“At the time I first realized I might be fictional, my weekdays were spent at a publicly funded institution on the north side of Indianapolis called White River High School, where I was required to eat lunch at a particular time–between 12:37 P.M. and 1:14 P.M.–by forces so much larger than myself that I couldn’t even begin to identify them.”

From John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down.

Aza is troubled; not in the “wrong side of the law” way, but in the “have you ever thought about all the millions of bacteria that live in our bodies?” kind of way.  The ever-looming possibility of terrible infections, diseases, and death constantly seem to find for Aza’s attention.  Her mom and best friend (Daisy) try to help Aza by trying to get her out of her head and interact with the world, but it doesn’t always work.  When a millionaire disappears before the police can question him for shady business decisions, Daisy drags Aza into the search in the hopes of finding both the man and the $100,000 reward.  Aza doesn’t want the money and she really doesn’t want to get involved at all, but she doesn’t have a solid reason to say to Daisy.  The missing man’s son (Davis) had been a camp friend of Aza’s, so that is the girl’s “in,” but it’s also a major point of confusion for Aza; she’s never been in love (yes, she loves her car, but that’s different…), but she does seem drawn to Davis in ways she can’t quite explain.  Can Aza really do the impossible and find Davis’ dad before the police do?  And could she not think about bacteria long enough to figure out how she feels about Davis?

This John Green book dives once again into the world of the normal teenager somehow doing something above-average, at least in their little life bubble.  The dialog is sarcastic, witty, and honest; the story is uplifting (for the most part), but also thought-provoking at the same time.  Aza’s mental struggles are a key aspect of this book, both in her personal life and the story overall; Green doesn’t cast her in a negative light, but rather requires the reader to think from another’s perspective.  Turtles All the Way Down is a quick and captivating read that will stay with you for years to come.