Book review: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Dutton Books, 2017

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green is a masterfully crafted book that accurately depicts life with a mental illness by tapping into the spiraling world of a teenage mind. The empathetic narrative also offers a bevy of memorable voices. The story follows a young girl named Aza, who is reunited with her fugitive billionaire friend, Davis, whose dad has gone missing. Aza struggles to juggle school, her social life, and her family, while having to deal with the never-ending spiral of her own thoughts. Even though she struggles so much, she is still smart and loved so dearly offering a balanced depiction.

The way Aza’s struggle was put into words was incredible, and it portrays mental illness so accurately. I related to Aza’s journey. Aza’s mental illness never goes away or is cured, and nothing is glossed over, cured, or romanticized. The relationships in this book are very authentic as well because the mental health representation is spot on. It may give someone a character to relate to or give someone else a greater understanding of mental.