“Turtles All The Way Down” by John Green

The other day, after a blood test revealed my thyroid was a little slow, I was certain I had Hashimoto’s disease. When I called my mother the nurse to discuss my self-diagnosis she laughed and said, “Oh Lori. You’re too old for that!” And sure enough she was right. I don’t have the disease of the thyroid gland, which is often diagnosed in young children. This is all to provide background on why I couldn’t wait to read this book about a young woman who is afraid she has C. diff, a bacteria that can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. “Turtles All The Way Down” by John Green is the fascinating story of 16-year-old Aza Holmes, a high school student with OCD and anxiety. Part coming-of-age story and part mystery, the plot follows Aza and her best friend Daisy as they become entangled with the son of a missing millionaire. As far as storytelling goes, the narrative is fascinating and Aza’s obsessions with open cuts, bandages and hand sanitizers are riveting. To add to this drama, is the author’s own confession in interviews that he struggles with OCD and anxiety similar to his main character. This has not prevented him from writing seven books including the best selling tearjerker “The Fault In Our Stars.” He said that this book was “My first attempt to write directly about this kind of mental illness that has affected my life since childhood, so while the story is fictional, it is also quite personal.” While billed as young adult fiction I would say this a wonderful book for readers of any age, anxious or not. Green brings true tenderness and empathy towards Aza’s struggles, clearly because it is a world he knows well. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.