Turtles All the Way Down
The critically acclaimed, instant #1 bestseller by John Green, author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and The Fault in Our Stars
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“A tender story about learning to cope when the world feels out of control.” —People
“A sometimes heartbreaking, always illuminating, glimpse into how it feels to live with mental illness.” –NPR
John Green, the award-winning, international bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed, returns with a story of shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.
Aza Holmes never intended to pursue the disappearance of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Pickett’s son Davis.
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.
NOW STREAMING ON MAX!
“A tender story about learning to cope when the world feels out of control.” —People
“A sometimes heartbreaking, always illuminating, glimpse into how it feels to live with mental illness.” –NPR
John Green, the award-winning, international bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed, returns with a story of shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.
Aza Holmes never intended to pursue the disappearance of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Pickett’s son Davis.
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.
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Readers say *Turtles All the Way Down* offers a powerful, intimate portrayal of anxiety and OCD, with John Green’s heartfelt writing vividly capturing...
What I liked most about the book is that, despite being on the sadder side, its moments feel simple and real. It offers a different perspective from most rom-coms, which often focus on happy endings where everything works out. The story feels more grounded and genuine, which made it resonate with me.
The first time I tried to read this book, I couldn’t handle it. As someone who has a history with anxiety, particularly in relation to health, it was too triggering. Now that my anxiety is handled, I was able to tackle this again and truly appreciate the mental health representation in this book. I really enjoyed it.
This was written prior to the pandemic. Now, its kinda funny how similar the main character's heightened anxiety was many 'normal people' during the beginning of the pandemic. Even the 'president' was telling folks to drink bleach... None of the characters were really relatable or likable. Hard to root for anyone and not sure what we are rooting for?
"No one ever says goodbye unless they want to see you again."
It is really hard to put into words what this book means to me but I shall try. I receive treatment from a mental illness (not OCD) so I wasn't sure if I would connect with Aza or not. At first, I didn't. I felt sympathy for her character and felt frustrated when she did but that was it.
But as the story continued and she described her spiral and her fear of complete darkness and complete lack of senses, I felt like finally someone had put into words what I haven't been able to for years: "Imagine you're trying to find someone, or even you're trying to find yourself, but you have no senses, no way to know where the walls are, which way is forward or backward...You're senseless and shapeless - you feel like you can only describe what you are by identifying what you're not, and you're floating around in a body with no control...You're just stuck in there, totally alone, in this darkness."
I have felt like I had no control; I have felt like the only way to define myself was by defining the things I couldn't do or by describing the things that have held me back, the tragedies that have made up my life so far. But I am not just these things but I do realize that I let them define me more than they should. Just like Aza, I am trying to find the bottom turtle and I have to realize that it is turtles all the way down. We have to do our best to live in the present, allowing ourselves to think about the past and how it has changed us but not let the past stop us from believing in the future.
Thank you John Green for writing this beautiful story. And you are totally right - everyone deserves the treatment they need. "There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't." <3
It is really hard to put into words what this book means to me but I shall try. I receive treatment from a mental illness (not OCD) so I wasn't sure if I would connect with Aza or not. At first, I didn't. I felt sympathy for her character and felt frustrated when she did but that was it.
But as the story continued and she described her spiral and her fear of complete darkness and complete lack of senses, I felt like finally someone had put into words what I haven't been able to for years: "Imagine you're trying to find someone, or even you're trying to find yourself, but you have no senses, no way to know where the walls are, which way is forward or backward...You're senseless and shapeless - you feel like you can only describe what you are by identifying what you're not, and you're floating around in a body with no control...You're just stuck in there, totally alone, in this darkness."
I have felt like I had no control; I have felt like the only way to define myself was by defining the things I couldn't do or by describing the things that have held me back, the tragedies that have made up my life so far. But I am not just these things but I do realize that I let them define me more than they should. Just like Aza, I am trying to find the bottom turtle and I have to realize that it is turtles all the way down. We have to do our best to live in the present, allowing ourselves to think about the past and how it has changed us but not let the past stop us from believing in the future.
Thank you John Green for writing this beautiful story. And you are totally right - everyone deserves the treatment they need. "There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't." <3
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