If you struggle from OCD or have somebody close in your life that ever has, Turtles All the Way Down is a great opportunity to feel understood or receive a better understanding of the mindset and the exhaustion that goes into life. At times, the book becomes a little cyclical, but I can’t help but wonder if John Green purposely included that in his writing because that is OCD. It’s a trap, and it’s hard to get out of in order to move on.
Turtles All the Way Down started off hopeful, but in my opinion, it just sort of continued to drag out. It is a good read, but it wasn’t a book that left me wanting more. Instead, I wanted an ending.
According to Green’s book jacket, Turtles All the Way Down appears to be a “detective” story where the main character, Aza, and her best friend begin investigating the disappearance of a local billionaire, Mr. Pickett. Aza knows the son of the missing man from a previous stage of life, so a relationship rekindles as the two best friends go snooping.
As the pages turn, you find that a majority of the story line is not actually focused on the disappearance of Mr. Pickett, but instead, it is wrapped up in Aza’s obsessive thoughts about infection. The reader gets to partake in the effects of OCD in relationships, experience Aza’s most intimate concerns, and see how the act of compulsion becomes an even unhealthier part of her thinking.
This is definitely not The Fault in Our Stars, but in my opinion, it is a step in the right direction.