” Turtles All the Way Down” is the story of a 16-year-old teen named Aza Holmes living in
Indianapolis and her attempt to solve the mystery of a fugitive billionaire while grappling with
her own mental health struggles.
The start of the novel depicts how Aza constantly keeps on researching C. diff, a type of
bacteria that can cause a deadly infection. She also focuses on her middle finger, which has a
callus that she often opens up to make bleed. Despite her constant tries to not think about it, she
ends up falling in that spiral.
And amidst the chaos of finding the missing billionaire named Russell Picket a love story
unfolds between Aza and Picket’s son, Davis, who was mourning the disappearance of his
father while also trying to take care of his deeply upset younger brother Noah. Well , the main
story of young girls searching for a missing billionaire wasn’t my cup of tea but what truly kept
me going till the end was Aza’s daily battles with the relentless thoughts and compulsions that
characterize OCD.
This novel by John Green offers readers a window into the intricacies of mental health, and is a
significant and thought-provoking addition to the world of contemporary literature .He masterfully
captures the nature of obsessive thoughts, and the constant need to maintain control and
routine as a coping mechanism. As readers, we are immersed in her world, feeling the weight of
her obsessions and the difficulty of untangling the never-ending spiral of thoughts.
Some of the lines from the novel that depicts her struggles:
● When I was little, I used to tell Mom about my invasives , and she would always say ”
Just don’t think about that stuff ,Aza ” . But Davis got it. You can’t choose . That’s the
problem.
● The way he talked about thoughts was the way I experienced them – not as a choice
but as a destiny. Not a catalog of my consciousness, but a refutation of it .
● I’d been unable to think straight, unable to even finish having a thought because my
thoughts came not in lines but in knotted loops curling in upon themselves, in sinking
quicksand, in light-swallowing wormholes.
What sets “Turtles All the Way Down” apart is its ability to create empathy and understanding
for those living with mental health conditions. The protagonist’s journey is a reminder that
mental health challenges are an integral part of many lives, and Green’s writing skillfully fosters
awareness and compassion.
In a world where mental health is often stigmatized or misunderstood, “Turtles All the Way
Down” provides a valuable perspective and a worthwhile read for those seeking a deeper
understanding of the human psyche. This book is definitely not the one with a typical cliché
happy ending but gives a great insight into the mind of a person like Aza.
