Conkel,+Kaitlyn

Paper Towns John Green //Paper Towns// is about 17-year-old Quentin Jacobsen. He has been in love with his childhood friend since they were nine years old. When they were nine, they discovered a man in the park. This man had just killed himself. Since that day they have gone separate ways. Until right before high school graduation when Margo needs Quentin's help. Margo had gone on to be quite popular and she had a reputation for being tough and cool. She shows up at Quentin's window dressed like a ninja and asking for his help with her ingenious campaign of revenge. The next day, Margo is nowhere to be found, leaving only vague clues as to where she is. Quentin, his two best friends and Margo's friend attempt to decipher the clues, find out where Margo is and bring her home. // Paper Towns // is a realistic fiction book.

= "About the author": =



 John Green is a young adult novelist, currently living in Indiana. He and his younger brother, Hank, run a popular vlog channel on YouTube called “vlogbrothers”. Their fans are referred to as “nerdfighters” because their interests are typically rather nerdy. John has written a handful of young adult novels, typically surrounding not-so-popular adolescent boys. John is a self-proclaimed nerd, which contributes to his interest in the types of books he writes.

**"Other works by John Green":**

//Looking For Alaska//

//An Abundance of Katherines//

//Will Grayson, Will Grayson// (with David Levithan)

//Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances// (with Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle)

//The Fault in our Stars// (2012)

= Social Issue Relevance =

The biggest social issue in //Paper Towns// is expecting people to be more than they can be. Margo says, "What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person." This means that you cannot expect anyone to be without any fault at all. You cannot believe that anyone is perfect and if it is your expectation that someone is and should be perfect, it is highly unrealistic. This is the reason that Margo ultimately decides to run away. Everyone in her life expected her to be someone that she cannot be and that has been tearing her apart for years. Another major social issue presented in Paper Towns is depression. Althought it was not said outright, it is of my personal belief that Margo was suffering from depression. She has run away multiple times. She often listens to sad music and reads poetry about leaving everything behind. She also stated multiple times that she was extremely unhappy living in the "paper towns" and being a "paper girl". Depression is a serious problem in todays society. 22.1% of Americans 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Also, nearly twice as many women as men are affected by a mental disorder. For more information on this topic, click [|here.]

= Dramatization of the book =

If I were casting the movie adaptation of this movie, I would choose Anton Yelchin to play Quentin. I believe that he would be the perfect Quentin because he is kind of awkward and nerdy. Many of his roles have been that way and so I know that he would be able to pull this off well.

To play Margo, I would choose Kat Dennings. I chose her to play Margo because I feel like she is very good at playing someone who is struggling with their life and the direction it is going in. She is very talented and she is capable of being funny as well as serious. Also, she can be a rebel. Also, she has dark hair, she is curvier, and also very pretty, which is how Margo was described.



= About the Reader = My name is Kaitlyn Conkel, I am 15 years old. I like to read and be on the computer in my free time. My favorite book is //Looking for Alaska// by John Green, which is why I chose this book to read. My favorite movie is The Breakfast Club or The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I am a "nerdfighter". So I guess it goes without being said that I am a massive nerd. I like Harry Potter, Glee, and music too much for my own good. Also, I'm awkward.