Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first fictional book I have read in a long time that I cried at the end. In short, it’s amazing and I highly recommend it.
The story follows Aza Holmes, a teenager with possible OCD. It doesn’t outright say it in the book, but the story details her thought spirals and fears of dying from the microbes in her stomach taking over. To the point that it affects her daily life, and it can even be harmful to her health.
Aza and her best friend, Daisy, see on the news that a billionaire is missing. A billionaire who the police want to bring in on embezzlement charges. A billionaire whose son was once a friend of Aza. This reconnects Davis (the son) with Aza.
I truly thought this was going to be a detective kind of story, but it was more than that. It was other than that. It was a beautiful story about mental illness and how it feels on the inside and how it looks on the outside. The analogies, the struggles, the anxiety are all painted so perfectly in this story. It’s approached with honesty and a sense of realness.
I don’t have OCD, but I do have anxiety. And I related so much to those thought spirals. I related to Aza, to the frustration of not always being in control of thoughts, of not being able to just let a thought pass you by if it’s not productive or constructive.
I would recommend this book to everyone. I feel like it can open so many conversations about mental health and respect and understanding. As a side note, there is some profanity here and there but it’s not overused. There aren’t really any violent or sexual scenes either, though there are a few kissing scenes. Still, a beautifully written book. I can not speak highly enough about it.

I also wanted to let you know that I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  These are all things I have used personally.  I wouldn’t recommend something I haven’t tried myself.  Thanks!