Paper Towns is a novel written by John Green, the same author of The Fault In Our Stars. After the large popularity of TFIOS, it's not a surprise that another one of John Green's stories hit the big screen.
The book, although tremendously different from TFIOS, was clearly selling well enough to have the producers pick this novel among Green's others, such as Looking For Alaska or An Abundance of Katherines. So did the movie live up to the expectations?
In the novel, the reader follows the story of Quentin Jacobson and his long, unrequited love for Margo Roth Spiegelman. Although Quentin and Margo were friends when they were little, since Margo moved in right across from Quentin, their friendship disintegrated as they grew older. However, Quentin's love for Margo didn't. Margo had always been one for adventure, and once she takes Quentin on a night that sparks his adrenaline like never before, he's lost in her even more than before. However, Margo disappears without any warning to anyone.
The rest of the story follows Quentin and his friends finding and piecing together clues that Margo left behind in order to learn where she ran off to. Quentin feels the clues are meant for him and doesn't stop searching, despite his friends' lack of care for Margo and their desire to attend their senior prom.
The book is rather exciting and mysterious with an unexpected ending, but how does the movie compare?
In my (hopeless romantic) opinion, the storyline followed closely enough to the book that it didn't lack anything significant. In order to not give anything away, I'll keep the differences short and sweet. Some of the clues Margo left behind in the book aren't as important or are lacking in the movie, as well as a few characters. One of the adventures that Margo takes Quentin on is missing, and the timeline of prom and graduation are a bit different. Overall, no significant parts of the storyline are missing, and the reader should be pretty satisfied with the production of the novel.
As for the movie, the actors fit the characters quite well. Nat was able to transform himself into a very awkward, nerdy teenager and Cara portrayed the perfect picture of a mysterious, untouchable girl who needed more adventure in her life than what a "paper town" could give her. The other characters were also spot on, and it really felt like the characters on the screen were the same as the ones on the page.
Now all that's left is the storyline. The ending wasn't exactly what a hopeless romantic would dream of, but it was a nice change from the typical romance. John Green clearly recognizes that the one awkward and nerdy character doesn't always end up with the popular and adored one. Instead, he focuses on the importance of self: adventure, finding one's self, and doing what one wants. He uses the character of Margo to fight the constraints of falling into the typical American, suburban life and finding adventure beyond the cookie-cutter homes and lifestyles. He uses Quentin to magnify the importance of going beyond one's comfort zone to find excitement and reach what one's always dreamed of.
In Paper Towns, you won't find the typical rom-com. You'll follow a story of finding thrill and adventure, as well as not conforming, specifically if one doesn't want to.
Now, of course, these are all my opinions, and John Green could laugh if he read this, but, I will tell you the movie would be worth your time. So grab your novelty cup, buy a popcorn (with the free refill, because why not?), and enjoy!
