John Green Announces His Most Personal Book To Date
John Green has finally announced his new book. Better yet: You'll have it in your hands in just a few short months.
On Thursday (June 22), Penguin Young Readers announced that Green's new novel, Turtles All the Way Down, will hit bookshelves on October 10, 2017. The publisher describes Turtles All the Way Down as the story of 16-year-old Aza Holmes, a young woman "looking for clues in the disappearance of a fugitive billionaire, while grappling with mental illness."
Here's the full synopsis, which includes a brief mention of Star Wars fan fiction. Green, you have my full attention:
Turtles All the Way Down begins with a fugitive billionaire and a cash reward. It is about lifelong friendship, the intimacy of an unexpected reunion, Star Wars fan fiction, and tuatara. But at its heart is Aza Holmes, a young woman navigating daily existence within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. In his long-awaited return, John Green tells Aza's story with shattering, unflinching clarity.
According to the best-selling author, Aza's story, especially her struggle with mental illness, is incredibly personal to him.
"I've been working on Turtles All the Way Down for years, and I'm so excited to share it with readers this October," Green said in a statement. "This is my first attempt to write directly about the kind of mental illness that has affected my life since childhood, so while the story is fictional, it is also quite personal."
Green has been candid about his own struggles with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, commonly known as OCD. He's been an outspoken advocate for the destigmatization of mental illness and chronic medical conditions for years, and his openness has helped his legion of fans and fellow Nerdfighters recognize that there's no shame in talking about mental health. More importantly, there's no shame in living with mental illness.
Green's last novel, 2012's The Fault in Our Stars, was a critical and commercial success, and was even adapted into a hugely popular film starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort.
