Paper Towns is a book written by John Green. It was published on October 16, 2008, by Dutton Books. The story follows Quentin "Q" Jacobsen, a young boy who grows up and tries to find Margo Roth Spiegelman, his neighbor and someone he once admired. While searching for Margo, Quentin and his friends Ben, Radar, and Lacey learn more about her.

John Green got ideas for the book from his experiences during a trip through South Dakota, where he learned about places called "paper towns." The book was listed at number five on the New York Times bestseller list for children's books. It also won the 2009 Edgar Award for the best young adult novel. A movie version of the story was released on July 24, 2015.

Plot summary

The story Paper Towns mainly happens in Jefferson Park, a made-up neighborhood in suburban Orlando, Florida. The main character, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen, and his neighbor Margo Roth Spiegelman are central to the story. Quentin has always been interested in Margo romantically. As young teenagers, Quentin and Margo found the body of a man who had died by suicide in their neighborhood park.

Nine years later, Quentin is no longer friends with many people and has two close friends, Ben and Radar. Margo is now a popular student, and both are seniors at Winter Park High School. A month before graduation, Margo returns to Quentin's life by climbing through his bedroom window, just as she did when they first met.

Margo has created an eleven-step plan to take revenge on people she believes hurt her during high school, including her former boyfriend Jase and classmates Lacey and Becca. She needs help and a car to complete her plan, and Quentin agrees to assist her. Together, they finish the tasks, share a dance that could be seen as romantic, and return home before dawn.

The next day, Quentin hopes Margo will spend more time with him, but three days later, Margo is reported missing by her parents. Quentin, Ben, and Radar find clues Margo left for Quentin: a picture of Woody Guthrie on her bedroom window shade, a highlighted copy of Walt Whitman’s poem Song of Myself, and an address written in Quentin’s bedroom door frame.

Following these clues, Quentin and his friends find an abandoned mini-mall in Christmas, Florida, where they find evidence that Margo recently visited. Quentin tries to understand the clues and materials left behind, suspecting they might lead to Margo’s location. He worries she may have harmed herself.

After reading a note Margo left that mentions "paper towns," Quentin realizes she might be hiding in one of the many abandoned neighborhoods, called "pseudovisions" or "paper towns," near Orlando. He searches these areas but cannot find her.

On graduation day, Quentin finds an online post with a comment written in Margo’s unique style, which tells him she is hiding in a fake town called Agloe in New York State. He learns she plans to leave Agloe after noon on May 29. Quentin, Radar, Ben, and Lacey skip graduation to drive to Agloe in hopes of finding her before she leaves.

In Agloe, they find Margo living in a run-down barn. She is surprised to see them, which makes the group angry because they expected her to be grateful. Margo explains she left the clues to let Quentin know she was safe and did not want to be found.

Radar, Ben, and Lacey leave to stay at a motel, upset by Margo’s lack of gratitude. Quentin realizes Margo’s image in his mind was not real and becomes angry that she wasted his time. Margo argues that Quentin helped her for his own reasons, to feel like a hero saving a troubled girl.

Eventually, Quentin accepts it was unfair to expect Margo to live up to his perfect image of her. He begins to move past his feelings for her. After their conversation, Margo decides to go to New York City and asks Quentin to join her. Quentin wants to stay with her, and they kiss, but he realizes he cannot leave because of his responsibilities. Margo promises to stay in contact with Quentin.

Structure

The novel is divided into three parts. Each part has a title that is a metaphor used often in that section. The titles of the parts are "The Strings," "The Grass," and "The Vessel." Each chapter in the first two parts is numbered. However, the third part is split into smaller sections. Each section is named after the time of day during the characters' road trip.

Background

In the novel, the idea of paper towns is discussed many times. John Green, who once lived in Orlando, had heard about many "paper towns" before. He first encountered a "paper town" during his junior year in college on a road trip. In South Dakota, he and a friend found a paper town named Holen. At the end of the novel, John Green explains that the story about Agloe in the book is mostly true: "Agloe began as a paper town made to prevent problems with using maps without permission. However, people who had old Esso maps kept searching for it, so someone built a store, which made Agloe real."

Reception

Paper Towns received mostly positive reviews. Publishers Weekly noted: "The title, which refers to areas that are not built or places that are on maps but do not exist, unintentionally highlights a weakness in the novel: both Q and Margo are not fully developed characters but rather types of people." It also described the novel as "another enjoyable book for teenagers." Kirkus Reviews praised the novel as "a successful mix of elements." School Library Journal stated: "Q is a good main character who is an outsider but sometimes overthinks situations, making him easy for readers to connect with. Although Margo is only seen for the first part of the book, the clues provided help readers understand her as a complex person. Learning about Margo through the things she left behind is an effective way to develop her character."

Rebecca Swain of Orlando Sentinel wrote: "Paper Towns has shown me that older readers might benefit from reading books meant for teenagers. John Green, who grew up in Orlando and uses the city as a setting, captures teenage life with sharp and humorous writing, while also offering deeper ideas that apply to all ages." Chelsey G.H. Philpot of The Horn Book Magazine said: "The ending is heartbreaking but feels correct." Rollie Welch called Paper Towns "Green's best work so far." Michael Cart praised Green for using symbols and combining imagination with real life; he wrote: "Green explores how imagination and perception are connected, as well as how mirrors, windows, illusions, and reality relate to each other."

Robert Corwin of Arizona State University wrote, "some readers might find the book's language and descriptions of relationships upsetting." The Cleveland Plain Dealer noted, "The structure and mystery in Paper Towns are similar to Green's first book, Looking for Alaska, and to Gregory Galloway's 2005 novel, As Simple As Snow." Kirkus Reviews said Green's novel was "similar" to Galloway's book.

On June 23, 2014, Paper Towns was taken off the summer reading list for 13-year-olds at Dr. John Long Middle School in Pasco County, Florida, after a parent complained about the book's descriptions of relationships. The National Coalition Against Censorship asked the book to be added back to the list, saying, "There is no good reason for removing the book, and it is unlikely one could be found." The book was returned to the reading list the next month.

Film adaptation

Fox 2000 produced the Paper Towns film with the same group of people who made The Fault in Our Stars. Jake Schreier directed the movie. Nat Wolff, who appeared in the film version of The Fault in Our Stars, played Quentin. Cara Delevingne played Margo Roth Spiegelman. Justice Smith played Radar, Austin Abrams played Ben, and Halston Sage played Lacey, who are Quentin’s friends. Jaz Sinclair appeared in the film as Angela, who is Radar’s girlfriend. The movie was released on July 24, 2015.

Other editions

The paperback version of the novel was released on September 22, 2009. It was also released in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publishing on May 3, 2010.