in, so that they can search through her room. They soon discover that the poster leads them to a song called [[Mermaid Avenue|Walt Whitman's Niece]]. This then leads them to [[Walt Whitman]]'s poem, "Song of Myself," which is a part of his poetry collection, ''[[Leaves of Grass]].'' In her room, Margo provides a copy of the poem with highlighted sections. Quentin believes that Margo has left the highlighted sections as clues for him to find her. Thus, Quentin spends countless days and nights reading and re-reading the poem to search for clues of her whereabouts. After taking advice from Ben, Quentin, one day, decides to unhinge his door. In the poem, Margo highlights a line where Whitman discusses this. He soon finds a small piece of paper that has the address, "8328 bartlesville Avenue," located in his door. Hoping it will lead them to where Margo is, Quentin and his friends decide to skip school the following day to visit the address on the piece of paper. At this location, they find an old abandoned [[strip mall|mini-mall]] in [[Christmas, Florida]] that contains evidence of her recent presence and a morbid message spray painted on the walls. Quentin struggles to analyze the message. On one hand, he believes that it confirms her suicide. While, on the other, he believes that it validates his hypothesis that Margo was entirely too fed up with her "fake" life. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=85-149}}

Eventually, the clues lead Quentin to believe that Margo may be possibly hiding out or buried in one of the many abandoned subdivision projects or "pseudovisions" around Orlando. Consequently, he drives to all of the pseudovisions where he feels that she may be hiding, but has no luck locating her. On the day of his graduation, while getting ready, Quentin makes a connection with a map that he found in the abandoned strip mall to the one that he made in an attempt to locate her. He matches up the holes from the tacks in the mini-mall to his map. This leads him to discover that Margo has been hiding in a [[fictitious entries|fictional town]] in New York called [[Agloe, New York|Agloe]], which was created as a copyright trap by mapmakers, near the existing town of [[Roscoe, New York]]. As a result, Quentin, Radar, Ben, and Lacey all opt to skip graduation, in order to drive to New York to search for her. The group is put under a time constraint, as Quentin discovers in the Omnictionary page of Agloe that Margo plans to leave the location on May 29 at noon. Thus, they must make the drive to [[Roscoe, New York]] in under twenty-four hours. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=150-239}}

⚫
Once they reach [[Agloe, New York|Agloe]], they discover that Margo is living in an old, dilapidated barn. Margo is shocked to see them, which angers the group. They expected for her to be grateful of their presence. However, she reacts to their arrival as an unexpected disturbance and begins to scold them accordingly. Margo had not left any of the clues that they used to find her intentionally. She claims that she did not want to be found. Angry at her lack of gratitude, Radar, Ben, and Lacey leave the barn and spend the night at a motel. Gradually, Quentin realizes that the image he had of her was as fake as the one that she had been emitting to everyone else. As a result, he becomes furious at her for wasting his time. His anger forces Margo to argue that Quentin saved her for egotistical reasons. He wanted to be the hero who saved the troubled girl. Ultimately, Quentin accepts that it was unfair for him to expect that Margo would live up to the perfect image he built of her. After their deep conversation, Margo decides to go to New York City. They briefly kiss. Quentin wants to stay with her, but understands that his responsibilities and the nature of his life at home restrict him from doing so. In the last few lines of the novel, Margo and Quentin vow to keep in contact. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=279-305}}


== Characters ==
== Characters ==
; {{visible anchor|Quentin "Q" Jacobsen|Q|Quentin}}: The protagonist and narrator of the story. Quentin is the stereotypical rule-follower. He likes things to be neat and simple, making him the complete opposite of Margo Roth Spiegelman. Quentin has had a crush on Margo since they were kids, but the distance he kept from her created a perfect image of her in his head that turned out not to be real. His desire to find her after she goes missing drives the events of the story.
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; {{visible anchor|Margo Roth Spiegelman|Margo}}: A self-described "pretty girl" who runs away from home only to be pursued by her childhood friend. Spiegelman is assertive but is from a dysfunctional Jewish family, and is one of the most popular girls at her local high school. She has a love for American literature, music, and travel. Her pet dog, Myrna Mountweazel, is a reference to Lillian Virginia Mountweazel,<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/08/29/not-a-word | magazine=New Yorker | title=Not a Word | date=August 29, 2005 | access-date=June 1, 2014}}</ref> a woman who never existed, but was listed in the 1975 edition of the [[Columbia Encyclopedia|''New Columbia Encyclopedia'']].
; {{visible anchor|Ben "Bloody Ben" Starling|Ben}}: One of Quentin and Radar's best friends, travels with them and his girlfriend, Lacey. He is in the school band. Ben is the comic relief of the book, providing a much needed humorous energy on the trip.
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; {{visible anchor|Marcus "Radar" Lincoln|Marcus|Radar}}: He is one of Quentin's best friends. He was nicknamed by Quentin and Ben after the character from ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]].''{{sfn|Paper Towns|2008|p=12-13}} To his embarrassment, his parents own the world's largest collection of Black Santas.{{sfn|Paper Towns|2008|p=22}} He is in the school band. He is also the brains of the group. He was very unwilling to follow along with much of the adventures they had, mainly because of his girlfriend, Angela, whom he was very loyal to.
; {{visible anchor|Lacey Pemberton|Lacey}}: Lacey is the best and closest friend of Margo. They were friends since kindergarten. She starts dating Ben after breaking up with Chuck Parson. Margo and Lacey have a strange friendship; Margo feels Lacey has always been judgmental of her throughout their relationship by sometimes saying, what Margo sees as, little insults to their difference in body type. After they reunite, Lacey is hurt that she worried so much and traveled all the way from Orlando, just to find that Margo didn't even care that they had found her after looking for so long, thereby straining their friendship. They later reconciled after a phone conversation.{{sfn|Paper Towns|2008|p=49-50}}


== Structure ==
*'''{{visible anchor|Quentin “Q” Jacobsen|Q|Quentin}}''': The protagonist and narrator of the story. He has had a crush on his neighbor, Margo, since they were kids. Throughout their childhood and adolescent years, his crush on Margo develops. In the book, Quentin realizes his love for Margo, particularly after her disappearance. He tracks clues that he thinks Margo has left behind for him to help him find her. Quentin soon becomes obsessed with finding these clues and recruits his friends to help him find Margo. His desire to find Margo results in him neglecting school and his friends, which Radar rebukes him for. His obsession, in turn, causes him to possess this fantastical and essentially perfect image of Margo. Towards the end of the novel, he discovers that his image and expectations of her were unreal.
⚫
The novel is written in three parts. Each individual part is named for a specific metaphor used considerably in that section. The titles of sections are "The Strings", "The Grass", and "The Vessel". Each individual chapter within the first two parts is labeled with a number. However, the third part of the novel is divided into smaller sections. Each section refers to the hour of the characters' road trip.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://2novels.com/242779-paper-towns.html | title=Paper Towns read online free by John Green - Novel22}}</ref>
⚫
*'''{{visible anchor|Margo Roth Spiegelman|Margo}}''': A self-described "paper girl" who runs away from home only to be pursued by her childhood friend, Quentin. Margo is one of the most popular girls at her local high school. Due to her unhappiness with the "falsity" of her setting, she decides to leave town. However, before she leaves town, she enlists Quentin to help her fulfill a revenge plan on everyone that has mistreated her. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=25-30}} In the beginning of the novel, she discovers that her boyfriend, Jase, is cheating on her with her best friend, Becca. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=37}} In the past, Margo has run away from home four times .{{sfn|Green|2008|p=101}} She has a love for American literature, music, and travel. Her pet dog, Myrna Mountweazel, is a reference to Lillian Virginia Mountweazel,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/08/29/not-a-word | publisher=New Yorker | title=Not a Word | date=August 29, 2005 | accessdate=June 1, 2014}}</ref> a woman who never existed, but was listed in the 1975 edition of the New Columbia Encyclopedia.
*'''{{visible anchor|Ben Starling|Ben}}''': He is one of Quentin's best friends. He is in the school band and also helps Quentin find Margo. In the process, he becomes Lacey's boyfriend. In the beginning of the novel, Ben has an obsession with prom and refers to girls as "honeybunnies." During prom weekend, Ben becomes the individual with the longest keg stand in Winter Park history by sixty three seconds.{{sfn|Green|2008|p=179}} He drunkenly makes a deal with Quentin and Radar to wear nothing underneath their graduation robes.{{sfn|Green|2008|p=186-187}} Throughout the novel, Ben strives for conformity. Like Radar, Ben also criticizes Quentin for his Margo obsession.
⚫
*'''{{visible anchor|Marcus “Radar” Lincoln|Marcus|Radar}}''': He is one of Quentin’s best friends. In the novel, he is constantly editing pages on a website called Omnictionary, which is ultimately a parody of Wikipedia. He was nicknamed by Quentin and Ben after the character from ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]].''{{sfn|Green|2008|p=12-13}} To his embarrassment, his parents own the world's largest collection of black Santas.{{sfn|Green|2008|p=22}} He is in the school band. Like Ben, Radar assists Quentin in finding Margo. He is dating a girl named Angela. Throughout the novel, Radar often possesses the most insight about Quentin. He even criticizes Quentin for his Margo obsession and selfishness. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=194-195}}
*'''{{visible anchor|Lacey Pemberton|Lacey}}''': She has been one of Margo's closest friends since kindergarten. However, Margo and Lacey have a strange friendship. Margo feels that Lacey has always been judgmental of her throughout the course of their relationship.{{sfn|Green|2008|p=49-50}} In the beginning of the novel, Margo vandalizes Lacey's car out of anger at the fact that Lacey did not tell her about Jase and Becca.{{sfn|Green|2008|p=50}} However, Lacey was unaware of their relationship. When Margo disappears, Lacey becomes concerned and involved in the search. She befriends Quentin, Ben, and Radar to help look for Margo. Lacey even has her cousin place flyers all over New York City, a place where Margo supposedly told her ex-boyfriend that she wanted to go, in search of her.{{sfn|Green|2008|p=120-122}} In the novel, Lacey becomes Ben's girlfriend and prom date. Her character develops more towards the second half of the text, as she becomes more involved in the search for Margo. She even skips graduation to go with Quentin, Ben, and Radar to find Margo. {{sfn|Green|2008|p=240}}

== Style ==
⚫
The novel is written in three parts. Each individual part is named for a specific metaphor used considerably in that section. The titles of sections are "The Strings," "The Grass," and "The Vessel." Each individual chapter within the first two parts is labeled with a number. However, the third part of the novel is divided into smaller sections. Each section refers to the hour of the characters' road trip.


== Background ==
== Background ==
[[File:John Green by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|John Green, author of ''Paper Towns'']]
[[File:John Green by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|John Green, author of ''Paper Towns'']]


Throughout the novel, the concept of "[[fictitious entry|paper towns]]" is mentioned several times. As a former Orlandoan, John Green has seen and heard of many "paper towns." However, his first experience with a "paper town" occurred during his junior year of college, while on a road trip. In South Dakota, he and his friend came across a "paper town" called "Holen." At the end of the novel, John Green states that the story of [[Agloe]] presented in the text is mostly true: “Agloe began as a paper town created to protect against copyright infringement. But then people with these old Esso maps kept looking for it, and so someone built a store, making Agloe real.” {{sfn|Green|2008|p=206}}
Throughout the novel, the concept of [[fictitious entry|paper towns]] is mentioned several times. As a former Orlando resident, John Green had seen and heard of many "paper towns". His first experience with a "paper town" occurred during his junior year of college while on a road trip. In South Dakota, he and his friend came across a paper town called Holen. At the end of the novel, John Green states that the story of [[Agloe]] presented in the text is mostly true: "Agloe began as a paper town created to protect against copyright infringement. But then people with these old Esso maps kept looking for it, and so someone built a store, making Agloe real."{{sfn|Paper Towns|2008|p=206}}

== Reception ==
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''Paper Towns'' received mostly positive reviews. ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' said: "The title, which refers to unbuilt subdivisions and copyright trap towns that appear on maps but don't exist, unintentionally underscores the novel's weakness: both milquetoast Q and self-absorbed Margo are types, not fully dimensional characters". It also said the novel is "another teen pleasing read".<ref>{{cite news | title =Paper Towns | newspaper =Publishers Weekly | page =51 | publisher =Dutton | date = September 8, 2008}}</ref> ''Kirkus Reviews'' praised the novel as "a winning combination".<ref name="Kirkus-2008">{{cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/john-green/paper-towns/|title=Paper Towns|work=[[Kirkus Reviews]]|date=1 September 2008|access-date=9 November 2013}}</ref> ''[[School Library Journal]]'' said: "Q is a great social outcast main character who sometimes thinks a little too much, but is completely relatable. Though we only really see Margo for the first third of the book, the clues really create her character and give us the feeling she's a complex person. Finding out who Margo is through the things she left behind was a really great way to develop her character."<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6600222.html?nid=4302&rid= | magazine=School Library Journal | title=Paper Towns Review}}</ref>


⚫
Rebecca Swain of ''Orlando Sentinel'' stated: "''Paper Towns'' has convinced me that jaded adult readers need to start raiding the Teen's section at the bookstore. Green, who grew up in Orlando and uses the city as a backdrop for the story, taps into the cadence of teenage life with sharp and funny writing, but transcends age with deeper insights."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_books_blog/2008/10/review-paper-to.html | newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel | date=October 11, 2008 | last=Swain | first=Rebecca | title=Review: Paper Towns by John Green | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025134651/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_books_blog/2008/10/review-paper-to.html | archive-date=October 25, 2008}}</ref> Chelsey G.H. Philpot, editorial assistant of The Horn Book Guide, said: "the end breaks your heart, and yet it feels right".<ref>{{cite journal | last = Philpot | first = Chelsey G.H. | title = What Makes a Good YA Road Trip Novel | date = July–August 2010 | url = http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/52482563 | access-date = 14 March 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160124134707/http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=113&sid=b6c1759f-2338-42cc-a17b-95fba51076ab%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGN1c3R1aWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4NDU1ODYxJnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=f6h&AN=52482563 | archive-date = 24 January 2016 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Rollie Welch called ''Paper Towns'' "Green's best work" up to that point.<ref>{{cite web| last =Welch| first =Rollie| title ='Paper Town' is author John Green's best work| url =http://www.cleveland.com/bookreviews/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-1/122976571639200.xml&coll=2| access-date =15 March 2012| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20131017225744/http://www.cleveland.com/bookreviews/plaindealer/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fentertainment-1%2F122976571639200.xml&coll=2| archive-date =2013-10-17| url-status =dead}}</ref> Michael Cart praised John Green for his symbolism and ability to synthesize imagination and reality; he wrote: "Green ponders the interconnectedness of imagination and perception, of mirrors and windows, of illusion and reality".<ref name="Corwin" />
==Critical reception==
⚫
''Paper Towns'' received mostly positive reviews. ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' said that "the title, which refers to unbuilt subdivisions and [[copyright trap]] towns that appear on maps but don't exist, unintentionally underscores the novel's weakness: both milquetoast Q and self-absorbed Margo are types, not fully dimensional characters." They also commented that the novel is "another teen pleasing read."<ref>{{Cite news | last = | first = | coauthors = | title =Paper Towns | newspaper =Publishers Weekly | location = | page =51 | publisher =Dutton | date = September 8, 2008| accessdate =March 9, 2011 }}</ref> Meanwhile, ''Kirkus Reviews'' praised the novel as "a winning combination."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/john-green/paper-towns/|title=Paper Towns|work=[[Kirkus Reviews]]|date=1 September 2008|accessdate=9 November 2013}}</ref> Similarly, ''[[School Library Journal]]'' said that "Q is a great social outcast main character who sometimes thinks a little too much, but is completely relatable. Though we only really see Margo for the first third of the book, the clues really create her character and give us the feeling she's a complex person. Finding out who Margo is through the things she left behind was a really great way to develop her character."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6600222.html?nid=4302&rid= | publisher=School Library Journal | title=Paper Towns Review}}</ref>


Robert Corwin of Arizona State University wrote, "some readers may find the author's use of language and sexual content objectionable."<ref name="Corwin">{{cite journal | last = Corwin | first = Robert | title = Paper Towns | journal = Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy | date = February 2008 | url =http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=867a4a68-20e4-4ad8-8ab6-b9cf08c3442c%40sessionmgr14&vid=6&hid=119 | access-date = 16 March 2012}}{{dead link|date=January 2013}}</ref> ''The Cleveland Plain Dealer'' stated, “Readers will find that the structure and central mystery of ''Paper Towns'' echo Green's debut, ''[[Looking for Alaska]]'', and [[Gregory Galloway|Gregory Galloway's]] 2005 novel, ''[[As Simple as Snow|As Simple As Snow]],''" and ''Kirkus Reviews'' wrote that Green's novel was “reminiscent" of Galloway's novel.<ref name="Kirkus-2008" />
⚫
Furthermore, Rebecca Swain of ''Orlando Sentinel'', argued, "''Paper Towns'' has convinced me that jaded adult readers need to start raiding the Teen's section at the bookstore. Green, who grew up in Orlando and uses the city as a backdrop for the story, taps into the cadence of teenage life with sharp and funny writing, but transcends age with deeper insights."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_books_blog/2008/10/review-paper-to.html | publisher=The Orlando Sentinel | date=October 11, 2008 | last=Swain | first=Rebecca | title=Review: Paper Towns by John Green | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20081025134651/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_books_blog/2008/10/review-paper-to.html | archivedate=October 25, 2008}}</ref> Similarly, Chelsey G.H. Philpot, editorial assistant of The Horn Book Guide, commented that “the end breaks your heart, and yet it feels right.”<ref>{{cite journal | last = Philpot | first = Chelsey G.H. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = What Makes a Good YA Road Trip Novel | journal = | volume = | issue = | pages = | publisher = | location = | date = July–August 2010| url = http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=113&sid=b6c1759f-2338-42cc-a17b-95fba51076ab%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGN1c3R1aWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4NDU1ODYxJnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=f6h&AN=52482563 | jstor = | issn = | doi = | id = | mr = | zbl = | jfm = | accessdate = 14 March 2012}}</ref> Meanwhile, Rollie Welch called ''Paper Towns'' “Green’s best work" up to that point.<ref>{{cite web | last = Welch| first = Rollie | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = ‘Paper Town’ is author John Green’s best work | work = | publisher = | date = | url = http://www.cleveland.com/bookreviews/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-1/122976571639200.xml&coll=2 | doi = | accessdate = 15 March 2012}}</ref> Critics, such as Michael Cart, praise John Green for his symbolism and ability to synthesize imagination and reality: “Green ponders the interconnectedness of imagination and perception, of mirrors and windows, of illusion and reality.” <ref name="Corwin"/> Nevertheless, there has been some criticism and objection towards the text. Robert Corwin of Arizona State University argues that “some readers may find the author's use of language and sexual content objectionable.”<ref name="Corwin">{{cite journal | last = Corwin | first = Robert | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Paper Towns | journal = Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy | volume = | issue = | pages = | publisher = | location = | date = February 2008 | url =http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=867a4a68-20e4-4ad8-8ab6-b9cf08c3442c%40sessionmgr14&vid=6&hid=119 | jstor = | issn = | doi = | id = | mr = | zbl = | jfm = | accessdate = 16 March 2012}}{{dead link|date=January 2013}}</ref>


⚫
On June 23, 2014, ''Paper Towns'' was removed from the summer reading list for 13-year-olds at Dr John Long Middle School in [[Pasco County, Florida]] after a parent complained to a board member that she disapproved of the book's sexual content. The [[National Coalition Against Censorship]] responded to the removal by calling for the book to be reinstated to the reading list. In a letter to the district superintendent, the organization wrote: "No sound educational rationale for removing the book has been articulated, nor is it likely that one could be".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-florida-school-withdraws-john-green-paper-towns-outcry-20140701-story.html | title=Florida school nixes John Green's 'Paper Towns,' prompts outcry | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=1 July 2014 | access-date=5 July 2014 | author=Tobar, Hector}}</ref> Consequently, it was restored to the reading list the following month.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-john-green-books-under-parental-fire-20140729-story.html | title=John Green books come under parental fire again | work=Los Angeles Times | date=29 July 2014 | access-date=30 July 2014 | author=Kellogg, Carolyn}}</ref>
==Removal from middle school reading list==
⚫
On June 23, 2014, ''Paper Towns'' was removed from the summer reading list of Long Middle School in [[Pasco County]], after a parent had complained to a board member that she disapproved of the book's "sexual content." The [[National Coalition Against Censorship]] responded to the removal by calling for the book to be reinstated into the reading list. In a letter to the district superintendent, the organization argued that “No sound educational rationale for removing the book has been articulated, nor is it likely that one could be."<ref name="Tobar, Hector"/> Consequently, it was restored to the reading list the following month.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-john-green-books-under-parental-fire-20140729-story.html | title=John Green books come under parental fire again | work=Los Angeles Times | date=29 July 2014 | accessdate=30 July 2014 | author=Kellogg, Carolyn}}</ref>


==Film adaptation==
== Film adaptation ==
{{main|Paper Towns (film)}}
{{Main|Paper Towns (film)}}
[[Fox 2000]] has developed the ''Paper Towns'' film with the same team that made ''[[The Fault in Our Stars (film)|The Fault in Our Stars]]''. [[Jake Schreier]] has directed the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/realjohngreen/status/507559480750395392|title=EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT: The Paper Towns movie will be directed by the brilliant @jakeschreier, who previously made "Robot and Frank."|publisher=twitter.com|author=John Green|date=September 4, 2014|accessdate=September 4, 2014}}</ref> [[Nat Wolff]], who played a role in the film version of ''The Fault in Our Stars'', is Quentin or "Q."<ref>{{cite web|title=Paper Towns will have the same screenwriters (@iamthepuma and @thisisweber), same producers (@wyckgodfrey), same studio, AND @natandalex.|last=Green|first=John|url=https://twitter.com/realjohngreen/status/448239354620563456|accessdate=24 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://deadline.com/2014/03/fox-2000-grabs-john-green-novel-paper-towns-reunites-fault-in-our-stars-team-703603/ |title=Fox 2000 Grabs John Green Novel ‘Paper Towns’, Reunites ‘Fault In Our Stars’ Team With Nat Wolff To Star |last=Fleming, Jr. |first=Mike |date=March 24, 2014 |website= |publisher=Deadline |accessdate=March 24, 2014}}</ref> Meanwhile, supermodel, [[Cara Delevingne]], is Margo Roth Spiegelman.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://variety.com/2014/film/news/cara-delevingne-john-green-paper-towns-1201306840/|title=Cara Delevingne Lands Female Lead in John Green’s ‘Paper Towns’ (EXCLUSIVE)|publisher=variety.com|author=Justin Kroll|date=September 16, 2014|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/realjohngreen/status/511934827336318977|title=VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT! @Caradelevingne will play Margo Roth Spiegelman in the Paper Towns movie.|publisher=twitter.com|author=John Green|date=September 16, 2014|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> Justice Smith, [[Austin Abrams]], and [[Halston Sage]] will play as Quentin or Q's friends, Radar, Ben, and Lacey respectively. Furthermore, Jaz Sinclair stars in the film as Angela, Radar's girlfriend.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hypable.com/2014/10/15/paper-towns-casts-jaz-sinclair-angela/|title=‘Paper Towns’ adds Jaz Sinclair as Radar’s girlfriend Angela|publisher=hypable.com|author=Andrew Sims|date=October 15, 2014|accessdate=October 29, 2014}}</ref> The film will be released on July 24, 2015<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icIS9VfbzMw&feature=youtu.be</ref>
[[Fox 2000]] developed the ''Paper Towns'' film with the same team that made ''[[The Fault in Our Stars (film)|The Fault in Our Stars]]''. [[Jake Schreier]] directed the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/realjohngreen/status/507559480750395392|title=EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT: The Paper Towns movie will be directed by the brilliant @jakeschreier, who previously made "Robot and Frank."|publisher=twitter.com|author=John Green|date=September 4, 2014|access-date=September 4, 2014}}</ref> [[Nat Wolff]], who played a role in the film version of ''The Fault in Our Stars'', starred as Quentin,<ref>{{cite web|title=Paper Towns will have the same screenwriters (@iamthepuma and @thisisweber), same producers (@wyckgodfrey), same studio, AND @natandalex.|last=Green|first=John|url=https://twitter.com/realjohngreen/status/448239354620563456|access-date=24 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://deadline.com/2014/03/fox-2000-grabs-john-green-novel-paper-towns-reunites-fault-in-our-stars-team-703603/ |title=Fox 2000 Grabs John Green Novel 'Paper Towns', Reunites 'Fault In Our Stars' Team With Nat Wolff To Star |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=March 24, 2014 |magazine=Deadline |access-date=March 24, 2014}}</ref> [[Cara Delevingne]] played Margo Roth Spiegelman,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/cara-delevingne-john-green-paper-towns-1201306840/|title=Cara Delevingne Lands Female Lead in John Green's 'Paper Towns' (EXCLUSIVE)|magazine=variety.com|author=Justin Kroll|date=September 16, 2014|access-date=September 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/realjohngreen/status/511934827336318977|title=VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT! @Caradelevingne will play Margo Roth Spiegelman in the Paper Towns movie.|publisher=twitter.com|author=John Green|date=September 16, 2014|access-date=September 16, 2014}}</ref> and [[Justice Smith]], [[Austin Abrams]], and [[Halston Sage]] played Quentin/Q's friends Radar, Ben, and Lacey, respectively. [[Jaz Sinclair]] appeared in the film as Angela, Radar's girlfriend.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hypable.com/2014/10/15/paper-towns-casts-jaz-sinclair-angela/|title='Paper Towns' adds Jaz Sinclair as Radar's girlfriend Angela|publisher=hypable.com|author=Andrew Sims|date=October 15, 2014|access-date=October 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017174227/http://www.hypable.com/2014/10/15/paper-towns-casts-jaz-sinclair-angela/|archive-date=2014-10-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film was released on July 24, 2015.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/icIS9VfbzMw Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150312000127/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icIS9VfbzMw&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icIS9VfbzMw| title = Travel Tips (and Paper Towns Movie Updates) | website=[[YouTube]]| date = 10 March 2015 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>


==Other editions==
== Other editions ==
The paperback edition of the novel was released on September 22, 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Towns-John-Green/dp/014241493X/ref=sr_1_1 |title=Paper Towns (9780142414934): John Green: Books |last= |first= |date= |website=[[Amazon.com]] |publisher= |accessdate=May 6, 2012}}</ref> The book was also released in the United Kingdom by [[Bloomsbury Publishing]] on May 3, 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/john+green/paper+towns/6926250/ |title=Paper Towns (Book) by John Green (2010) |last1= |first1= |date= |website=[[Waterstones]] |publisher= |accessdate=May 5, 2010}}</ref>
The paperback edition of the novel was released on September 22, 2009.<ref>{{cite book |title=Paper Towns (9780142414934): John Green: Books |isbn = 978-0142414934|last1 = Green|first1 = John|year = 2009| publisher=Penguin }}</ref> The book was also released in the United Kingdom by [[Bloomsbury Publishing]] on May 3, 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/john+green/paper+towns/6926250/ |title=Paper Towns (Book) by John Green (2010) |website=[[Waterstones]] |access-date=May 5, 2010}}</ref>


== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==
*{{cite book|last1=Green|first1=John| authorlink = John Green (author) | title=Paper Towns|date=2008|publisher=Penguin Group|location=New York, New York|isbn=978-0-14-241493-4|edition= Second}}
* {{cite book|last1=Green|first1=John|author-link=John Green|title=Paper Towns|date=2008|publisher=Penguin Group|location=New York City, New York|isbn=978-0-14-241493-4|edition=Second|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/papertowns0000gree_o0t8|ref={{harvid|Paper Towns|2008}}}}


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist|3}}
{{reflist|3}}


{{John Green (author)}}
{{John Green}}


[[Category:2008 novels]]
[[Category:2008 American novels]]
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[[Category:21st-century American novels]]
[[Category:American young adult novels]]
[[Category:American young adult novels]]
[[Category:Edgar Award winning works]]
[[Category:Edgar Award–winning works]]
[[Category:Novels set in Florida]]
[[Category:Novels set in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Novels set in high schools and secondary schools]]
[[Category:Novels set in Orlando, Florida]]
[[Category:Dutton Penguin books]]
[[Category:Dutton Penguin books]]
[[Category:Novels by John Green]]
[[Category:Novels by John Green (author)]]
[[Category:American novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:American novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:Novels about bullying]]
[[Category:Novels about missing people]]
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[[Category:American bildungsromans]]
[[Category:Novels about friendship]]
[[Category:Young adult mystery fiction]]

Latest revision as of 22:32, 30 October 2024

Paper Towns
The two[1] first edition covers
AuthorJohn Green
LanguageEnglish
GenreYoung adult, Mystery
PublisherDutton Books
Publication date
October 16, 2008
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardback, Paperback)
Pages305
ISBN978-0-525-47818-8
OCLC202483793
LC ClassPZ7.G8233 Pap 2008

Paper Towns is a novel written by John Green, published on October 16, 2008, by Dutton Books.[2] The novel is about the coming-of-age of the protagonist, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen and his search for Margo Roth Spiegelman, his neighbor and childhood crush. During his search, Quentin and his friends Ben, Radar, and Lacey discover information about Margo.[3]

John Green drew inspiration for this book from his experience and knowledge of "paper towns" during a road journey through South Dakota.[4] It debuted at number five on the New York Times bestseller list for children's books[5] and was awarded the 2009 Edgar Award for best young adult novel.[6] A film adaptation was released on July 24, 2015.

Plot summary

[edit]

Paper Towns mostly takes place in and around Jefferson Park, a fictional subdivision located in suburban Orlando, Florida and focuses on narrator and protagonist Quentin "Q" Jacobsen and his neighbor Margo Roth Spiegelman, with whom Quentin has always had a romantic fascination. As preadolescents, Quentin and Margo together discovered the corpse of a local man who died of suicide in their neighborhood park. Nine years later, Quentin is an outcast whose best friends are Ben and Radar, while Margo is a popular student—both now seniors at Winter Park High School. A month before their graduation, Margo suddenly reappears in Quentin's life, climbing through his bedroom window as she did during their first meeting. She has devised an eleven-part plan of vengeance on a group of people she feels have hurt her during her time at high school; these people include her cheating boyfriend Jase and peers Lacey and Becca. Margo needs an accomplice and a car to help her, and Quentin accepts. Margo and Quentin successfully complete the tasks, share a romantically ambiguous dance, and return to their homes around dawn.

The next day, Quentin wonders hopefully if Margo will start hanging out with him, but Margo is reported missing by her parents after three days. Quentin, Ben, and Radar soon discover a series of items that Margo has left hidden for Quentin: a picture of Woody Guthrie on Margo's bedroom window shade, Margo's highlighted copy of Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself", and a written address in Quentin's bedroom doorjamb. Quentin and his friends follow these clues to find an abandoned mini-mall in Christmas, Florida, that contains evidence of Margo's recent presence. Quentin struggles to analyze all of Margo's clues and leftover materials in the mini-mall. He suspects the clues are meant to lead him to her current whereabouts, though he worries she may have committed suicide.

Based on a note Margo has left referring to "paper towns", Quentin realizes Margo may be hiding or buried in one of the many abandoned housing subdivisions—"pseudovisions" or "paper towns"—around Orlando. He drives to all of the pseudovisions where he feels that she may be hiding, but he cannot find her. On the day of his graduation, Quentin comes across an obscure Internet post, with a comment left on it which Quentin recognizes as Margo's due to its distinctive capitalization, which tells him that Margo has been hiding in a fictitious town in New York State called Agloe (which was created as a copyright trap by mapmakers) and that she plans to leave Agloe immediately after noon on May 29. Quentin, Radar, Ben, and Lacey impulsively skip graduation to drive to Agloe to search for her, rushing to get from Florida to New York before noon on May 29.

In Agloe, they discover Margo is living in an old, dilapidated barn. She is shocked to see them, which angers the group, who expected her to be grateful for their presence. Margo had left those clues only to assure Quentin that she is okay, and did not want to be found. Angry at her lack of gratitude, Radar, Ben, and Lacey leave and spend the night at a motel. Quentin realizes the image he had of Margo was as fake as the one that she had been projecting to everyone else and becomes furious at her for wasting his time. Margo argues that Quentin saved her for egotistical reasons: he wanted to be a knight in shining armor who saved the troubled girl. Ultimately, Quentin accepts that it was unfair for him to expect Margo to live up to his perfect image of her, and he begins to logically overcome his sexual attraction towards her. After their conversation, Margo decides to go to New York City and asks Quentin to accompany her. Quentin wants to stay with her, and they kiss, but he understands his home life and responsibilities prevent him from going. Margo promises to Quentin that she will keep in contact with him.

Characters

[edit]
Quentin "Q" Jacobsen
The protagonist and narrator of the story. Quentin is the stereotypical rule-follower. He likes things to be neat and simple, making him the complete opposite of Margo Roth Spiegelman. Quentin has had a crush on Margo since they were kids, but the distance he kept from her created a perfect image of her in his head that turned out not to be real. His desire to find her after she goes missing drives the events of the story.
Margo Roth Spiegelman
A self-described "pretty girl" who runs away from home only to be pursued by her childhood friend. Spiegelman is assertive but is from a dysfunctional Jewish family, and is one of the most popular girls at her local high school. She has a love for American literature, music, and travel. Her pet dog, Myrna Mountweazel, is a reference to Lillian Virginia Mountweazel,[7] a woman who never existed, but was listed in the 1975 edition of the New Columbia Encyclopedia.
Ben "Bloody Ben" Starling
One of Quentin and Radar's best friends, travels with them and his girlfriend, Lacey. He is in the school band. Ben is the comic relief of the book, providing a much needed humorous energy on the trip.
Marcus "Radar" Lincoln
He is one of Quentin's best friends. He was nicknamed by Quentin and Ben after the character from M*A*S*H.[8] To his embarrassment, his parents own the world's largest collection of Black Santas.[9] He is in the school band. He is also the brains of the group. He was very unwilling to follow along with much of the adventures they had, mainly because of his girlfriend, Angela, whom he was very loyal to.
Lacey Pemberton
Lacey is the best and closest friend of Margo. They were friends since kindergarten. She starts dating Ben after breaking up with Chuck Parson. Margo and Lacey have a strange friendship; Margo feels Lacey has always been judgmental of her throughout their relationship by sometimes saying, what Margo sees as, little insults to their difference in body type. After they reunite, Lacey is hurt that she worried so much and traveled all the way from Orlando, just to find that Margo didn't even care that they had found her after looking for so long, thereby straining their friendship. They later reconciled after a phone conversation.[10]

Structure

[edit]

The novel is written in three parts. Each individual part is named for a specific metaphor used considerably in that section. The titles of sections are "The Strings", "The Grass", and "The Vessel". Each individual chapter within the first two parts is labeled with a number. However, the third part of the novel is divided into smaller sections. Each section refers to the hour of the characters' road trip.[11]

Background

[edit]
John Green, author of Paper Towns

Throughout the novel, the concept of paper towns is mentioned several times. As a former Orlando resident, John Green had seen and heard of many "paper towns". His first experience with a "paper town" occurred during his junior year of college while on a road trip. In South Dakota, he and his friend came across a paper town called Holen. At the end of the novel, John Green states that the story of Agloe presented in the text is mostly true: "Agloe began as a paper town created to protect against copyright infringement. But then people with these old Esso maps kept looking for it, and so someone built a store, making Agloe real."[12]

Reception

[edit]

Paper Towns received mostly positive reviews. Publishers Weekly said: "The title, which refers to unbuilt subdivisions and copyright trap towns that appear on maps but don't exist, unintentionally underscores the novel's weakness: both milquetoast Q and self-absorbed Margo are types, not fully dimensional characters". It also said the novel is "another teen pleasing read".[13] Kirkus Reviews praised the novel as "a winning combination".[14] School Library Journal said: "Q is a great social outcast main character who sometimes thinks a little too much, but is completely relatable. Though we only really see Margo for the first third of the book, the clues really create her character and give us the feeling she's a complex person. Finding out who Margo is through the things she left behind was a really great way to develop her character."[15]

Rebecca Swain of Orlando Sentinel stated: "Paper Towns has convinced me that jaded adult readers need to start raiding the Teen's section at the bookstore. Green, who grew up in Orlando and uses the city as a backdrop for the story, taps into the cadence of teenage life with sharp and funny writing, but transcends age with deeper insights."[16] Chelsey G.H. Philpot, editorial assistant of The Horn Book Guide, said: "the end breaks your heart, and yet it feels right".[17] Rollie Welch called Paper Towns "Green's best work" up to that point.[18] Michael Cart praised John Green for his symbolism and ability to synthesize imagination and reality; he wrote: "Green ponders the interconnectedness of imagination and perception, of mirrors and windows, of illusion and reality".[19]

Robert Corwin of Arizona State University wrote, "some readers may find the author's use of language and sexual content objectionable."[19] The Cleveland Plain Dealer stated, “Readers will find that the structure and central mystery of Paper Towns echo Green's debut, Looking for Alaska, and Gregory Galloway's 2005 novel, As Simple As Snow," and Kirkus Reviews wrote that Green's novel was “reminiscent" of Galloway's novel.[14]

On June 23, 2014, Paper Towns was removed from the summer reading list for 13-year-olds at Dr John Long Middle School in Pasco County, Florida after a parent complained to a board member that she disapproved of the book's sexual content. The National Coalition Against Censorship responded to the removal by calling for the book to be reinstated to the reading list. In a letter to the district superintendent, the organization wrote: "No sound educational rationale for removing the book has been articulated, nor is it likely that one could be".[20] Consequently, it was restored to the reading list the following month.[21]

Film adaptation

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Main article: Paper Towns (film)

Fox 2000 developed the Paper Towns film with the same team that made The Fault in Our Stars. Jake Schreier directed the film.[22] Nat Wolff, who played a role in the film version of The Fault in Our Stars, starred as Quentin,[23][24] Cara Delevingne played Margo Roth Spiegelman,[25][26] and Justice Smith, Austin Abrams, and Halston Sage played Quentin/Q's friends Radar, Ben, and Lacey, respectively. Jaz Sinclair appeared in the film as Angela, Radar's girlfriend.[27] The film was released on July 24, 2015.[28]

Other editions

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The paperback edition of the novel was released on September 22, 2009.[29] The book was also released in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publishing on May 3, 2010.[30]

Bibliography

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ Green, John (April 2, 2008). "The Covers of Paper Towns". John Green. Archived from the original on 2014-10-26. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  2. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (Oct 24, 2008). "Mandate, Mr.Mudd ready to roll 'Paper'". Retrieved 14 March 2012. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Paper Towns 2008, p. 305.
  4. ^ Paper Towns 2008, p. 306.
  5. ^ "Best Sellers". New York Times. November 2, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  6. ^ "Edgar Award Winners" (PDF). Mystery Writers of America. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-08-27.
  7. ^ "Not a Word". New Yorker. August 29, 2005. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  8. ^ Paper Towns 2008, p. 12-13.
  9. ^ Paper Towns 2008, p. 22.
  10. ^ Paper Towns 2008, p. 49-50.
  11. ^ "Paper Towns read online free by John Green - Novel22".
  12. ^ Paper Towns 2008, p. 206.
  13. ^ "Paper Towns". Publishers Weekly. Dutton. September 8, 2008. p. 51.
  14. ^ a b "Paper Towns". Kirkus Reviews. 1 September 2008. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  15. ^ "Paper Towns Review". School Library Journal.
  16. ^ Swain, Rebecca (October 11, 2008). "Review: Paper Towns by John Green". The Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008.
  17. ^ Philpot, Chelsey G.H. (July–August 2010). "What Makes a Good YA Road Trip Novel". Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2012. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  18. ^ Welch, Rollie. "'Paper Town' is author John Green's best work". Archived from the original on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  19. ^ a b Corwin, Robert (February 2008). "Paper Towns". Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. Retrieved 16 March 2012.[dead link‍]
  20. ^ Tobar, Hector (1 July 2014). "Florida school nixes John Green's 'Paper Towns,' prompts outcry". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  21. ^ Kellogg, Carolyn (29 July 2014). "John Green books come under parental fire again". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  22. ^ John Green (September 4, 2014). "EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT: The Paper Towns movie will be directed by the brilliant @jakeschreier, who previously made "Robot and Frank."". twitter.com. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  23. ^ Green, John. "Paper Towns will have the same screenwriters (@iamthepuma and @thisisweber), same producers (@wyckgodfrey), same studio, AND @natandalex". Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  24. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 24, 2014). "Fox 2000 Grabs John Green Novel 'Paper Towns', Reunites 'Fault In Our Stars' Team With Nat Wolff To Star". Deadline. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  25. ^ Justin Kroll (September 16, 2014). "Cara Delevingne Lands Female Lead in John Green's 'Paper Towns' (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  26. ^ John Green (September 16, 2014). "VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT! @Caradelevingne will play Margo Roth Spiegelman in the Paper Towns movie". twitter.com. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  27. ^ Andrew Sims (October 15, 2014). "'Paper Towns' adds Jaz Sinclair as Radar's girlfriend Angela". hypable.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-17. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  28. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Travel Tips (and Paper Towns Movie Updates)". YouTube. 10 March 2015.
  29. ^ Green, John (2009). Paper Towns (9780142414934): John Green: Books. Penguin. ISBN 978-0142414934.
  30. ^ "Paper Towns (Book) by John Green (2010)". Waterstones. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
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