Tag Archives: John Green

Don’t Be Afraid To Suck

15th July 2015

sunflower

Living in the same state as John Green is cool to think about. Being in the same room as John Green is even cooler to think about. Hearing writing advice from him is almost out of this world. I was able to do this yesterday and it was by far one of the most inspiring discussions I’ve ever be a part of (including hearing Oprah!) The one message I took from listening to him and a few of the actors from the movie “Paper Towns” is to not be afraid to suck.

I know this is easy for John Green to say because he is so accomplished now. Everyone knows who he is and he has the ability to make you feel every emotion with a single sentence. His writing has inspired others, like me, to chase their dreams. “Paper Towns” has been my favorite book of his so far because similar to his other stories, the characters are so relatable, and so alive. The not so subtle message in “Paper Towns” is to see people as more complex instead of just a single definition, and also to find yourself. This has been a challenge but I am getting a good grip of who I want to be and what I want to do.

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“A Paper Girl in a Paper Town”

14th January 2015

brick

Reading is an escape that I’ll never be able to depict infallibly. Recently, I have been on a huge John Green kick. One thing that stands out in each of his books I’ve read so far is that the female lead, is always such a strong character on her own. She doesn’t “need saving” and the male lead isn’t a stereotypical, knight in shining armor. Sometimes, he’s a nerd, and I love this because this feels more like real life. I finished reading “Paper Towns,” the other night and this book made me really think about people and current relationships.

In the book (sorry for spoilers, but you still need to read it!) Quentin and Margo were childhood best friends. They were next-door neighbors and even discovered a dead body together. Years later… life happened. Margo was beautiful and popular and Quentin, was not. They had two totally different groups of friends but one night Margo climbed through Quentin’s window and asked him to go on one revenge journey, truly an offer he (and any sane human) couldn’t refuse. They had a memorable night and the next day at school, Margo never showed up and it’s later discovered she ran away, leaving clues for Quentin. He enlists some help from his friends and one of Margo’s friends to help find her, when they begin to discover the real Margo, the independent, crazy and even a little depressed, Margo. They finally begin uncovering the real life version, not the picture perfect person they all thought they knew.

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