Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am not really a fan of collaborations especially when it comes to choosing a book to read. I have been enjoying all of the John Green books I have read so far that I didn't mind giving this a try.

Try-error-try? Try-error-it!

I can note to differences between the writing styles of the two authors, yet they blend in well together. This book is about two intertwined life stories of distinct characters with the same name. There are moments when I prefer the writing style of the other author because it's funnier, but it would also change when this other author would write something that makes sense and hits home. The styles complement each other.

I have this soft spot for coming-of-age, young adult themes because they would revolve around love, naivety, friendship, heartbreaks, family and, well... life. I can relate to this book in a lot of different levels (and I'm sure a lot of people out there would feel the same way too) despite the fact that I am a straight so-called "fag hag". Sometimes, I find life depressing and I think nobody understands how it feels to be me. I feel ordinary that I don't deserve something special. I have longed for/pined for someone I could never have and who could never love me back. When I feel alone, I realize my family and friends are still there, waiting for me or helping me to get back on track. Also, music is an essential part of my existence.

I have also had my fair share of reading (mostly comedic) books about homosexuality and this is, by far, the most touching one. I wish they would make this into a movie. I'd be crying my heart out at the end of it. I never expected it to give me all these mixed and crazy emotions. I thought I'd just laugh out loud but I found myself wanting to give a standing ovation.

"Maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure out if you want to fall, or how and when you're gonna land, and I gotta tell you, Friends, to stop thinking about the landing, because it's all about falling."

It is all about soaring and yes, your name may not be on the title but I adore you, Tiny Cooper! =)

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Paper Towns

Paper Towns by John Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nothing ever happens like you imagine it will. But then again, if you don't imagine, nothing ever happens at all.

The protagonist, Quentin (a.k.a. "Q") loves Margo Roth Spiegelman. That or he just loves the idea of loving her. They're next-door neighbors and have known each other since they were little. They found a dead body together. That would have meant sharing something deep that will bind them forever, but life happened. They went on their separate social circles, until they picked each other again for one unforgettable and vengeful adventure.

She's a mystery to him and he would go through exhausting journeys to find her without entertaining disappointment and near-death experiences. But did Q just misimagined her and thought of her more than just a person or a girl? Maybe he loved her for the way she made him let go of his fears, which liberated him. She was like a mirror he needed to face so he can see the real him. Without that mirror, he's lost.

Everything started from a story written on a black moleskin notebook. It turned out, they were not paper girl/boy after all. They discover that they're more than just flimsy, foldable, two-dimensional beings living in a paper town. The middle part as slow-paced. The characters were in the middle of a sleuth to solve the enigma that is Margo Roth Spiegelman. There was a roadtrip. This part builds up towards an ending that would shed light on it all. It was bittersweet.

"Paper Towns" deals with the usual coming-of-age themes like hope, love (even unrequited ones), family, friendship, fear and the feeling of belonging. But it was told in a way that is not like the usual YA novels I read. There were psychobabble, poetry and a lot of metaphors. It was not really a happy ending. Some people may hate that. I guess I like it because the goodbye makes it more real. We can't have everything we want. Sometimes, we must all go through our journeys apart.

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