2015 Reading Challenge [Closed] discussion

I enjoyed this book as much as Paper Towns. TFIOS is still my favorite by John Greene.

Yeah lol me too. But this one WAS super funny.

This was my first John Green book, and I was a bit frustrated by it. I didn't hate the book, but I was bothered by this being a book with a heavy math influence, yet the statistical likelihood of what happens with the Katherines is very unlikely. That and the constant nonswearing-swearing that happened. There were just little things (other than the math/statistics) that I kept wanting to nitpick.

Manda, I agree. John Green, in my opinion, does not write realistically or for a mature audience but for teenagers who want to believe they are ready to meet life's challenges head on. He has created a new, confident, and quirky teenage image for his main characters who, for the most part, act independently of authority figures. Though his characters are unprecedented and draw teens to his books, I predict that the new and unique slant he has given teen/young adult fiction will become cliché in a matter of a few years, and the books will decrease greatly in popularity. I have a 17-year-old daughter, so I am able to identify with the characters as if they were her peers. She reads the books for entertainment, and I enjoy them enough to read them with her. John Green has definitely cornered the market on Young Adult fiction for the moment!

Jenny wrote: "Manda, I agree. John Green, in my opinion, does not write realistically or for a mature audience but for teenagers who want to believe they are ready to meet life's challenges head on. He has crea..."

I don't think such a strong view is necessary. It's really cute chick-lit and he tries to express some of his ideals in them, but honestly, everyone knows that they're pretty cliche already. It's just fun to read them. They play with your emotions and make you think about stuff. What's so wrong with teenagers reading it?

I'm sorry, Grace. I didn't mean to sound strong in my opinion! I didn't mean there is anything wrong with teenagers reading it. I just think his writing is a bit of a fad that will pass if he doesn't adapt it later to a new generation. And in a way his writing has helped to create a new teen culture. That's what I meant. Sorry if I offended. I'm in my 40's so I've seen these kinds of ideas surface, influence, and fade in pop culture. My bad. I enjoy his stories enough to keep coming back as long as my daughter keeps handing them to me :)