Anticipating the new novel from John Green.
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Fans of teen fiction novels, rejoice. Author and vlogger John Green is making a much-anticipated return to the young adult literary scene with his latest novel “Turtles All the Way Down.” This book, out Oct. 10, is the first major work from Green since the best-selling romance (and later tear-jerking movie) “The Fault in Our Stars,” which was released in 2012.
If you’re a fellow Green fanatic, you might like to take a trip down memory lane to hold you over until you can get your hands on his latest novel. Or, if your adolescent years weren’t shaped by endless hours spent delving into the lives of his teenage heroes and heroines, then here’s what you missed, and what you have to look forward to:
“Looking for Alaska”
Year Published: 2005
Synopsis: Miles “Pudge” Halter is captivated by the last words of famous people, notably the final words of poet Francois Rabelais: “I go to seek a Great Perhaps,” and is bored of his humdrum life. To add some excitement into his life, he heads off to Culver Creek boarding school to seek his own ‘Great Perhaps,’ and meets the witty, bewitching, and beautiful Alaska Young. His life is forever changed.
Quote you may know: “So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.”
“An Abundance of Katherines”
Year Published: 2006
Synopsis: Colin Singleton is pretty unlucky in love, as his last name may denote. He has dated and been dumped by 19 girls who share one thing in common: their first names are all ‘Katherine.’ Colin, a washed-up child prodigy obsessed with anagrams, sets out on a mission to prove a mathematical theorem that he believes will predict the future of any possible relationship.
Quote you may know: “What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?”
“Paper Towns”
Year Published: 2008
Film Release: 2015
Synopsis: Quentin Jacobsen, or ‘Q,’ has been hopelessly in love with the popular and adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar for as long as he can remember. Imagine his surprise when she climbs into his window one night dressed like a ninja and asks him to accompany her on a night of vengeful pranking. However, the next morning, Margo has mysteriously vanished, leaving only a few hidden clues in her wake that Q must then decipher.
Quote you may know: “And in everything that came afterward, I could never stop thinking that maybe she loved mysteries so much that she became one.”
“Will Grayson, Will Grayson”
Year Published: 2010
Synopsis: One cold night in Chicago, two teens sharing the name ‘Will Grayson’ cross paths. What follows is the intertwining of the lives of two unlikely friends, causing both to go in unexpected directions. The story culminates in a high school musical of epic proportions. Green collaborated with author David Levithan on this novel to alternate perspectives between each different Will Grayson.
Quote you may know: “Maybe there’s something you’re afraid to say, or someone you’re afraid to love, or somewhere you’re afraid to go. It’s gonna hurt. It’s gonna hurt because it matters.”
“The Fault in Our Stars”
Year Published: 2012
Film Release: 2014
Synopsis: Hazel Grace Lancaster is a 16-year-old girl with a diagnosis of terminal cancer hanging over her head, despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few extra years. Suddenly, the handsome Augustus Waters appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, sharing Hazel’s love of literature and the potential to completely change her outlook on life.
Quote you may know: “As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”
“Turtles All the Way Down”
Date of Release: Oct. 10, 2017
What we know so far: According to Green’s website, the novel will follow 16-year-old Aza as she navigates family, friends, school… oh yeah, and the mystery of a fugitive billionaire. Typical teenage stuff.
