Book Review: Paper Towns

Our latest pick for wine book club was Paper Towns by John Green. When I read the summary on the back cover of my SIL's copy I'm pretty sure I made a 'this sounds lame and I have no desire to read it' scowl but fair is fair and we all get to take turns choosing. And she really wanted to read it. Plus she lent me her copy so I didn't have to buy it... and I really must remember to return it her...
 


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I powered through this sucker while we were on vacation last month and I have to say that after the first few pages I was hooked. It was nothing like I had imagined and I couldn't get enough. And then I got halfway through the book... and it just kind of stopped. It's hard to explain without giving away the book but after such an exciting first half that kept me wanting more, the book seemed to stall. There was no headway and it got to the point where I was reading it just to finish it but nothing was really happening. And then right towards the end it got good again (spoiler alert: it involves a road trip) but then the actual ending felt pretty anticlimactic to me.

All in all I am glad I read it but I wouldn't read it again.  If I had to grade it I would give it a B-.

As some of you may have already realized John Green is also the author of Fault in Our Stars, a book that I purchased a couple months ago and am now wondering if I will ever read it. I did see 3/4 of the movie but we landed with 20 minutes left to go and I let the rental expire before I finished it. I will watch the end but I don't think I'll ever read the book - anyone want to buy a brand-new never cracked book?  Seriously the spine is totally intact!

My pick is next and I chose Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. I really hope it doesn't suck...

What is the best book you have ever read?