Paper Towns

Paper Towns, by John Green, 305 pages

Quentin has always had a crush on his neighbor, Margo- even though they drifted apart into different social circles in high school, the crush on the girl he knew as a child remained.  Margo is a bit of a legend to everyone in school- a daring risk-taker who sneaks into theme parks and turns down famous bassists, and a popular girl with the looks and the cool friends.  So when she shows up at Quentin's window one night to pull him into a night of mischief and adventure, he can't turn her down.  And at the end of the night he feels like she just taught him how to live.  So when Margo stays missing, Quentin is convinced that she has led him into a sort of scavenger hunt to find her.  The rest of the book is Quentin reading Whitman's Leaves of Grass, realizing how good his friends are, and trying to live life like Margo taught him.  Oh, and then realizing that he never really knew Margo, and we can never truly know another person.  This was interesting, and contained quite a bit for discussion regarding YA literature, John Green, and identity.