John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down Review: A Journey Through the Mind
Having already read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, I had set very less expectations when I picked up this book. And I was right. While writing “Turtles All the Way Down Review”, I didn’t have much in my mind (same as the story).
Although the issue highlighted is the need of the hour and the cover is very interesting, the novel nevertheless proceeds at a very slow pace.
Slow, realistic, yet time-consuming!
Title: Turtles All the Way Down
Author: John Green
Narration: First-person (Aza Holmes)
Original Language: English
Publication: 2017
My Rating: 3/5
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Significant Characters: Aza Holmes, Daisy Ramirez, Davis Pickett
Summary of Turtles All the Way Down (No Major Spoilers)
John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down centers on the story of sixteen-year-old Aza Holmes, a thoughtful and bright teenager living in Indianapolis. She struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and chronic anxiety. At the same time, the novel follows the mysterious disappearance of billionaire Russell Pickett, whose son Davis is Aza’s old friend. When Aza and her courageous best friend Daisy start to look into that mysterious case, they make unexpected discoveries. Now, these discoveries entail Davis’s family and Aza’s own inner world.
Turtles All the Way Down Review in Detail
The story feels like any other Young Adult Fiction. Not much is going on, really, but it is made so. The description is neatly painted, and I enjoyed the encounters of Davis and Aza. Plus, I loved the name of our girl!
I feel like the story also dragged at many points. I had to force myself to complete the reading, mainly because there were only words only the pages and not a story to keep me hooked. So, if you leave some pages, especially from the middle, you are not going to miss anything!
Now, let’s analyze the title,
Mental Health and Obsessive Thoughts
When you read the first few chapters, it seems as if you are reading a straightforward or conventional mystery. There is a missing eccentric billionaire. A murky river to make things a bit secretive. A mansion full of mysteries and enigmas. So, you not only expect but also predict what will happen next.
But to your disappointment (as this was the case with me), it becomes very clear that Green’s plan for you is to focus on the teenage friendships and love interests and Aza’s mental health rather than a mystery. Aza is an introverted neurotic narrator who struggles with invasive thoughts and the fear of infection that makes her lose her sanity. As a result, you’ll see her reopening a wound in her finger to “drain it” of possible infection. Or pulling herself away from kissing her boyfriend out of fear of bacteria getting into her mouth.
One thing I liked about this novel was how Green makes you feel what people with these mental conditions go through. When she utters, “Around eighty million microbes are exchanged per kiss”, you are drawn to pause and feel for her. When she drinks sanitizer in the hospital, you feel sympathy and an urge to hug her. Next, the metaphor of a spiral is amazing. How thoughts are similar to a spiral with an end yet no ending. So, you pause and understand everything related to OCD. Likewise, her lack of communication also builds tension in the story.
Friendship and Love in Chaos
“If you can’t pick your family, at least you can pick your friends.”
In Turtles All the Way Down, love and friendship are not presented as cures in times of chaos but as the delicate ties that help Aza deal with a world shaped by her anxiety and intrusive thoughts. John Green avoids idealizing relationships, and I loved it. For example, he shows how connection becomes difficult when a person is trying to contain their own thoughts.
Friendship, especially between Aza and Daisy, becomes a central test of perseverance and loyalty. Their bond is tested by Aza’s mental spirals, her inability to be emotionally present, offer advice, and Daisy’s frustration with carrying the weight of the friendship alone. Yet, their relationship survives because it is honest, and they want to make it work.
The novel captures friendship as something imperfect and human: it stumbles, it disappoints, it breaks, but it rebuilds through understanding, mutual vulnerability, and effort. Aza, at the end, learns that being loved does not require being fixed, and Daisy learns that frustration and compassion can coexist. Isn’t that a beautiful epiphany?
The theme of love, represented through Aza’s relationship with Davis, is also affected by the chaos of her inner world. Aza wants to be close to him, but her OCD turns even simple, affectionate gestures, like touch and physical closeness, into stimuli of panic. Their connection becomes an exploration of what love looks like when mental illness sets strict boundaries.
One of the interesting things I found in this novel is that love, unlike Young Adult fiction, is not healing or all-conquering. It is tender and limited; it doesn’t rescue Aza, nor does it mold her into someone else. Instead, it simply gives small moments of understanding and comfort in the middle of confusion.
Character Development
Green characters usually follow the same format: a protagonist suffering from a chronic disease. For example, terminal cancer in The Fault in Our Stars and obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD, in Turtles All the Way Down. The protagonist will then form a bond with the opposite sex. Then there would be a lot of emotional dilemmas (realistically portrayed).
The character of Aza is beautifully drawn to capture the essence of mental illness without any embellishment or exaggeration. Her growth is also made very realistic: slow and non-linear. But again, when Aza falls into the never-ending thoughts, it makes the plot quite slow.
The characters of Daisy and her relationship with Aza are as it would be for any teenager: double dates, late-night texting, sweet banters, and fan fiction. And like the best of young adult fiction, Green has a deep understanding of what it means to be a teenager. But their friendship does become annoying.
When Aza meets with her psychiatrist, the dialogue is distant if not unrealistic. The therapist quotes philosophy to a teenager when he could open with a simple set of questions, such as, “Are you taking your medication?” Or “What’s your mood like today?” And then go on to determine how his patient is doing in real time.
Writing Style and Tone
John Green’s writing style in Turtles All the Way Down is personal, introspective, and closely tied to Aza’s mental spirals. The writer employs first-person narration that pulls you into the same rhythm of her obsessive thoughts. The tone remains compassionate, balancing the heaviness and sensitivity of OCD with sweet moments of humor and emotional clarity.
Green’s reliance on repetition, philosophical reflection, and fragmented imagery depicts his mastery of the main theme.
Final Thoughts: Why This Book Matters
With moments of humor, tenderness, and honesty, we have seen that in the Turtles All the Way Down review, Green sheds light on love, friendship, and self-understanding with rare emotional depth, showing that sometimes the hardest battle is the one within.
As the story progresses, you are compelled to look into Aza’s intense thought spirals, which realistically portray the challenges of living with a mental disorder. Her story is not the one where you get to see an external mystery being solved alone. Yes, it is more about confronting, silencing, and overcoming the constant noise inside her head. She also teaches you what it means to bond, trust, and heal.
It is definitely worth reading to enhance your knowledge and learn something important. Plus, if you enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars, you’ll enjoy this one as well!
Happy reading!