Turtles All the Way Down

 I read Turtles All the Way Down by John Green for this blog post. Turtles All the Way Down is about a teenager named Aza who seems to have anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. She has an intense fear of germs and getting sick and is constantly worrying about washing her hands and being clean. Her father also recently died, which is a major stressor in her life. The plot of the story centers around Aza’s search for Mr. Pickett, a billionaire that went missing after being accused of fraud. At the beginning of the book, Aza and her best friend Daisy decide to break into the billionaire’s house to look at his security cameras and see how he disappeared. There is a $100,000 reward for anyone who can help find Mr. Pickett. 

Aza meets Mr. Pickett’s son, Davis, who is in her class. He becomes the love interest in the story, and their relationship is also a major cause for anxiety for Aza. She wants to hold his hand, but she is terrified that this will make her sick and die. In Turtles All the Way Down, there is a lot more to the story than meets the eye. Aza thinks her crippling anxiety is a normal way to feel. Her mind is constantly consumed with thoughts of anything and everything that could make her sick or somehow ingest bacteria. Aza doesn’t seem to know that she has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but it is fairly obvious to the reader. 

I thought it was especially interesting to see Aza’s war with her own mind. She seems to be arguing with her own compulsions all the time. She got a small cut on her finger and would spend several minutes applying and reapplying band-aids to the injury multiple times per day. At one point, she kissed Davis, but she immediately regretted it because she thought she had put herself at great risk for disease. During the book, she wonders from time to time why she has to be so cautious, but she is convinced that the extreme measures she is taking are necessary.

The message of Turtles All the Way Down isn’t actually about finding a billionaire and getting money, it’s about overcoming anxiety and trying to be normal. Aza and her best friend, Daisy, go through a lot together during the book. They bond a lot and understand each other more by the end. Aza starts to be more lenient with herself and tries to worry less about getting sick and dying from bacteria. Overall, I really enjoyed Turtles All the Way Down. It has been recommended to me for a while and I think I should’ve read it sooner. I think everyone should read this book!

Comments

  1. DmitryDecember 10, 2020 at 11:24 PM

    I have heard about this book before but I have never hear much of the plot before. The plot sort of reminds me of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, which is a book I enjoyed. This book seems to be very interesting and I hope to read it soon.

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  2. AyaDecember 11, 2020 at 5:12 PM

    I've never heard of this book before but it sounds like it has an interesting main character. Your description of Aza's OCD and her transformation throughout the book conveys to me the importance of living life to the fullest. I'm reminded that if we spend our lives constantly worried about dying then we never end up truly living. I don't read a lot of realistic fiction but maybe I'll check this one out!

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  3. YelimDecember 16, 2020 at 8:15 AM

    I have read this book two years ago, and I think the blog post captures the plot very clearly. I also read several other books by John Green, and I think he overall does a very nice job of deeply conveying the struggles that many teens go through. As in this book, although Aza's OCD about being clean might not be too common, OCD does impact a substantial portion of teenagers in the US. As the blogger, I highly recommend this book to, really, everyone.

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  4. NathanielDecember 16, 2020 at 9:39 AM

    I've never read this book, but it seems like one where the reader is constantly cheering for the main character to overcome her struggles. Aza's OCD is ruining her life, and everyone wants her to push through and succeed. (In addition to Dima, I also read Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, and he's right, they do sound similar)

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  5. Inniyew TesfawDecember 18, 2020 at 1:11 PM

    Reading this book as the plot goes on seems like it would be very interesting. I'd love to see the main character work through her problems and sort them out over time. Watching the character develop and go on despite the setbacks would be very interesting

    ReplyDelete
  6. KathrynMarch 24, 2021 at 1:12 PM

    This book sounds like a really good insight into what it's like to have anxiety and OCD. And the part about investigating a billionaire who went missing sounds really interesting. I've heard a lot about John Green but I've never read any of his books. I should definitely check this one out!

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