“Paper Towns,” written by John Green, takes place in Orlando, Fla. The novel begins in a subdivision called Jefferson Park.

Protagonist and narrator, Quentin “Q” Jacobsen, and his neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman, both nine years old, go to the park where they discover the corpse of Robert Joyner, a divorced man who has committed suicide.

The novel flashes forward to Quentin and Margo as high schoolers who have grown apart. One night Margo shows up at Quentin’s bedroom window wearing black and black face paint. She convinces him to sneak out and help her get revenge against people she feels have hurt her. Quentin has had a crush on his neighbor Margo since they were kids and cannot say no to her.

Throughout the story, Quentin follows clues trying to find Margo, who has disappeared.

Margo is a self-described “Paper Girl” who runs away from home to get away from her “Paper Town.” She plans adventures in a little black book and thinks that planning adventures is more fun than actually doing them.

Margo’s vague clues lead Quentin and his friends to abandoned warehouses and deserted towns. They continue to search for Margo as time runs out in their Senior Year and wonder if she is even alive.

“Paper Towns” won the 2009 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery

and is a worthwhile read. It is a book that will leave readers wanting more when the

pages start to run out.

This book is recommended for young adult readers looking for an unexpected mystery novel.