John Green

Looking for Alaska

As a young genius, Colin excelled in languages and was a familiar presence on quiz television shows. He had an uncanny knack for creating anagrams. Despite being intelligent, Colin grapples with depression after his girlfriend, Katherine, breaks up with him upon high school graduation. His anxiety about his future and not fulfilling his potential is apparent. His best friend, Hassan, encourages Colin to go on a road trip that leads them from Chicago to a small Tennessee town. Here they meet Lindsey, a socially smart and friendly girl whose mother runs the sole factory in town.

Colin and Hassan are employed by Lindsey's mother, Hollis, to interview the factory workers in order to craft an oral history of the town. At the same time, Colin is privately working on a mathematical project hoping to predict the lifespan and outcome of any romantic relationship, using his past experiences with his 19 ex-girlfriends, all named Katherine, as data points. Colin's last girlfriend, Katherine, was also his first love, and he attempts fruitlessly to rekindle their relationship over the phone.

Parallelly, Hassan explores the town, makes friends, and strikes up a relationship with Lindsey's friend, Katrina. An invitation to a wild pig hunt sees Colin participating reluctantly and it is during this hunt that Katrina is discovered being unfaithful. This leads to a brawl, during which Colin and Lindsey find out about Hollis's plans to sell off her land and uncover the secret disposal of unsold tampon strings produced by her factory. In the end, Colin learns that his memory can be flawed, evidenced by his incorrect memory of his relationship with Katherine number three. His mathematical formula also faults as it fails to predict his own relationship with Lindsey. In the end, Colin acknowledges that he is not unique and his future is as uncertain as everyone else's.

An Abundance of Katherines

Three Holiday Romances

Let It Snow

The tale commences a near decade prior to the main events, when childhood friends, Quentin Jacobsen and Margo Roth Spiegelman, encounter a corpse in their local park. This shared experience cements an ambiguous yet enduring, connection between the pair. As time progresses, we find them in suburban Orlando in their senior year of high school. Margo, now a popular figure, recruits Quentin, from whom she's been distant since their childhood encounter, on a clandestine mission of revenge against her disloyal friends. This nocturnal escapade involves various transgressions including unauthorized entries into homes and vehicles, culminating in a trespass into Sea World. 

Following their daredevil night, Margo vanishes, leaving behind a trail of enigmatic hints for Quentin to decipher and locate her. Quentin, obsessed with the mystery, enlists the aid of his friends Ben, Radar, and Margo’s acquaintance Lacey, as he attempts to make sense of the riddles, the most perplexing being annotations in Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. The investigation leads the team to an abandoned mall, where Margo has evidently been hiding. Maps and other indications suggest that she has been planning her stay there. Quentin starts exploring Margo's fascination with 'paper towns', unfinished suburban developments, in the hope of finding her hidden in one of them. 

The quest for Margo leads to a significant shift in Quentin's social standing, as he earns newfound respect amongst his high school peers. His dedication to the search exceeds that of his friends, as they have their own preoccupations. Quentin's relentless pursuit finally pays off on the day of their graduation when he discovers an online clue indicating that Margo is in Agloe, New York. The friends embark on a frantic road trip to Agloe, which, despite the tension, brings them closer. Upon reaching Agloe, they find Margo aloof and unenthused by their arrival. After a heated exchange, Quentin's friends leave, but he stays behind to converse with Margo. Their conversation brings closure, with Margo articulating her reasons for severing connections with her past. They share a moment of intimacy before parting ways, promising to stay in contact but understanding their paths lie in different directions.

Paper Towns

The narrative alternates between two high school students, both named Will Grayson, from different suburbs of Chicago – Evanston and Naperville. The Evanston Will Grayson's life mostly revolves around his long-time best friend, Tiny Cooper, a larger-than-life, openly gay personality. Despite Tiny's numerous romantic endeavors, Will prefers to keep his personal life low-key, living by two straightforward rules – “don't care too much” and “shut up.” A twist of fate leads him to Jane, a friend of Tiny's, and a shared love for music sparks a connection between them. On the other hand, the Naperville Will Grayson struggles with depression and harbors negative, destructive tendencies. His friendship with Maura is complicated by her romantic feelings for him – feelings he cannot reciprocate as a closeted gay. His solace comes from an online relationship with an empathetic, understanding Ohioan named Isaac.

The story takes a turn when Evanston Will learns of Tiny's self-centered musical, "Tiny Dancer," and their group of friends plan to attend a concert together. A mishap with a fake ID leaves Evanston Will stranded outside the venue, leading him to seek refuge in an adult bookstore. Coincidentally, Naperville Will Grayson also arrives at the same bookstore to meet Isaac, who, as it turns out, is a fictitious character created by Maura. The betrayal sends Naperville Will into an emotional tailspin, leading to an unexpected encounter between the two Will Graysons. A series of misunderstandings and miscommunications continue to unravel, leading to a romantic spark between Naperville Will and Tiny, and a deepening bond between Evanston Will and Jane. 

Amidst the chaos, Tiny's musical gets the green light, but he decides to shift its focus from his life to broader themes of love. The interpersonal dynamics continue to evolve, with Naperville Will and Tiny's relationship growing despite their differing socioeconomic backgrounds. However, a conflict over privilege leads to their breakup. Meanwhile, Evanston Will and Jane take their relationship to the next level. The climax of the story comes at the end of Tiny's musical, where a heartwarming display of appreciation towards Tiny unfolds, reuniting Naperville Will and Tiny, and showing the depth of the bond between all the characters.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

The 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time

Best YA Novels Of All Time - 45 YA Books Every Adult Should Read

Discoveryblogyoung adult books

At the insistence of her mother, Hazel Grace Lancaster, a seventeen-year-old with cancer, frequents a support group where she meets a boy, Augustus Waters, who is there for their mutual friend Isaac. Hazel, who has thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs, and Augustus, who had osteosarcoma but is now cancer-free after losing his leg, share a bond over their experiences. They exchange favorite books and Hazel introduces Augustus to "An Imperial Affliction," a novel about a girl with cancer that she finds relatable. The book abruptly ends leaving its characters' fates unknown, intriguing Hazel. Soon after, Augustus manages to get in touch with the book's reclusive author, Peter Van Houten, and they start corresponding via email. Van Houten alludes he could only answer Hazel's inquiries about the book's ending in person.

Subsequently, during a Dutch-themed picnic, Augustus surprises Hazel with news that a cancer charity is fulfilling his wish of taking them both to Amsterdam to meet Van Houten. Despite her initial excitement, Hazel is hesitant about her growing feelings for Augustus, likening herself to a grenade that could hurt him when she dies. But after a health scare lands her in the ICU, she learns that Augustus never left her side and is even more determined to go to Amsterdam. Her parents and doctors are initially against her traveling due to her health, but they finally agree after persuasion from her familiar physician, Dr. Maria. However, their meeting with Van Houten is disappointing as they find him to be a bitter drunk. Despite the setback, they visit Anne Frank's house, share a romantic moment, and make love for the first time. The next day, Augustus reveals that his cancer has returned and spread.

Heading back home, Hazel witnesses Augustus's health deteriorating rapidly, and she shifts from calling him Augustus to Gus, as his parents do. Gus arranges a prefuneral for himself where Hazel and Isaac give heartfelt eulogies, expressing their love for him. Gus passes away eight days later, and to Hazel's surprise, Van Houten attends the funeral. She learns that Gus and Van Houten had kept in touch, and that Gus had been working on a sequel to "An Imperial Affliction" for her. Van Houten, under the influence of alcohol, confesses that the story was his way of dealing with his daughter Anna's death from cancer. Hazel encourages him to get sober and write another book. Later, she discovers that Gus had wanted Van Houten to use the pages he'd written to create a eulogy for her. Reading Gus's words, she agrees with his sentiment that while pain is inevitable, we can choose whom we allow to hurt us, and he was happy with his choice. The story ends with Hazel affirming that she too is content with her choice.

John Green Books in Order (9 Book Series)

Looking for Alaska

An Abundance of Katherines

Let It Snow

Three Holiday Romances

Paper Towns

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

The Fault in Our Stars

Shorts & Briefs

Turtles All the Way Down

The Anthropocene Reviewed

What To Read Next

John Green Books in Order (9 Book Series)

Looking for Alaska

An Abundance of Katherines

Let It Snow

Three Holiday Romances

Paper Towns

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

The Fault in Our Stars

Shorts & Briefs

Turtles All the Way Down

The Anthropocene Reviewed

What To Read Next

Share this page