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Dec 14, 2017mitchelclay rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
"The thing about a spiral is, if you follow it inward, it never actually ends. It just keeps tightening, infinitely." Before I say anything, in the interest of full disclosure, may it be stated that I am a John Green fan. I have followed the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel for YEARS. I've loved most of what he's written. So, I had a good feeling that Turtles All the Way Down was going to be great before I started it. With all of that out of the way, Turtles All the Way Down is a fantastic read. The characters feel more tangible than almost anything I've ever read. When the billionaire construction mogul Russell Pickett goes missing, Aza Holmes' interest is peaked. Not just because there is a $100,000 reward, but because he is Davis' father. Davis and Aza attended the same summer camp growing up, but had fallen out of touch over the years. Aza's best friend Daisy hatches a self proclaimed "brilliant" plan to find information and claim the reward, and off the story goes. Turtles is at its strongest when the characters are interacting with each other, or Aza is interacting with her inner self. She is real, vulnerable, and a beautiful case study of what it looks like to have OCD and anxiety. Her thoughts are harrowing yet believable. She battles her demons mostly using inner dialogue, and it is challenging to put yourself in her shoes. If you've ever wondered, "what's wrong with them" when dealing with a loved one with mental illness, Turtles is a must read. Turtles All the Way Down is raw and unfiltered in a way that left me feeling stripped bare. Easily a top contender for the best YA book of 2017...