gary joseph
9/22/2018 03:22:54 am
Hello Honors and AP students. Please remember to follow the above instructions while posting. Also remember that Honors posts must be at least 80 words, while AP posts must be at least 100 words. Write two posts for each posting deadline: one reaction to the book and one reaction to another student's post. Please don't concentrate on whether or how much you like or dislike the book; rather, emphasize what you think of plot developments and characters and what you think the author's underlying themes are (that is, what the author is trying to tell us about life).
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Jakaya Gibson
12/4/2018 06:51:41 pm
“I was so good at being a kid, and so terrible at being whatever I was now.” I love this quote because this is so true because when you were younger you didn't really have weight on you like you never really had to worry about what you wanted to be when you get older, grades,certain people, and many other things. Its like now you have way more to do ad you had to start figuring yourself out so you know what you want to be/do when you get older. As growing teenagers we make lots of mistakes but you always learn from your mistakes. So now you are disappointed in yourself for making one wrong move now everything is just turning for you but as an child you didn't have to worry about those things.
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Jorge Zavala
12/18/2018 12:27:58 pm
I agree completely that quote is relatable. As a kid nothing worries you as you have fun, sleep, and eat. Now as you get older responsibilities are placed upon you and independence is needed. As a kid everything is given to you. I also agree with figuring yourself out because as you grow and develop you figure things out about yourself.
Jason Mena
12/18/2018 05:56:52 pm
I agree with you Jakaya. When I was in 4th grade, I would care about doing my homework and would just play around in class or not pay attention. The Teacher was always telling me to would move me, but now they don't say nothing it only affects you and your grade. You need to see where you at when it comes to responsibilities.
Evan Murillo
12/18/2018 06:12:03 pm
I agree with you completely because when I was younger all I did was joke around and I wasn't really getting penalized for doing it. Also I didn't have to worry about grades. So all I did was just joke around. Which I realize that now.
Anh Le
12/18/2018 07:40:59 pm
This quote really catches my attention because true for tons of people who wished to grow up fast then forgot that they were living in the best moment of their lives when being a kid. As same as my personal experience, I did not take any responsibility back then, comparing to the present. Growing up sometimes is a pain that everyone knows how it feel like. Maybe not now but later.
Robert Sanchez
12/19/2018 03:57:26 pm
This Quote really got me to think because when you are a child playing a sport you love,Making new friend. Back then kids don't think about the responsibilities they have to do. The life decisions we chose now may hurt or help us for the future. Kids need to realize how to limit the mistakes as much as they can so they can grow as a person.
Fernanda Cortes
12/19/2018 06:48:51 pm
I completely agree and relate to the quote. When I was younger I didn't have to worry that much on the real world and my grades. I had such a free spirit, but now that I'm older and in high school, it's somewhat difficult and I'm still getting used to it.
Kevin Sanchez
12/19/2018 09:28:22 pm
With full honesty, I completely agree because when your a child all you want to do is just play outside and see your friends, watch cartoons and wait for your mom to give you food. Now as a young adult it seems like everyone is asking about your future, what you want to be, where your going after high school. Now I know why people say they want to be young again because it seems that the older you get the more responsibilities you have.
Daniel Gallegos
12/19/2018 10:43:16 pm
I completely agree with your response. I agree with your response because I can relate to it. Growing up as a child, you don't have to worry about anything that you worry about now. Being a kid basically means being free and having fun as a kid so that you can look back and remember all the memories you had in the past. You also don't have to worry about nothing at all being a kid. But growing up, you start to realize that life isn't easy and life isn't the path that you expected it to be.
Jessica GIbson
12/20/2018 08:00:07 am
I also like that quote because when I was a kid I had so many compliments and I was doing so well but what I am now I started to stop doing the things I did when I was younger because I am changing so as my mindset, so some people might like what you are doing now some people wont and that is where you loose friends and you loose the bonds you have with a family members. I also feel like that if you are terrible right now thats is when your real friends and family members who truly love you and want you to do better they will help you but if you just doing terrible and no one is trying to help them is not the people you want to be around.
Imani Morgan
12/20/2018 09:29:23 am
After reading this I was afraid that I was going to become OCD because I pictured myself being her. I agree with that quote a lot too because when you were younger it felt like you were more allowed or open to make mistakes because you truly didn't know. The older you get it seems as if it gets harder, especially when you start to make mistakes and you feel like everyone is pressuring you
Jakaya Gibson
12/4/2018 07:25:20 pm
“Maybe you don't choose what's in the picture, but you decide on the frame.” I also like this quote as well because this is also true you decide on whether you want negative or positive vibes in your life. The more friends you have the bigger the frame is going to be and I feel as if the more friends you have the more negativity their will be. I think this because when their is a crowd of people you will have a lot of drama and rumors going on. But the less people you have the more happier you'll be and you don't have to worry about the wishy washy things going on.
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Imani Morgan
12/14/2018 01:55:42 pm
The book starts off very interesting. Aza is a very philosophical thinker which interest me, but she thinks a about things too deeply all the time. She admitted to having anxiety, but she may also be depressed. Something that stood out to me in the first chapter was when she realized that a person's life is something that's told about them not something the person tells which is true, and it really made me think. She also realizes that she might be a fictional character, and this reminds me of a girl from my old school.
Isabella Exclusa
12/18/2018 06:13:44 pm
I completely agree with the quote that you put because you have to decide what you want to include in your life and what you don't want to include in your life, because in the end those things can end up affecting the path that you end up going down in your life. I also think that the crowd that you hang around can also affect this too.
Mahogany Bowen
12/19/2018 09:53:15 pm
I agree with you on the quote and how is corresponds to the real world. Like you said in you post that choose if u want negative or positive vibes in your life. I also want to ass that u can also choose if u want o be around negative of positive people because being around certain type of people can reflect on u and can also change that way you see the world for the good and for the bad.
Daniel Gallegos
12/19/2018 10:52:06 pm
I completely agree with your response. I agree with your response because you decide on whether or not you want to live a good life or don't. The choices you make decides wheter or not it benefits you in the future or not. You decide whether you want to live a good life and a happy life or a miserable and lost life. The choices you make is up to you.
Imani Morgan
12/20/2018 10:16:16 am
This is interesting knowing that one of the creators of spark notes wrote this book. What amazes me the most is knowing that this based of his life and her went through those tough times. It really reveals a lot about him self and his character.
Andrea Pintor
12/18/2018 07:53:53 pm
I agree with Daisy, like her argument for her writing her fan fiction. Maybe some of the things she said in it were harsh the character ended up coming off Aza and becoming Daisy's own character. And for Aza to be mad it isn't fair. Because Daisy followed her and was her best friends but Aza more thought of herself all the time to where she even realized she didn't know much about Daisy. But I also see Aza's side of things. It's like she's stuck in her own head 24/7. She wants to get out, she wants to control her anxiety. But she can't really do it. Daisy pulled off a whole man hunt adventure to bring them closer together. Ana Aza went along helping her. So they're both wrong and right at the same time. We can't just get mad at Daist when Aza is also in the wrong.
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Xinyue Wang
12/19/2018 10:19:15 pm
I agree with you that we can't get angry to Daisy because both Aza and Daisy can do things wrong. She shouldn't make Aza angry, but Aza was also only focus on her mind.
Nalah Campbell
12/19/2018 09:35:19 pm
Aza says “I knew how disgusting I was. I knew. I knew now for sure. I wasn't possessed by a demon. I was the demon.”
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Nalah Campbell
12/19/2018 09:55:01 pm
Reading this book has taught me a lot. It has taught me that everybody is different not only that it has taught me that you are going to go through different stages in life and it’s your choice how you are going to take things into hand. I’m so happy that Davis taught her a lot to me Davis has made her who she is.
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Daniel Gallegos
12/19/2018 11:05:01 pm
I completely agree with your response. I agree with your response because this book changed my perspective on what life really is. In different stages in your life, you can be the happiest person in the planet but you can also be the exact opposite of being happy. This book changed my perspective in a good way. It showed me that I can see the bad in me and my flaws and can fix them by making the right choices.
Imani Morgan
12/20/2018 09:24:41 am
I agree with you, and I enjoyed how different she was. It wasn't what I expected it to be, which was a good thing. When you read the title of the book you didn't know what to expected while you were in the process of even opening the book.
Kierra Gates
12/20/2018 09:21:47 am
I really liked the book but also disliked it in a way, because John wrote it based on his own experiences and it's sad to know how bad it can be for him when things are bad. Although some parts made me heartbroken I really liked that John revealed himself a lot in the book. At times when I was reading it was almost as if it was him speaking, not Aza.
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Kierra Gates
12/20/2018 09:24:42 am
I love that through this book more people can be educated about what it is like to have a mental illness like Aza's. When people think about OCD they usually think it means that a person is just fussy about tidiness, and they don't realize that it is actually a proper anxiety disorder. This belief that it is no big deal makes it harder for people to reach out for help, because they think that their problems won't be taken seriously.
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Kierra Gates
12/20/2018 09:27:01 am
As I came closer to finishing the book I realized exactly how many different emotions and feelings people would have at the end of the book. Some would be sad that David and Aza didn't work out and Some would be happy that the teens were true to them selves.
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Kierra Gates
12/20/2018 09:31:32 am
My question is that Why would Daisy tell her best friend when she noticed her putting hand sanitizer on her finger again, “Don’t let Aza be cruel to Holmesy”? What does that mean if they are both the same person?
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Kierra
12/20/2018 09:32:27 am
Aza and I are alike because we both like dr.pepper.
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Kevin Rodriguez
9/22/2018 12:29:40 pm
Within reading the first initial chapter of Turtles all the way down, I noticed our main character, Aza, had some social- related anxiety or phobia (Aza even mentions it). After seeing more of her fear towards C. Diff and some interpersonal conversation between her and her best friend, I have come to the conclusion that Aza has troubles relating to her personal identity (a common barrier seen when following Erik Erickson’s stages of development), a problem that can be traced back to insecurities, etc. and also a delusion; specifically called the Delusion of being controlled and also somatic delusion. She also expresses the symptoms of that in OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). The somatic delusion is characterised as “a delusion whose main content pertains to the appearance or functioning of one’s body.” Although she isn’t delusion about a specific part of her body, she is delusional of the functioning of her digestive system and the C. Diff present, resulting in her obsession of always worrying about infections (can also be interpreted as having illness anxiety disorder and/or somatic symptom disorder). When she has these beliefs it can go to extreme lengths pretty quickly as she excessively sweats when anxious, and can’t control her own thoughts pertaining to the bacteria in her digestive tract. The delusion of being controlled is pretty self explanatory; thinking that any normal voluntary action (e.g. feeling, thoughts, and impulses) is outside of one’s control. She has this feeling a lot when in relation to the bacteria in her body, explaining it herself as, “I think, you don’t pick your thoughts.” (Pg. 92) As said, she also shows symptoms of OCD because she persistently has this obsession that she might be sick and will die, so she does the compulsion of always removing her band it, making the wound bleed to ‘extract’ any infection, and putting on hand sanitiser, even though it can hurt her as she puts pressure on the band aid to relieve some pain. She also shows symptoms specified in the DSM-V including (1) a persistent or repetitive thought that is intrusive and unwanted (2) an attempt to suppress these recurrent thoughts, (3) Repetitive behaviours as a result of thoughts (4) behaviours are aimed at preventing or reducing anxiety (5) obsession and compulsions can be time consuming (6) and the symptoms aren’t better explained by use of drugs or another mental disorder. Overall I love the psychological aspect of the book and am intrigued with Aza as a character, but I’m not too interested with the setting or the conflict at hand.
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Imani Morgan
12/20/2018 09:26:38 am
I agree with you and how it discusses or focuses on real world issues when it comes to mental health. I do believe that she was a little too extreme with her beliefs. For me, especially when it came to eating because I enjpy eating.
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gary joseph
9/22/2018 09:13:38 pm
DON'T WORRY ABOUT CATCHING C.DIFF! I don't want anyone reading this book catching Aza's obsession (You're also not going to get OCD!)! C.Diff is almost always contracted by people in one of two classes: A) old people who are taking antibiotics and in a hospital or nursing home, or B) people in hospitals who have seriously compromised immune systems, so people with full-blown AIDS or people who are taking large amounts of immunosuppressants to control auto-immune diseases. Many years ago, my wife got C.Diff. because she was temporarily in the second group of people, and while it was nasty and disgusting, she recovered, as the vast majority of people who get it do. So if you want to worry about something that will have a definite effect on your life, worry about getting your English papers in on time!
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Evelyn Padilla
9/23/2018 12:23:11 pm
My first reaction to Aza was exactly how I reacted to when I first started reading "The curious incident of the dog in the night time". I noticed that she payed a lot of attention to detail, like the way she ate food, and the sounds her stomach made with that. Also, the way she was so concerned about little things, affecting her in a big way. I guess I can kind of relate in the sense that, when she noticed she had a strange symptom and then she automatically connected it with something way worse. I have that tendency too, but i think it' just over thinking little things, which maybe is a factor that might help her later in the book trying to solve the mystery, again much like Chris was doing in his book. You can obviously tell Aza is very intelligent, just by the way she describes her thoughts about spiraling it is, that a higher power controls our lives just with the sound of a bell, or just with time increments in general. She took a simple thing like a high school bell, and turned into a way of seeing society in a different light. I personally love John Green books, so I think that in every book he writes there's always a connection to all of them. I'm looking forward to see how this book, connects to his others.
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Anastasia Adjei
9/23/2018 02:28:28 pm
I personally think that I would love this book because of how well it relates to the lives of teenagers. I personally like Daisy’s character more. I do find it fascinating that Daisy did all this research so she could find the police report for Davis’s dad. These two people seem very different but are also a perfect duo. I agree that Aza is definitely a smart girl. It does however feel like Aza is trying to find the whereabouts of Davis’ father not for the money, but to help his friend. She doesn’t want it to seem as if she was his friend just to find out evidence which will earn her some money. I personally think that Aza would be a great friend to Davis because she ignores the fact that he is rich and gives the motivation and advice of a good friend.
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Yuxin Hong
9/23/2018 03:49:27 pm
Strongly agree! The opening of this book reminds me about the curious incident and Christopher. Both Aza and Chris are smart and detail-oriented people. Aza can describe her feelings of getting infection with bacteria. It's just like how deep that Christopher can depict when he was lifted by his father and how struggle when he knows his father kills Wellington. I think the only different thing they have is just the different disorder. I love Aza’s attitude toward life which was expressed as a story tells about you. Anyway, they are both sensitive and lonely. Essentially, I think Aza speaks out about my heart. I share same feeling about how small things cause big damage.
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Star Brooks
9/23/2018 05:53:41 pm
Our thoughts are very alike! We can relate to Aza a little more than Christopher because of gender. She's teaching us that as teenagers, mental strength matters because anything can happen at any given point in time.
Robert S
12/17/2018 02:43:19 pm
I strongly agree that both books were very similar. Christopher and Aza are very smart and they both have situations they have to go through. But I can relate more to the boy because the way he thinks about certain things really made me connect with him more
Adrian Fernandez
9/23/2018 06:16:24 pm
When I started reading that is the first thing I noticed too. The more I read the more similarities that I found between Turtles All the Way Down and A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. They both have things in which they struggle with and live with a single parent. I would also say that Aza is incredibly smart. She not only thinks way outside the box (like the river being half urine), but she can also fit the missing puzzle piece. This is seen when Aza recalls that there was a motion-activated camera with night vision that could help them with the disappearance of Mr. Pickett.
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Milkiyas Bitew
9/23/2018 08:35:36 pm
I also agree with you on how there are some similarities between Curios and Turtle. But thinking back, Christopher did not have anyone to rely on and had a hard trouble understanding things. On the other hand, Aza had her "best friend" Daisy to sort of look after her. She was also surrounded by people that like her and want to hang out with her, unlike Chris. I also agree with you on how she was a divergent thinker. An example is her looking for a possible cause of her stomach ache.
Jordan Wright
9/30/2018 07:41:31 pm
I totally agree with the similaritties you've stated. Both Aza and Christopher have problems socializing with others and they both have an incling for solving things. I don't really believe that Aza has a problem like Christopher did in The Curious Incident. I think she just has a tendency to overthink everything, and that's what makes her so smart. This is why she was able to figure out how illogical it was that there wouldn't be a security camera in a rich person's home, but later realized that there was in fact a camera but it wasn't Mr. Pickett's camera.
Xinyue Wang
12/17/2018 08:45:57 pm
I agree with you that Aza is really smart. Maybe it's because she has her mental problems and that make her always think too much and much more than other people. She usually focus on small things or details. Christopher is really similar with Aza and he also thinks about things that most people may ignore.
Armani Pace
9/23/2018 06:52:44 pm
I totally agree with you. After reading the first couple of chapters I immediately made the connection between Aza and Christopher. Instead of focusing on the bigger picture of what's happening around then they focus on the little things that no one else would think of paying attention too. I can sort of relate to Aza because I get distracted very easily also. I can be in the middle of a full conversation with someone but hear the simplest thing and try to figure out where the noise came from. I also love John Green books as well. They always have a way for all readers to connect to a character or they have an emotional feel.
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Dejanae Phillips
9/23/2018 07:16:53 pm
I also compared this book to Curious Incident. Aza is definitely intelligent, and I admire her attention to detail. The C.Diff did scare me a little but other than that, I find it so much more interesting when the main character is as attentive as Aza or Christopher. I do not think I have read any other books by John Green, but I am really interested in this one, so I will have to check out more
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Isabel Mares
9/23/2018 08:08:34 pm
I had noticed that as well. Both “Turtles All The Way Down” and “A Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time” have similarities between the main characters. Aza and Christopher both have a hard time when it comes to social skills as well they both tend to over think. As well they both starts looking into a case. The first few chapters were amazing to read and did lead to finding similarities between other books which i thought was nice. How you could of compare the book to other ones or even yourself.
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Karol Gonzalez
9/23/2018 10:16:59 pm
I can totally see how Aza and Christopher are much alike. Like you’ve mentioned, both really like to go into details about certain things and they analyze how great of an affect it will have on them. They both like to think about things that are not necessary to survive, but seem extremely important to them. Maybe autism and anxiety and anti-social behavior go hand in hand in a way? That’s probably why both characters act almost the exact same. The symptoms for the diagnosis may be alike. And now it’s easier to understand how Aza thinks because of our enlightenment of Christopher and his whole thought process during the journey of who killed his neighbor’s dog.
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Leslie Martinez
9/23/2018 10:29:34 pm
I totally agree with the connections of the two books. Just like in the book “The curious incident of the dog in the night time”, Christopher and Aza have a lot in common by the way their minds think. With Christopher having his disorder and Aza having anxiety, it’s makes them who they are and it’s not in a bad way. Even though Aza and Chris are anti-social they both are very intelligent and aren’t fools like people treat them. I can agree that they’re reasoning for having social problems is because the both can relate to growing up without parents or living with just one parent. Also, overthinking is not always a bad thing, it’s helps them in the future just like Chris’s overthinking helped him solving the murder, it will help Aza with solving the mystery of Russell.
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Chelsea Owusu-Bonsu
9/23/2018 10:34:43 pm
I totally agree with what you said Evelyn. I agree with comparison you made with our summer reading book. She does seem to be very intelligent. Like you said Christopher was trying to solve a mystery and she maybe be too. Christopher was on a quest and Aza might be on a quest as well. John Green's book to me always have some type of sickness or disability and I can't wait to finish this book. He has very Interesting books.
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Robert S
12/17/2018 02:40:09 pm
I agree with you about how u noticed that she payed a lot of attention to detail, like the way she ate food, and the sounds her stomach made with that. Also, the way she was so concerned about little things. I felt the feeling she had symptoms something was wrong. But you can also tell she is very inteligente and a hard worker .
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Anastasia Adjei
9/23/2018 02:11:40 pm
Turtles all the way down to me is a strange but interesting book. As typical teenagers, I can somewhat relate to their actions. Aza has an anxiety disorder. At first I was so confused to how much thoughts she had in a typical day. But then, I began to understand her a little bit. She worries about everything just like I do. I remember one time in Anatomy physiology, I was thinking about what was going on in my body during that time. The time in the book where Aza was worried about what was going on in her body made me remember this time in Anatomy Physiology. I also do think that Aza has OCD. This is because she repeats every step when treating her calluses finger. Also, I suspected she had OCD when she got scared when she had to put her calluses finger in a dirty surface. I am also surprised by the fact that she worries so make that she might have C.diff. I think she is really teaching us a life lesson. It can be reasonably inferred that she is teaching us to be mentally and physically prepared for disasters in our lives.
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Maryfer Palacios
9/23/2018 08:55:38 pm
Yes, I realized the same. Aza may be different in some ways, but overall she is still like anyone else. At instances, she worries about germs, but at times she is ok with it. When her friend Daisy is after the reward, Aza follows right along. Although, she gives no opinion of her own; she doesn’t seem to express her moral views. However she may just be doing what the world around her tells her to do. In the same manner, there are instances in which we go right along with something without expressing our own concerns. Her thoughts may seem peculiar, but I can recall some inquiries I’ve had. After all we all have views and thoughts that not all people know of. Even so, whether Aza is normal or not is not in the question because the significance lies in the abnormality of her person.
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Isabella Exclusa
12/18/2018 06:20:03 pm
I completely agree with this because even though Aza struggles with these things we all have anxiety about a lot of things too such as schoolwork and family life. I really like how you can relate to this book in some ways because you can make a connection to what may be going on in your life right now to some of the small details in the book.
Mahogany Bowen
12/19/2018 09:46:48 pm
I agree on you saying that Aza is different but the same like everyone else. She does go through some changes in her life like any teenage girl or boy would go through but because she has to make herself bleed (by accident, that does make her a little different then everyone else also.
Xinyue Wang
12/19/2018 10:24:04 pm
I agree with you and I think that Aza is also someone just like us instead of a monster. Everyone can feel anxious in their lives and sometimes especially in their teenage years. Aza is different with us because her anxious really borders her and she is struggling.
Jorge Zavala
12/18/2018 12:32:17 pm
I completely agree as we see in the book that Aza struggles. We also see and read her thoughts as we read this we see how we connect and I can connect as Aza has anxiety and overthinks I do the same as these finals have come up. I also agree Aza has OCD for the same reason.
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Evan Murillo
12/18/2018 06:36:27 pm
I agree with you strongly because I can see that Aza does struggle. But she struggles in the ways some teenagers do. But nobody is the same.
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Daniel Gallegos
12/19/2018 11:12:30 pm
I realized the same thing you did as well. I started to notice that Aza had a lot of anxiety throughout the book. It can be a good thing but also a bad thing. But I realized that having anxiety isn't bad at all. I say this because she's just like an average teen who worries a lot. Worrying a lot can help you physically. The reason on why I say this is because it can make you infer on what would happend next.
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Saniyah Jordan
9/23/2018 03:33:53 pm
I agree Aza does seem off but she clearly has some kind of disorder. She does worry about everything that she does which is kind of sad. A normal person wouldn’t even think about getting some rare and dangerous bacteria inside them but she does it all the time. It seems like she wants to be a normal kid but these thoughts won’t leave her alone causing her to have the band aid routine or the tightening spiral. She also mentions how there’s no accurate way of describing what she feels and I think that’s true. I have no idea what a tightening spiral of thoughts is like.
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Aaron Ceja
10/29/2018 09:37:57 pm
I like the mention of how she feels theres no real way to describe what she feels. I feel that in our teenage years especially, we have a lot of trouble with that. Where we feel all these emotions and go through different things at different times. It can be hard to just talk about what your going through and i think it helps to read this character. It almost makes me feel like im not alone and im sure im not the only one who feels that way.
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sebastian cordero
10/29/2018 11:06:23 pm
I agree with you Aaron because there is no way to describe the feelings she has because there all straight up to the point. But we have different feelings for everything and they have to make it more complicated so its harder for people to recognize the difference.
Gabriela Villa
10/30/2018 05:03:42 pm
I also agree with you Aaron because during our teenage years we really don’t know how to express our feelings quite well yet. And I feel like that’s how Aza has to be feeling during some points in her life with either school or just life in general. But I feel like for her it somewhat hard to express how she feels to her parents but not to Daisy.
Tony Davenport Jr
11/20/2018 06:59:15 pm
I agree, teenagers go through so much and with our bodies still developing we can not express how we feel clearly
Evan Murillo
12/18/2018 06:38:42 pm
I agree with you completely. While the process of getting older you will go through some changes.
MingdongYang
12/19/2018 08:02:11 pm
I agree Aza is a smart person, Especially when she made the appointment with Dr. Singh to describe the feeling of spiral and the sense of getting infected with C.Diff. "My stomach really hurt now, like it was twisting in on itself, like the trillions of bacteria within me were making room for a new species in town." These descriptions make me think about another point: She is very lonely, which means she never has the sense of security. I can relate this feeling to myself. For example, when I touched something dirty, I always tend to think about those tiny bacteria about how can they damage my health in the future.
kera wright
12/20/2018 05:02:25 pm
I agree with everything you said because it is sad that she has those thoughts. it is normal either. I also notice that she said it feesl like a tightening spiral
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Yuxin Hong
9/23/2018 03:41:45 pm
When I read the first paragraph of this book, I can really tell Aza is such a smart person. I'm impressed when she mentioned,"Life is a story told about you, not one that you tell." I can definitely feel that she is a sensitive deep-thinker. With the development of the story, I at least can understand Aza as a person in some particular way. Her words had shown that she is very detail-oriented. Especially when she made the appointment with Dr. Singh to describe the feeling of spiral and the sense of getting infected with C.Diff. "My stomach really hurt now, like it was twisting in on itself, like the trillions of bacteria within me were making room for a new species in town." These descriptions make me think about another point: She is very lonely, which means she never has the sense of security. I can relate this feeling to myself. For example, when I touched something dirty, I always tend to think about those tiny bacteria about how can they damage my health in the future. In this case, I think Aza is like me. Anyway, I appreciate the way she tries to express her views toward life and society. I hope to know more about her later.
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Aaron Ceja
10/29/2018 09:26:23 pm
I also found myself saying how smart Aza is. She seems so articulate with her words and what she says. Like she just seems to know exactly the right things to say and the right ways to say it. She sounds like she could write the most relatibke quotes ever. Like the type you see people post in social media a lot. This book in general seems very quotable and i feel thats great for any teen or realky anyone that reads this.
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Saniyah jordan
9/23/2018 03:44:09 pm
I usually don’t like John Green’s books but this one is okay. Aza Seemed like a normal teenager until she started to have all of these crazy thoughts and repetitive actions. It’s obvious that she struggles a lot with communication but she wants to engage with people but she can’t because of that tightening spiral of thoughts. I find it odd that she’s friends with someone like Daisy. Daisy seems very eccentric and outgoing and Aza seems to like to keep to herself. One thing I don’t understand is why Aza refered to herself as an orphan. She said that Camp Speedo orSad Camp was a place for people with dead parents as in plural but her mother is still alive. Aside from that I also think Aza is a little unreliable because she reads and believes things about bacteria from Wikipedia which is not a reliable source. Focusing on Davis and his father I find it odd that a billionaire would leave everything he has to a pet instead of his own children. It makes me wonder what kind of father he was
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Kevin Rodriguez
9/23/2018 03:57:03 pm
I agree with you on your questioning to her 'orphan' status, but I also think that she attended the camp as a coping mechanism to her father's death and not because both of her parents are dead. I found your view of her being non reliable interesting, as it never really crossed my mind that Aza was reading off of a Wikipedia article instead of a reliable source. Although it may also seem justifiable as Aza was panicking and she needed to gain more information about the bacteria quickly and wasn't really concentrating on the accuracy of the information. I also found it bizarre to think that a father would will his entire wealth to the care of a single species; although the money could lead to discovery whose use could stand for the common good. But I personally believe that he willed the money in hopes of having a positive legacy following his death instead of the title of a corrupt a-hole. He willed the money to build up his own ego.
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Jalen Jordan
12/4/2018 06:03:25 pm
Being the first John Green I'm reading, it's a good start. Instead of Aza being a sort of a bland character they made her more complex where we can't really understand her thoughts and sayings. She can't even really understand her own thoughts and opinions where she second guesses herself very often. Similar to a friend of ours, we may feel confused or conflicted by what they actually say but they could mean something entirely different in their head.
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Saniyah Jordan
9/23/2018 04:01:34 pm
*Spoiler* After reading chapters 8-16 I feel even more sympathetic towards Aza especially when it comes to her friendship with Daisy. It must be a bad feeling to find out that your best friend thinks you’re useless through fan fiction. I wonder if this will have an impact on their friendship. And finding out what happend to Aza’s Dad clears up why the car is named Harold and why she doesn’t want to get rid of that or his phone even though they’re both old. Aside form their friendship and the dad think Aza and Davis compliment each other well. Both of them have lost a parent that they really care about and they can relate to each other. Aza also is noticeably different around Davis. With her mom or Daisy the conversation is usually no more than a couple of words but with Davis she can have an actual conversation. Something I don’t understand is why Davis thinks his dad left $100,000 for someone not to share a picture of him. It makes me wonder if his dad knew about the night vision camera or knew that someone was bound to have informs to help the police?
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Jakaya Gibson
12/4/2018 06:35:15 pm
I agree with you things like this happen in real life people believe anything they hear nowadays which makes me very upset. And sometimes you don't talk to people as much as you talk to others because some people don't like to vent and or open up because everyone can't be trusted.
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Adrian Fernandez
9/23/2018 05:18:49 pm
When reading this book I could really see a resemblance to the summer book, 'A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'. The way Aza is presented in the novel can easily be tied to the way Christopher was presented. I mean, Aza couldn't even listen in to her friend's, Mychal, conversation because she was worried about germs and diseases in her stomach. Another way this novel reminded of 'A Curious Incident...' is the fact Aza and Daisy start to look into a mystery case, just like Christopher did when trying to figuring out who murdered the dog. Both, Aza and Daisy, set out to find the whereabouts of Mr. Pickett. Doing so will reward them with $100,000 which will be beneficial to both to use for college. So far, out of these first 8 chapters, it has been a great read.
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Emily Gallegos
9/23/2018 06:45:42 pm
After reading your post Adrian, I started to see the resemblence between both books. And I strongly agree with both comments. Not only were the both in search of a case, but both main characters had some type of distraction holding them back. I like how detailed John Green put into not only the characters, but the settings as well. It allowed me to put myself in the shoes of Aza, which helped me gain a better perspective of what what going on within the book.
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Dung Nguyen
9/23/2018 10:25:37 pm
I also think this book so much resemble of how The Curious Incident Of The Dog start on how Christopher open an investigation the mystery death of the dog and how Aza and Daisy go after the mystery missing of Mr Pickett who was charged with bribery.
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Xinyue Wang
12/17/2018 10:18:58 pm
I agree with you about the similar between Aza and Christopher. This is the third book of John Green that I have read even though I read the others in another language. I think there's also something that the author wants to say in all his books. He is really good at writing about the details in their thoughts of teenagers, and through these he always tell us something that's educational.
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Star Brooks
9/23/2018 05:46:46 pm
As I began reading Turtles All The Way Down, I could tell that Aza was different. She isn't just a regular character. At first, she reminded me of a character named Christopher in The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Nighttime. They both think about things in depth to the point where you could tell they both have a disorder. While their disorders are very different, Aza's characteristics reminded me of those of Christopher's. My favorite part of the book so far was when Aza was working with Daisy. It showed me that sometimes it's true when people say "opposites really do attract".
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Karen Diaz
9/23/2018 09:06:49 pm
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Edgar Godinez
9/23/2018 09:39:29 pm
Great connection between those two books. I actually noticed this fact myself. Aza and Christopher are very similar in the sense that they both have a disorder that helps them view things differently. Also, it did dazzle me seeing Aza and Daisy as friends. it's pretty interesting that two completely different people can form such a great connection. I, too, can say that seeing them work together is my favorite part. It's fascinating seeing that opposites can help one another so much.
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9/23/2018 06:14:14 pm
I think in the book Turtles All The Way Down, most of the information is connected. For example, in the first chapter, the narrator Holmesy mentioned Dr.Singh, and then later in the chapter eight, she told more about Dr.Singh through the talking between Dr.Singh and her. And when in chapter two Daisy mentioned about the bribery and escape of Davis’ dad, in the following chapters, the book was about Davis. I find that in this book, the author emphasizes loneliness. Since when the book told about Davis and his brother Noah, even though they were brothers, they did not know each other a lot, which made both of them feel lonely. And then, when the book mentioned Holmesy’s father, it indicated that Holmesy and her mother were lonely since Holmesy’s father left them. All the way to the chapter eight, I really feel that the characters in the book are lonely.
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Jacqueline Sánchez
9/23/2018 09:16:53 pm
I totally agree with you, Boyang. Mostly all of the characters in the novel are lonely in different ways. Aza and Davis lack the presence of a father. Even though Davis had his father, he was never there when his brother and him mostly needed a father figured. They had all the luxurious stuff they wanted, but they did not have the love of their father nor their mother. In the other hand, Aza did not have her father, but she had her mother by her side who loves and protects her
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Isabella Exclusa
12/18/2018 06:23:31 pm
I completely agree with this, this honestly this also could have affected how Aza has anxiety about things. As we see throughout the book she ends up worrying about germs and things like that. But Aza tends to keep a lot of things to herself sometimes and doesn't express her views very much.
Robert Sanchez
12/19/2018 04:05:05 pm
I agree with both of you that as I read everyone in this novel looked lonely and seemed like a down and sorrow book. Like you said their lack of their father not being around plays a huge role in peoples lives. I feel like they need another role model in their lives to guide them and help them through the tough situations. Aza doesnt have a father but her mother is there supporting her no matter what. Which counts a lot towards a young kid like her.
Emily Gallegos
9/23/2018 06:34:51 pm
As I finished reading through the first 8 chapters of John Green's work of fiction, titled Turtles All The Way Down, I came to see how anti-social and seclusive, the main character, Aza Holmes is. Along with some similarities between other books we have recently read this year. Aza has, from what I've read, anxiety, a crush on a missing biollinoare's son, and is willing to do anything with her best friend. This notion she has in regards to love being rare and something that shall not be misused is incredible to me. We soon come to see this quest that Daisy, her best friend, feels destined to accomplish with Aza. Yet, I feel that Aza is destined for a quest completely opposite to what Daisy wants to accomplish. In chapter 4, it mentions the distance between the Pickett's and Holmes family and how it is seperated by a river, which reminded me of the book, The Great Gatsby. For example, when Daisy lived across from Jay Gatsby. Another particular part in the book, specifically chapter 7, was the quote, " Nolite te bastardes carbondurondorum," was a quote that was also mentioned in the book The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwoods. Going back to Aza, we see how much she thinks and questions certain events taken place within her life, and if compared to Daisy's we see their both main focuses are completely different. Daisy's main goal is to find a solution to gain the reward for Mr. Pickett's disapperance, and Aza's main goal, at the moment, is to figure out why she began to think about Davis Pickett so frequently, and whether or not she should go for what he tells her or for what Daisy tells her. (In regards to the leads on Davis' father)
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Chantal Garcia
9/23/2018 07:10:50 pm
I also was making connections with the other books we read. Especially of the quote, "Nolite te bastardes carbondurondorum," from the Handmaids Tale. Also mentioning the quest of Daisy and the quest of Aza are definitely different. I am starting to think if Aza's quest is finding who she is... because she constantly mentions about bacteria being more of soul then she does. I also see this when she talks with Davis through text messages on how he expresses his feelings on who is he. I just think Aza is still trying to figure out something but not the case of Davis Pickett's father.
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Chantal Garcia
9/23/2018 06:55:33 pm
As I started reading Turtles all the way down, I thought it was quite weird and confusing but then it became more interesting as I kept intrigued by the way this is being written. I am so intrigued by the main character, Aza. She is so interesting to me, from what I thought the way the author presents the character is Aza’s inner consciousness distracted her from her social life. She let's one thing worry her and affects her mind and creates anxiety upon herself. Yet, the worries she has is instantly forgotten for awhile by the mystery she and her friend are trying to solve to get the reward of thousands of dollars. I feel Green added the Davis Picketts mystery to add some flavor to the book, but in the end I feel there is a message underlying within Aza.
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Jailyn Soria
10/29/2018 08:06:19 pm
I also share the same feelings of interest in Aza as you. I find that theres many depictions of mental health in the media. This book seems to be quite accurate to someone who has anxiety and ocd and mental illness in general. Overall Aza’s story of self reflection and growth is the center of the book. The mystery was appreciated but i certainly found myself paying more attention to Aza’s personal story.
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Gabriela Villa
10/30/2018 05:15:16 pm
I agree with Jailyn because while I was reading the beginning of the book I honestly thought I wasn’t going to like it , it was just weird and it seemed not interesting but then I got more into it and it wasn’t that bad. It’s like how Aza has this sort of thing where she needs to have herself controlled and it’s like she’s basing everything on what she thinks about things more than the way others do.
Mikela Arroyo
10/30/2018 08:59:33 pm
I completely agree with Jailyn on how descriptive Aza's disorder was and how much of an impact it held on the story. Not many authors are able to portray the vivid mind that someone with a mental disorder has. I certainly enjoyed the mystery drama in the book but I was focused on the growth of Aza and how she came into terms with her condition. 10/31/2018 07:36:36 pm
I agree heavily that the emphasis and magnitude of the author's vividness when describing Aza's disorder adds more depth to the story. By allowing the reader to get an accurate look into the mind of Aza, readers can empathize and understand why Aza does the things she does. I applaud John Green for his amazing descriptions and representation of Aza's thinking.
Tony Davenport Jr
11/20/2018 07:05:53 pm
I agree being able to understand and empathize with the characters of any novel makes a book that much more interesting not only to read but also see how you can relate it to the real world
Evan Murillo
12/18/2018 06:43:14 pm
I agree with you because she does display some sort of challenging thing in her life.
MingdongYang
12/19/2018 08:05:46 pm
I agree Aza is a interested person, especially at the stomach part. The stomach part was very descriptive and a little uncomfortable to read because I felt nauseous as she described her pain. But sadly I disagree with what you say about Daisy being annoying.
Dejanae Phillips
9/23/2018 07:03:48 pm
I really had a good time reading these chapters. I think that the apparent care that Davis and Aza have for one another really means something. Daisy is kind of annoying--She kind of shoves her way into other people's lives and business, and talks for them. Also, chapter one caught me by surprise because of how descriptive Aza was about her stomach.. She had me feeling a bit queasy while reading it. I think when characters(especially main characters) have anxiety problems or mental health issues in books, it helps them overcome a challenge or solve a mystery. Sound familiar(Curious Incident)?
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Isabell Gonzalez
9/23/2018 08:20:21 pm
I agree with you on a few things you have stated. For one, I also believe these few chapters have been a good read and also Aza's description of her stomach was a little bit uncomfortable to read. But, I am disagree with the part on how you believe Daisy to be annoying, personally I don't. I believe Daisy is the perfect best friend for Aza because of the fact that they are both opposites yet they work well together.
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9/23/2018 08:27:51 pm
I agree with you. When I read this book, I feel like I was reading the curious Incident of dogs. And from both of Chirstopher and Aza, I saw their loneliness. However, in this book, Turtles All The Way Down, I felt like the author underscored more on the loneliness. When the author described about the situation of Davis and Davis' family, I could see that the loneliness from Davis and his brother. Different from the Curious Incident Of Dog which had some seemed unrelated topics between chapters, this book had much more clearer logic and thinking.
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Destiny Phillips
10/7/2018 03:02:31 pm
I totally agree with you. The stomach part was very descriptive and a little uncomfortable to read because I felt nauseous as she described her pain. But sadly I disagree with what you say about Daisy being annoying. Now, I can definitely say that I assuredly disagree with all of her actions but since they are the opposite of each other, they make the perfect set of friends. With Daisy being by her side, life is definitely going to be more amusing.
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Aaron Ceja
10/29/2018 08:14:52 pm
I agree with your point about Daisy. I found her character very irritating and some of her comments really stuck woh me to make me feel this way. When Aza had expressed her unhappines towards Ayalla (Daisy’s recreation of Aza in her fanfics) Daisy seemed to just brush it off and disregard how Aza felt. There was also her comparison comment with Aza and mustard that I felt could have been unsaid. That comment just seemed to only be said because she wanted to hurt Aza. She had some redeeming moments but aside from those I definitely felt she was annoying and irritating.
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Mikela Arroyo
10/30/2018 09:13:56 pm
I agree with Aaron on how Daisy would brush off how Aza was often feeling. I feel like Daisy was being insensitive towards Aza and her disorder. Daisy was not showing an interest in wanting to learn more about how to help Aza overcome her thoughts or how to comfort her. All her comparisons of Aza demonstrated that she does not consider what Aza would think or feel.
Julian Giron
11/1/2018 11:20:18 am
I agree, Aza has a disorder which makes her mentally unstable which makes her dislikes herself & also makes her dislike herself.
Tony Davenport Jr
11/20/2018 07:08:42 pm
I also agree, Daisy didn’t take the time to understand what it was that Aza is going through. For someone so close to Aza she should at least take the time to know her but as everyone else has stated she is very rude and insensitive.
Daniel Gallegos
12/19/2018 11:19:17 pm
I agree with your response for many reasons. I agree with your response because reading about Aza made me a little bit uncomfortable. I agree with your response about daisy because i believe that Daisy happends to be a not so good friend to Aza. She has a lot of problems going on.
Gabriel Sheikh
10/31/2018 08:04:32 pm
I agree with you as well. John Green's descriptions are quite captivating, and I had shared many of Aza's feelings while reading the book. I found this book to be similar to The Catcher in the Rye. Aza and Holden both have a mental disorder and are constantly describing the thoughts they have in their head. Both John Green and J.D Salinger form a realistic character through their intriguing thoughts and ideas. Both characters also seem normal in a way, despite having these disorders. This just goes to show what good authors can write.
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Jorge Zavala
12/18/2018 12:35:31 pm
I agree with you because Aza is really description to the point where you know what is happening. This leads to all the things that happen later in the book from Aza's anxiety to Daisy being annoying.
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Isabella Exclusa
12/18/2018 06:27:59 pm
I completely agree, honestly I think that especially with each of them not having some family members in their lives they will need to have each other always so that they know that they can count on someone to be there for them when they are in need.
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Mahogany Bowen
12/19/2018 09:36:27 pm
I also agree with you on this because I believe that since the absence of tho family member, those are their family so themselves are all each other have. This also means that they are very important to each other.
Robert Sanchez
12/19/2018 04:10:46 pm
totally agree with your thinking about how these two main characters cared so much about each other. It's so amazing how they stood by each other get through different situations. These two books did have a lot of similarities and I'm glad people notice this. I see Daisy as a let downer, she tries to hard and doesn't really know how bad she is acting to the point were it's not helping the situations of Aza and Davis.
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Mahogany Bowen
12/19/2018 09:33:40 pm
I agree with you on the daisy part. I think that she doesn't get that much attention from those who she care about so she has to emerge herself to other people to get that attention she was lacking.
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Isabel Mares
9/23/2018 07:16:33 pm
The book starts off by Aza saying how she has no control over her thoughts and feelings. Aza has voice inside her head that feeds her thoughts. That led to discovering she has anxiety and fear of bacteria. This voice limits her to only thinking about the fears she has inside her head. To calm her self down she reopens a cut that she has on her figure but doing this only lead her to think that it can get infected. Which cause her anxiety to kick in. To take care of her anxiety she goes and sees a therapist Dr.singh and takes medication. As well we see that other characters deal with there own situations as well. Like Davis who is dealing with his father leaving him and his brother alone. As well as Daisy trying to earn money to pay for college. Like most people they all deal with things that everyone goes through.
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Randy McCoy
10/31/2018 06:56:18 pm
I agree with Mikela on the part where you said when she said Daisy didn't really show interest on her condition but I can also tell that she cares about her. She also seems to talk about herself a lot and aza low-key gets irritated by that. And the part where you mention how Aza was fully comforted and consoled during her rough times
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Xinyue Wang
12/17/2018 10:36:49 pm
I agree with you about Aza can't control her own thoughts and feelings. I have depression and anxiety disorder myself for a few years so I think I can understand more about how Aza feels about her life. She is trying to do things that can help her and that's actually very good. She also have her best friend Daisy. They are both very smart but in a different way.
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Mahogany Bowen
12/19/2018 09:41:52 pm
I agree with you on the anxiety part about Aza. In the beginning of the book she would and still does break the skin of he thumb pad with her pointer finger to stop her anxiety from getting worse. She also loses herself somethings and she zones out so she has to do this to gain reality.
Isabell Gonzalez
9/23/2018 07:36:50 pm
As I read the first few chapter I fell in love with each character. At the moment my favorite character is Daisy, because of how fearless she is. The characters within the book are relatable. As for the storyline and what is happening within the first 8 chapters is in my opinion interesting with specific details within each chapter. For example, I have noticed there have been multiple frame stores, especially in the first chapter, and Aza talks about her band-aids she goes in specific detail about it. Overall for the first 8 chapters it seems like an interesting reading and I can't wait to finish it.
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Kristina vargas
9/23/2018 08:15:48 pm
I’m not going to lie , I’m digging Daisy’s vibe and attitude and how she carries herself as well. She’s a quick thinker on her feet and she got mad detective skills . She reminds me of myself a little bit . She doesn’t have a fear in the world and she’s not afraid to get into a little trouble and get her hands dirty and that’s really interesting to me . You can tell she has a good heart and she really cares about Aza and doesn’t want anything bad to happen to her. For instance when they were talking about how If she got caught about the email and the police report how she wouldn’t turn Aza in and would take the blame . They’re like sisters by choice and it’s something special . Can’t wait to read more about Daisy and her sidekick Aza!
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Randy McCoy
10/31/2018 05:55:58 pm
I fully agree with Kristina on the way she depicts and sees Daisy. She is a quick thinker, and she also definitely reminds me of a friend of mines and her friendship qualities with As a makes her that more interesting. I really wasn't surprised at the fact she would've taken the blame for her.
Isabella Exclusa
12/18/2018 06:31:37 pm
I completely agree with you on this because it's a whole new outlook on a character. I also agree when you said that you had seen a little bit of yourself in her that's how I feel that I see myself in her because she is not very afraid of what the world has to throw at her.
Chris Rivera
9/23/2018 10:31:45 pm
I do think that each character has something that makes them unique. I would have to say that my favorite character is also Daisy because she's a hard worker. Daisy works so she can have money to go to college. I feel like she's the type of person to get her priorities straight, so that's what makes me love her character even more. Throughout the chapters, you'll notice that Daisy has to do everything for herself and for her family. I also notice how Daisy is actually a good friend to Aza because she's been there for her since the beginning and wants to best for Aza.
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Karen Diaz
9/29/2018 02:09:55 pm
I agree with your opinion. I feel like would like to have a friend like Daisy. Daisy would make everything thing an adventure. If I were in the novel I’d be Aza. I admire how fearless Daisy is, I wouldn’t be able to send a fake email in order to hack into a police report. I’d be freaking out like Aza. I don’t get how Daisy is okay with everything. Although I like Daisy’s character I have to say I don’t exactly agree with everything she does. Much like Aza, I was worried about whether or not the man was going to be fired for giving them the information in the email. I disagree with how Daisy handled that situation. I don’t like that others should suffer the consequences of your actions.
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Randy McCoy
10/31/2018 05:59:54 pm
I agree to a certain extent with the way you described how Daisy is. Honestly only think I disagree is because I'm not shy whatsoever, I sometimes act before I thinking deeply about the future outcomes and I'm also a quick thinker when it comes to my friends and I getting in trouble.
Maryfer Palacios
9/23/2018 07:44:50 pm
Right away, I noticed Aza’s character. As the narrator, Aza allows the reader to look into her perspective. It becomes evident that her thought process is distinctive compared to others. She sees the world as controlling her rather than she controlling it. She follows a time schedule at school where she is forced to eat lunch at a certain time. Furthermore, Aza sees herself as “somebody’s something” while the rest of friends have a role at school. She doesn’t speak much although her thoughts are constantly pondering on what is going on within her and urging her to do something. For example, she has the habit bothering the finger pad of her middle finger. She worries a lot about keeping it clean. She claims “worrying is the correct worldview. Life is worrisome”. Through dialogue with her mom, the reader realizes she relates to her deceased father in that sense. Regularly, Aza has these sudden moments of anxiety and nervousness. Despite having these few problems, Aza is a completely normal teenager.
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Tiare Mendez
9/23/2018 11:00:59 pm
I noticed the same thing about Aza: her thoughts about not being in control as well as her own actions. I think her actions, like digging her thumb into the pad of her finger, give her some semblance of control in her life. Perhaps it's not that she thinks her fate is completely in the hands of others, but that she is not human at all. This kind of follows how she thinks of herself as an incubator for bacteria. She most likely does this self harm in order to make herself feel human and feel in control. I am wondering what other teens do when they don't feel in control but I highly doubt they self harm like she does. Hmmm
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Ho Kwan CHeng
12/19/2018 05:15:48 pm
I agree with you that Aza has a very unique thought in her head. She thinks she doesn't have control in her own fate, and she cannot fight it because the power of fate is unconquerable. I think that sometimes the world is controlling our lives too, but we have the ability to fight for out own fate, we should be the ones who determine our own lives. As William Henley said, "I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul." We are in control of ourselves, we are able to control our bodies to do what we should do, nothing else can stop us from choosing our path.
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Kristina vargas
9/23/2018 08:10:45 pm
I find Aza really weird but not in a bad way. Like i picture her someone i could actually be friends with if she was an actual person in my school. I really like the way her brain is set up . Yeah she thinks she crazy and she goes to the doctor because of the condition she has but i can’t help but think that what she has is normal . I look at it as if she has a illness like OCD . I realized in the beginning of the book that she was a little weird and off but she’s very interesting and the way the author tells us her thoughts and what she thinks is very unique to me . She can’t control her thoughts and she believes that her thoughts aren’t hers but someone else’s which i never really thought off. There was this quote in the book that i kept reading over and over . “ Anybody can look at you. It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see” . Like this quote is amazing . Like this describes her situation and how your brain set up to the max .
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Chelsea Bautista
9/23/2018 09:06:05 pm
I can totally agree with picturing myself being friends with Aza. Her personality is so pure and true, she is the type of person who tells the truth or at least sees things for what they really are instead of tiptoeing around. She helped me reason so many things over the course of this book. Like how we thought we were in control but in reality time itself is. And especially with that quote you cited, that hit me just right because it made me realize the truth. That so many people see the world so different yet its hard to fond those around you who can share the same emotion.
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Jailyn Soria
10/29/2018 08:23:06 pm
I also felt I had figured out that Aza had ocd in the beginning chapters. Aside from past friends i also picked up a strange connection in my head of a character on a show called Glee. The character’s name is Ms. Pillsbury and she had been diagnosed with Ocd. It seemd very similar to Aza in which she was all about preventing the germs. From past experience and the show mentioned i really was able to adjust how im reading and understand a little more.
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Mikela Arroyo
10/30/2018 09:37:40 pm
I was able to identify that Aza has OCD from the beginning chapters just as Jailyn did but with a different help source. I know of people who suffer from OCD although it affects them differently. Aza suffers from an extreme case of OCD that affects her mostly in the germ department. She grew easier to understand as a made the connect with someone I personally know.
Gabriel Sheikh
10/31/2018 08:22:56 pm
I agree with you for the most part. She is a seemingly nice character and she has a genuine personality. However, her disorders would actually separate her from others. When I first started reading, I thought she had OCD as well when she would constantly take her bandage off and sanitize it. Although this is not the worst habit to have, it just got a tad bit annoying to constantly read about. I actually felt bad for Daisy who had to see Aza conduct the sanitation right in front of her. Aza would also do that when she was at Davis' house, which was quite interruptive. Essentially, her habits can make her dissociated from others. This, however, is compensated by her genuine and friendly personality. She would be a great friend to have and she deserves more, but not many people would be able to deal with her.
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Tony Davenport Jr
11/20/2018 07:11:42 pm
I agree with Gabriel that more clearly was her OCD shown when she would continuously take of her bandages and clean them. Repetition and obsession are clear signs of OCD.
Ingrid Diaz
9/23/2018 08:51:33 pm
Aza Homsley is a very interesting character not only because she constantly gets paranoid over infections and keeps opening up the same wound but also because she is kind of similar to Christopher Boone. In the sense that Aza does not understand why she is feeling a certain way and Christopher does not understand feelings and emotion. For example when it becomes impossible for Aza to stop sweating or when her stomach starts to hurt when she was talking to Davis. They are also similar because they are both “weird” protagonists. Aza calls herself weird and doesn’t understand why Daisy is her friend and Christopher gets portrayed as weird by others. Davis is also an interesting character because I feel like he does know where his father is and is covering for him but I can't wait to know who he really is.
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Emily Arizaga
9/23/2018 09:15:48 pm
I agree with what you are saying. I can see where you think Aza is similar to Christopher Boone. I do not think she has anything as serious as Christopher's disorder. She is very curious and observant though. I feel like she is just very paranoid at times and thinks too much about a certain situation. Also, the situation is somewhat similar to the Curious Incident because Davis does not know where his father is and just left without saying anything, he relates to Christopher, only the role of the parents are switched around. But overall, I do agree with you on the similarities between this book and the Curious Incident.
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Karen Diaz
9/23/2018 08:53:01 pm
While reading the first chapters of Turtles All The Way Down the main character, Aza kept reminding me of Christopher Boone, the main character from the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Like Christopher, Aza would do some things but then completely diverge and talk/think about something totally unrelated to what was going on. For example, when Aza and her friends were in the cafeteria and she wanted to be part of the conversation but she couldn’t help but think about germs and how she thought she was going to die.Christopher would also over think things and worry much like Aza. I also think Aza is like Christopher because they share the same thought process. For example, Christopher would always questions things happening around him and when Aza started talking about who decided when the bell rings and how she thinks she's living on someone else’s schedule It sounded like Christopher. I also thought both The Curious Incident of the dog in the Night-Time and Turtles All the Way Down are written so that you can imagine things as they’re happening. When Aza explained in detail her calluses and washing them then putting hand sanitizer and how it burned I could imagine that.
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Ho Kwan CHeng
12/19/2018 07:13:57 pm
I agree with you that Aza reminds the readers of Christopher, they both have similar thoughts and they act quite similar. Both Curious Incidents of the Dog in the Night-Time and Turtles All The Way down talk about people with special thoughts, they allow readers to learn their thoughts and their actions, therefore to truly understand why they are a little different than us.
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Chelsea Bautista
9/23/2018 08:58:00 pm
Of the bat I realized that me and Aza aren't so different. The two things that stood out was that we both sweat excessively and we put too much pressure on our finger when we write which creates for our skin being a dry bump. I understood completely how much she hates to sweat everywhere but also how she is embarrassed of her finger because I have the same reactions as well. But what I will say that makes us different is that I believe she has a certain disorder or a mental health problem. She goes to a therapist alone and just talks to her in a way of venting but she does withhold some thoughts. She has a habit of withholding a lot of thoughts because I think she believes that if she were to be true with others, they’d believe she was negative. As I read to 8 chapters I realized that Aza rather be realistic and not hope than to set herself up. For example, her friend Daisy helps her take chances and risk, like when she convinced Aza to sneak to the property of Davis Pickett and also when she kind of gave Aza no choice but to invite him on the double date.
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Emely Martinez
10/30/2018 06:44:53 pm
I agree with you Chelsea because of the way she’ll act towards everything she’ll get out topic and started talking about her finger. She’ll then talk about the bacteria that’ll be there and how it can affect her.
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Jacqueline Sánchez
9/23/2018 08:58:28 pm
The novel, Turtles all the way down is a very captivating book. By reading the first couple of pages when Aza makes a descriptive explanation on how she’s feeling, it reminded me of the novel The curious incident of the dog in the Night-Time. Christopher and Aza are alike in some aspects. They both place a particular focused on stuff in which they are interested. These two character have a disorder that makes them worry constantly about things around them. Another similarity is that they try to investigate an unsolved mystery throughout the novel.
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Emily Arizaga
9/23/2018 09:06:24 pm
While reading the first few chapters I couldn't help but keep finding some similarities with Aza and myself. I feel like lots of us teenagers can relate perfectly with Aza and understand where she comes from, for example, the part where she can't help but feel like school is a prison and someone she has never met controls how long she has to eat her lunch. I have heard so many of my friends make jokes about this topic which I though was cool because she relates to so many of us teens. Also, I think Davis' relationship with Aza is going to grow dramatically after not talking for that long period of time and they're going to try finding his father together. Lastly, I find it really weird and messed up that Davis' father isn't leaving his money to his kids and rather leave it to their tuatara and all the other tuatara's in the world.
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Anna Antunez
9/23/2018 09:21:33 pm
I agree that Aza has relatable topics w, as teenagers, talk about a lot and honestly school is a life time prison we can't escape from. I also agree that Aza's relationship with Davis will grow but disagee with them trying to find his father together. I say this because he does express that he doesn't know his fathers where abouts and intends to never know because he truly hates his father for what his father has done to him and Noah. I also want to say that giving money to a pet is crazy especially if he has to kids he has to take care of.
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Ingrid Diaz
9/23/2018 09:22:53 pm
I agree with you Emily, Aza is a very relatable character because of her personality. Many of us teenagers can relate with how she feels about school and also many people can relate with her anxiety. I also believe that Davis and Aza and going to become close friends because it seems like they have a lot in common and I feel like Aza understands how Davis is feeling about his father leaving because Aza does not have her father with her neither. And I also find it weird that his father is choosing not to leave their children any money and instead chose to leave his money to companies.
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Milkiyas Bitew
9/23/2018 09:11:24 pm
Reading the first eight chapters of 'Turtles All the Way Down,' I noticed that one of the focuses of the book might be on identity. Aza, as a character with stress and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, can be seen to have certain uncertainties about her identity. She mentioned that by not taking the medicine that she is not being controlled of her thoughts. Having this kind of view is what makes her unique in my opinion. The cycle of always having to worry about minor things and ways trying to figure out is a view of her personality. Reading the first chapters, I can somewhat tell what's to come next.
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Jonathan Vega
9/23/2018 10:43:57 pm
I agree with you Milkiyas , but at the same time in my opinion I believe she does not let OCD get in the way. When thinking about the character Aza and Davis really having a deep conversation it is shown that just because she has a certain disease does not mean she can’t push through life. I think this book really shows us that the true beauty of a person doesn’t come from what they have but it comes from how they handle it and how they seem to control it. Going back to the conversation with Aza and Davis, I also found it remarkable that these two characters could share something about their lives and really open up to each other.
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Gabriel Sheikh
10/31/2018 08:29:13 pm
I agree with Milkiyas in that Aza is, indeed, a unique character and that even beyond the first eight chapters, she questions herself. She does not feel real and feels like she is under the control of someone else. She can feel stressed out and her thoughts begin to spiral when she thinks about infections or her medicine. Even though the medicine is supposed to help, she doesn't feel like herself anymore when she takes them. This leads to an interesting dynamic of her thoughts versus reality. Her situation with her medicine reminds me of a mentally insane character in a show called "Prison Break". As part of being in the Asylum, he was required to eat his pills, but he did not want to, since he considered them to be "invisible handcuffs."
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Anna Antunez
9/23/2018 09:13:12 pm
The boom so far is interesting. Our protaganist, Aza, is truly amazing to me because she seems to have anxiety. When she gets anxious she searches for specific things that have to deal with the human body and I truly love that. But I also feel bad that she thinks she's a sidekick and her best friend, Daisy, is the fearless friend. Can I just ask why Daisy calls Aza by her last name? has anyone found that reasoning so far? does she call her Holmesy because seh can't pronounce her first name? I really like this whole detective work Daisy and Aza are doing but tricking people, like the reporter, was not a thing to do. I also dislike that Diasy is doing all of this for money and not thinking about how it will affect Davis and Aza's relationship. She can destroy it because only Aza and Davis knew of the hidden camera and so far he remembers a lot of wat him and Aza did and what she likes.
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Edgar Godinez
9/23/2018 09:21:24 pm
When I first held the book I was thinking that this might be a complex book to read. As I started reading I actually thought that it was pretty clear and easy to understand. Aza's character was really compelling. She isn't like any other normal girl, and the reason to this is that she has a fear of bacteria/infections. This condition seems like it's frustrating from my perspective because this ultimately means that she is afraid of mostly everything, and a lifestyle like this is pretty unhealthy and it limits one's ability to do many things. It's a very interesting fact that Daisy,a fearless girl, is friends with a girl like Aza,who is always scared. Usually people surround themselves with others that have similar opinions or behavior, therefore I found this very unusual. I didn't think this story would have a sort of mystery mission, but now I'm fascinated with it and I wonder what is in store for them along Aza and Daisy's 'quest'. So far, this book is good and interesting, it has really caught my attention.
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Ron Scott
9/23/2018 10:05:23 pm
Usually, I also find characters like Aza more intriguing because they offer different perspectives of things since they may view the world in unconventional ways. However, Aza does show some of the symptoms of a person with anxiety and OCD which does make her an unreliable narrator. Whenever Aza has panic attacks it is much harder for her to form more calculated and cohesive thoughts to remain calm. It can really make readers feel bad for her because people can either relate to Aza or they may just pity her.
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De'Jah Donahue
9/23/2018 10:35:49 pm
Edgar, you are completely right in your opinion that this is an unhealthy lifestyle for one to lead: being afraid of everything. We as teenagers can relate that to our daily lives and our fears. Sometimes we are so afraid of some of the outcomes of our decisions that we run and hide from them. Sidetrack. I believe that I have a different opinion on your following comment. People do not always surround themselves with others who are exactly like them. It is very normal for people to experiment outside of their ingroup. They do so in order to complete themselves. If I am a person who likes to have fun but I know that I am shy, I will not look for another friend who is shy. I want a friend who is loud and boisterous. Hopefully they will be able to bring that character trait out in me as well.
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Jorge Zavala
12/18/2018 12:39:26 pm
I agree this book looked very boring as I sat there staring at the cover for a couple minutes. Then came the saying not to judge a book by it's cover and I stargazed into the book. It is relatable being a teenager having to deal with certain things in life. It is also leading to Daisy doubting herself and looking at herself as a sidekick the anxiety kicks in.
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Armani Pace
9/23/2018 09:28:53 pm
Immediately after beginning the reading, I noticed that Aza is very aware of her surroundings and is very quick to jump to conclusions. In school Aza believes their lives are being controlled by a higher power because she has no control over her school schedule. Aza is an interesting character because she has things go through her head that a person would never think of. I understand where Aza is coming from because there will always be doubts and questions of what if. I love how Aza is always cautious of the things around her like the fact that her body is made of 50% bateria and she’s afraid she might get an infection. On the other hand, Daisy is the opposite character. I love how they’re best friends because they are complete opposites. Daisy is a very outgoing and adventurous person. I love how she immediately takes charge in the investigation of finding Mr. Picketts. Daisy takes charge in any and all situations they get in and can lie on the spot. She is also very caring and protective of Aza and is always asking if she is okay.
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Evelyn Padilla
9/23/2018 10:12:33 pm
I agree, I really like the bond that they have because they both balance eachother out. Aza is more of the thinker, and quieter one of them both. Daisy is more wild, you can tell because of her hair, and she’s the more adventureous one. You’d think that people like this wouldn’t be together but they are. John green does that a lot in his novels. He puts a quitter more reserved character, with a more outgoing one. For example: “Paper Towns”, Q and Margot are opposite, with Margot being the wild one, and Q being the quieter one. Another example of his books is “Looking for Alaska” where Alaska is the adventurous one, and Miles is the laid back one
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melany Montesdeoca
9/23/2018 10:23:05 pm
I did Anya in the beginning she is more aware than some of her peers especially compare to her best friend Daisy. I like in the beginning with the bacteria problem. I sometimes try to search my symptoms and scares me thinking I have a rare disease because my head hurts. I dislike Daisy she has no regard towards other people felling and I find her pretty selfish. She does things compulsively and for her own benefit. She disregard David and only sees him as a piece of the puzzle for the prize.
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Karol Gonzalez
9/23/2018 10:05:10 pm
When I first started reading the book I already knew that Aza was going to be an interesting character. The way she pays attention to all details and picks certain ones to constantly think about shows her ability to think outside of the box. She’s not an ordinary girl, she’s almost outside of reality but yet understanding some realities that she’s in. I like how she constantly has to find facts and/or factors that could affect her decisions. She lacks expressing feelings or having social skills but it allows her to show her character— the way she thinks. But I think her anxiety and her being anti-social probably had to do with the loss of her father—which I believe was implied when she talked about her time at “sad” camp and how it’s a place for children whose parent(s) had died. I think the author is trying to express that the mind has the ability to think in every possible way there is and in any way that is to be it helps people survive.
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Chris Rivera
9/23/2018 10:08:21 pm
In the novel, Turtles All The Way Down started off with an interesting beginning. Aza is a girl who goes to White Riverside High school and also has a mental illness that she suffers from. She suffers from Anxiety and a fear of bacteria. In her school's lunchroom, she begins to talk about how she can hear her food digesting and that the bacteria is chewing the food. I learned that Aza has different voices in her head that she hears (One is fearful and the other is normal) and she thinks that these are symptoms of infection from the bacteria. She reminds me of Christopher from The Curious Incident because they both have mental illnesses that they have and worry about specific things. I also noticed how the two books talk about investigations and solving mysteries. I think it's pretty cool that there's some similarities between the both of them.
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melany Montesdeoca
9/23/2018 10:14:38 pm
The " book turtles all the way down" main character/narrator is okay I find her pretty bland, I like that she notices things happening around her and takes account other. people feelings.In general I find the plot pretty stupid:one of the main thing I found weird is the reward for finding Russell picket is only $100,000. The sum is pretty large but compare to the cost of his empire and the outcomes of his fraud 100,00 seemed minuscule. Even Davis agreed with this that people who know his location because his dad could out-buy them. The plot seams bland and I think it is pretty boring. The characters are somewhat relatable but also annoying and rude.
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Elizabeth Asamoah
9/26/2018 05:12:26 pm
Yes, I agree because since I'm starting this book now and I've started by a few pages, it's clear to me that it could or could not take some time to get to something interesting. I was honestly confused with how the narrator was talking about the cafeteria's atmosphere, her being the third wheel, and a problem with her stomach. I hope that book will later clear up for me to understand.
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Leslie Martinez
9/23/2018 10:17:45 pm
I love how Aza and Daisy are so different from each other yet they’re best friends. Since the beginning that I started reading this book you could tell that they have a strong relationship even though it can be weird at times. Aza seems more like the anti-social friend while Daisy is the outgoing fearless one who speaks about whatever is on her mind. While Aza cannot say what’s on her mind because she overthinks everything, because of her anxiety. It’s not a bad thing to have a relationship with people who are the opposite of you. Aza and Daisy balance each other if you think about it, they help each other out. They’re actually perfect friends because they’re both different in a unique way. You can tell right way that they have a true and real friendship, they are both there for one another no matter the situation they go through.
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Hao Lam
9/23/2018 10:43:20 pm
I totally agreed with you about Daisy and Aza. I feel that their friendship is unbreakable. While Aza is a speechless person, Daisy will become a person that talk for Aza. Their minds and thoughts are fit together perfectly. When Daisy need Aza to give her a drive, Aza is fine with that all the time. Even Aza's mom jealous when Aza spend time and give Daisy the car key.
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Dung Nguyen
9/23/2018 10:19:55 pm
After reading the first 8 chapters of Turtles All The Way Down, I feel like Aza is a very unique character from every books that I have read. Somehow Aza remind me of a character in a show I'm watching named Atypical, which the main character Sam has autism. He is very strict about rules, a bit of OCD, very straight forward in conversations and afraid of being surrounded by crowns or loud sounds. Which somehow similar to the way Aza think about germs and her stomach, also when she make a comparison between school and prison.
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Ron Scott
9/23/2018 10:20:31 pm
John Green is an American author that writes many novels directed towards teenagers. Personally, I am not a fan of his work because it really does not stand out to me. Some of his writing also comes off as edgy and lackluster to me. When it comes to reading new books I need to be hooked from the start to feel connected to the story and its characters. So far the book has not caught my attention and I do not think things will change at any point. This book seems like your run-of-the-mill mystery story's where the main protagonist will go through a major change and learn a valuable lesson that the reader is could take away. I am really not interested in reading this book, but I have to because my English grade is depending on these blog posts. Maybe I could be wrong about this story and I may like it towards the end, but we'll have to wait and see how I feel at the end of my read.
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Elizabeth Asamoah
9/26/2018 05:01:15 pm
I honestly agree with you because I wasn't interested at the beginning. It was to the point where I didn't pay attention and started spacing out. But I hope that the book go better for you and I.
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Jalen Jordan
12/11/2018 10:51:40 pm
I do recognize your issue with John Green's book lackluster writing and plot lines even students can write. However one thing that he could write is interesting characters like Aza where she suffers from OCD, mass anixety, and some form of anxiety or in 'Fault in our stars" multiple characters suffer from issues of thyroid cancer, osteoarthritis, and even blindness. He gives credit to different types of people who suffer from different illnesses where some of those people can relate more to those characters. So what all I can really say is giving the book a chance and attempt to immerse yourself in the book and Aza as a character.
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Alejandra Sotelo
12/21/2018 10:58:38 am
I agree with you because the book in the beginning is not very interesting but what I did like as I kept reading is how AZA has OCD and john gives people a way to understand what People go through when they have a mental illness. I loved really understanding what she felt/ went through.
De'Jah Donahue
9/23/2018 10:29:10 pm
Being a fan of John Green and having read The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns, and Looking for Alaska, this post will be a bit biased. I love the way he develops his characters. Green's decision to use Aza's finger callus to develop her being a compulsive character is a great choice. Aza thinks about things that everyone should. How are we to know if our wounds are truly clean and that they are not infected? The grave element about it is that she obsesses over it. She has this constant need to clean the wound, dig deeper into it and re-bandage it. My inference is that she suffers from some acute form of OCD. She is not obsessive about being in a clean environment; nor is she constantly cleaning her hands after she touches things. That lets me know that her condition may be present, but not severe. In these first eight chapters I have gained a sincere liking for Aza's character and I cannot wait to delve deeper into her story.
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Million Abay
9/25/2018 08:48:27 am
I agree with your idea of Aza; she has thoughts that most people would never think of, but should. I believe Green's character development of Aza, at the end of the book, will be very different from how we see her now. I honestly cannot wait either to go deeper into the story.
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Alejandra Sotelo
12/21/2018 11:14:39 am
I agreee with you completely because I feel like John Green did a great job using AZA to express his own mentall illness and his own struggle.
Jonathan Vega
9/23/2018 10:35:15 pm
Reading this story really reminds me a little of myself. When I think of the character Aza , I think about a character who really pays attention to detail but at the same time has gone through life without having that support from her father. As reading the story it is shown that Aza would have really wanted to get to know her father , but never really got to share memories with him . I could really relate this to myself because at times I think about all the memories I had with my father, but at the same time him leaving made me stronger. Aza really shows that she can handle a lot although the father image is not there. It is amazing to see how the character seems to block what she has to become herself . She doesn’t need the pills to be the person she is now. She believes that those pills are nothing compared to the life of reality. She is a person of her own wisdom and that is extremely shown throughout the book.
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Yosiel
9/23/2018 11:00:48 pm
I agree, she's a person that thinks differently in the world. She and her best friend understand each other a lot, "it's quiet rare to find someone who sees the same world you see." She's so different, that it's weird finding people who think the same way you think. Besides Aza not having a father, Davis's has one but he believes he has done nothing for him.
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Hao Lam
9/23/2018 10:37:23 pm
My first reaction when i read the book is about Aza. Her character is similar to Christopher in The Curious Incident of Dog. But then I realized that she's totally different from him. She's just a cool person who don't want to talk much and always notified every things that happen around her. Aza is smart, and she can track people's information easily like a detective. She also like car too. When I saw how she shows her love to Harold, It's not a simple love to a car that from your dad. I felt it's very cute when she has a crush on someone. I laughed a lot when I saw the quote from Holden in the book. This book make me feel that there's a small connect between The Curious Incident of Dog and The Catcher in The Rye.
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Chelsea Owusu-Bonsu
9/23/2018 10:41:46 pm
Aza is a pretty unique character in the book. She is a thinking. She thinks about weird things like if she's real or not. She has OCD. She is scared bacteria." ... and meanwhile I was thinking that if half the cells inside of you are not you, doesn't that challenge the whole notion of me as a singular pronoun, let alone the author of my fate?" She says this in chapter one, which I find very interesting because it made me think. Who actually thinks about that? I like her. It made me giggle a little bit. I like this book.
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Cierra Gardner
9/23/2018 10:55:12 pm
I agree with you. Aza is an unique character in the book. For example, when she started taking about the bacteria inside of her stomach, definitely took me by surprise because I wasn’t expecting anything that.
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Aaron Ceja
10/29/2018 08:34:49 pm
I was also caught by surprise with the bacteria talk. Kind of freaked me out a little because i dont think ive read about infections and different types of bacterias in the human body so much. It was kind of gross in a way but she would somehow end up educating me on things. Like what different types of obscure infections were out in the world. Or like the amount of bacteria in the human body (lots of bacteria). Then I kept thinking about how interesting it must be to look at something and think “oh wow thats a lot of bacteria on that table”.
Alejandra Sotelo
12/21/2018 11:26:34 am
I agree with you that AZA is a unique character because of the way John Green reflected his own mental illness into AZA, and how that reflected upon a scene that really striked at me, where Aza, is so overtaken by mental illness that it causes her to inflict some serious pain and suffering on herself that she ends up in the hospital, but that still doesn’t stop her, and she continues to inflict pain on herself, that results in her going to therapy.
Tiare Mendez
9/23/2018 10:51:22 pm
I read about two-thirds of Turtles all the way in July and took basic annotations that I’ll write here.
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Cierra Gardner
9/23/2018 10:52:09 pm
While reading this book, the main character Aza reminds me a lot of Christopher, from the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Aza likes to pay attention to detail and has an anxiety disorder. Turtles All the Down doesn't remind me of the Curious Incident because of the main characters very detailed thoughts, habits, and explanations but because there is a theme of good fathers and bad fathers and social issues occurring. Overall, I have high hopes for this book, and I know that I will enjoy this book because it is so similar to the curious indecent; I enjoyed that book.
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Yosiel Montes
9/23/2018 10:55:51 pm
As I started reading the book, I started to enjoy it. The main character, Eza, reminds me a lot like Christopher for the curious dog book. Eza mentioned on page 3 how she has anxiety problems, on top of that she goes into detailed with anything, just like Christopher. I've enjoyed the first few chapters I read. I'm now curious to know where Davis's dad went and why.
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jalante honeycutt
10/30/2018 08:01:44 pm
I can agree Yosiel I started reading and surprising i was really enjoyed it. I would say I would have to add this book to my favorites. Which are very few of those.
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Lam Nguyen
10/30/2018 10:40:36 pm
Totally agree! You know, English is my second langue so i don't really interested in reading English book, but ' Turtle on the way down ' change all of my impression about reading book that have another langue, it not that boring at all, instead i'm very like it.
Million Abay
9/25/2018 08:40:46 am
When I first started reading, Aza reminded me of what a typical teenager goes through because of how she scrutinizes everything she does and goes through. John Green's previous work with teenagers makes me think Aza is a character he developed to emphasize a teenagers unrealistic mindset that everything has to be perfect or clean. The questions and thoughts Aza has are very different from a typical teenager which makes me wonder why she is friends with Daisy. I like this book because it makes me ask the question why every other page.(Which is what a good book should do.)
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Skyler Negron
10/30/2018 11:00:51 pm
I couldn’t agree more with you Million. I think Aza is a very relateable chatacter because she portrays a teenager who over thinks things and stresses over the little things. She is a realistic character. I think Aza’s condition (ocd) is one of the many struggles teens face on a daily basis in real life. For those who do feel like Aza and struggle with the same things as she does, this book would be great. I think John Green did a good job of over exaggerating the mindset of teenagers but also making it aware what teens actually go through.
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Elizabeth Asamoah
9/26/2018 04:58:40 pm
Reading the story so far to page 7, I think the narrator might be seriously sick because she apparently is feeling bad in the stomach. She keeps searching up something on Wikipedia that she thinks might be happening to her. I think that the story will get more interesting as it goes on with what might be happening to her.
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Karen Diaz
9/29/2018 01:47:30 pm
I really like Azas character. Because she’s really relatable. I can relate to her because I worry a lot about things that I shouldn’t because they’re out of my control. She’s also relatable because she’s in her teenage years, she’s deciding about college, and she says things about her mom being too worried or intrusive that i’m sure some of us have felt before. etc. The only thing that I sometimes don’t like is that she spends too much time worrying about whether or not she has put a new bandaid on and I feel like she shouldn’t. Sometimes I just get tired of Aza repeating again and again throughout the novel of how she's scared that she might get a disease because she forgot to clean her wound. I feel like the author, John Greene spends too much time talking about everything that's going on in Azas head when i'm really eager to find out if Noah will ever get his dad back or if Aza will ever leave the bacteria thing behind. As I was reading the novel, I thought Aza was forsure going to get better but now as I keep reading the book I am left wondering if Aza will get better. It seems like she’s just getting worse. Aza is now drinking hand sanitizer and is listening to the voice inside her head more.
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Maryfer Palacios
9/29/2018 02:02:18 pm
I have also realized that Aza doesn’t seem to notice too much around her and I think it’s mainly through Daisy, She’s constantly in her own mind. As the narrator, she pulls the reader away from her actual surroundings. At times, I’d wish she would stop thinking about bacteria or catching some disease. It makes me want to stop reading because it becomes a contagious thought as she repeatedly thinks about it. Through her thoughts, I’ve noticed Aza doesn’t express much empathy. She looks solely at her own situation and doesn’t understand when Daisy cries at the sight of a lot of money and spends it right away. Money makes Daisy’s life easier; she no longer has to work and can buy a car. However, Aza doesn’t necessarily need it but for college, so she doesn’t support her spendings.
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Ingrid Diaz
9/29/2018 02:41:20 pm
I agree with you, It can be annoying because the narrator spends more of the time debating with herself and worrying about catching a disease. But I do not think she does this on purpose, she doesn’t know how to control herself and makes poor choices like drinking hand sanitizer. And I think she spends most of the time talking about herself and how she feels because she really doesnt have no one she can talk to. For example, Daisy isn’t exactly the type of person you would rely on to tell her how you are feeling and Aza chooses not to tell her mother because she doesn't want to worry her so she is alone with her disorder.
Kevin Rodriguez
9/30/2018 05:45:40 pm
I found your comment regarding Aza's lack of empathy really interesting as I haven't directly noticed that too often (Just when she says 'sorry' to Davis). I agree with you on her limited attention to her surroundings, and how it can become so limited that she can't properly drive and gets into a car accident. I also find her lack of empathy to Daisy's situation a little justified, as Aza cannot fully understand hardships relating to the poverty experienced by Daisy (I also believe Aza experienced some form of poverty, but not to the extremes of Daisy as Aza inherited the car after her father passed away.) I personally do not find her repetitive thought annoying but instead something I paid close attention in order to find distinctions between the current voice and how it can change in Aza; affecting her sanity along the way. The notion that her illness is worsening is agreeable, as Aza has fallen a slave to the voice dominating her.
Jailyn Soria
10/29/2018 08:44:30 pm
@Ingrid~ I think John Green made it pruposly annoying to read with the narrators constant self-debate. I think it was to emphasize how it may feel inside the mind of someone with Aza’s condition. How it’s constant and something that is to be gotten used too. But still annoying because we as the reader may not be used to the mindset and constant thoughts. Like as to give us insight. Or to put us the readers into Aza’s shoes and help to understand the rest of the book throught Aza’s eyes.
Anastasia Adjei
9/29/2018 10:44:16 pm
I really like the fact that the other tells us what is going on in Aza’s head. I find it very interesting. The act of he repeating herself putting the bandage on reveals the extent of her OCD. I do want to find out about whether or not Davis’ dad is coming back but I like the fact that the book does not only focus on Davis and Noah’s dad but also what Aza’s day consists of. The part in the book where Aza kisses Davis is really weird and strange. I was amazed by what was going on in her head. I typical teenager would be thinking about how that was the best moment of her life but she is worried about his bacteria being in her body forever. I think she is a normal human being( even if she thinks she isn’t). She just has her own ways of doing things. And just because her ways are different doesn’t make her different from everybody.
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Million Abay
10/9/2018 08:22:59 am
Aza's amd Davis's first kiss was also strange to me, but in a funny way because, like you said, it is not what a typical teenager would think during that very moment. I found it funny because I got the impression that she thought Davis was so dirty, even though that is how she views everyone, this particular moment emphasized how much of a germophobe she is.
Skyler Negron
10/30/2018 11:10:33 pm
I found Aza’s and Davis’s kiss funny. You would imagine a teenager, after there first kiss to be questioning in their head if they were good at it or whether he/she liked it. Your first kiss is supposed to be special and meaningful or at least that’s what’s expected but not for Aza. After Aza had her first kiss she thought of all the bacteria now in her body and decides to drink hand sanitizer, which grossed me out. I also found this part of the book shocking because in reality there are people who are like Aza and there ocd is just as extreme.
Ingrid Diaz
9/29/2018 02:30:13 pm
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Star Brooks
9/30/2018 03:56:48 pm
I thought this part of the book was a little strange also. I wouldn't say she is annoying because we do this type of thing everyday. It might be something like "should I put on a jacket" or "should I wear my other shoes". Even though it isn't the same topics Aza thinks about, it's the same from of thinking out loud. Her anxiety pushes her to over think some things because there is always a good and bad to every action. I think the author is trying to remind us of how different we all are. In reality, we all don't think the same, act the same, or respond to certain situations the same so according to this is our true definition of ourselves.
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Edgar Godinez
9/30/2018 07:15:09 pm
I, too, feel bad for Aza, because her anxiety is not letting her live the life she truly wants to live.And the sad part is that she recognizes it as well. I think she is being too harsh on herself on thinking that she is the demon. Aza surprises me in many ways. I was not expecting her to receive the money as well. But i guess there are still some things we may not fully understand about Aza.
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Emily Gallegos
9/30/2018 09:27:06 pm
I sympathize with Aza a little bit as well. She's trying to fight herself on things that she doesn't think is normal. She is actually quite normal in that she doesn't feel in control of her life. I think her feeling of not being totally in control of herself or her life is a bit extreme but it's definitely a normal thing to experience, and I feel bad that she feels so abnormal when she isn't.
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Karol Gonzalez
9/30/2018 10:33:26 pm
I was also surprised when Aza took the money and ran upstairs to find Daisy. I think the thought of having that much money in her hands excites her. Maybe she wanted to show Daisy that they didn’t need to investigate any further because she already has the money in her hands. But I feel like Daisy is going to convince Aza to keep on investigating not only for the fun of it but to gain another 100,000 to make them even more rich. Daisy seems to always push Aza out her comfort zone; at times this is good because it allows Aza to socialize and get out of her shell but at the same time it might cause trouble because Aza can only handle so much before she starts to gain anxiety and overthink things.
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Randy McCoy
10/31/2018 07:07:34 pm
I absolutely agree with Million and skyler about the first kiss situation. It was funny and weird to me as well because like Skyler said you would think that the typical teenager would be thinking about how good they were at it and if the other person enjoyed it or not but no Aza completely disregarded that whole mindset and instead just thought about all the germs that went into her body. But just as well as Skyler also stated, that's how she sees everyone but her actions after the situation was so extreme because no one is THAT close with her to be giving kisses to her.
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Nalah Campbell
12/19/2018 09:48:47 pm
Yeah, I agree I would have never thought that she would have took the award.. Aza is very curious so of course she is going to keep investigating she look at things different. Her anxiety is taken over her head.
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Maryfer Palacios
9/29/2018 02:38:02 pm
Aza and Davis seem to fit very well. They have each other and their problems. They aren’t perfect, but they have their ways of coping. Davis looks at the stars and writes. Aza contacts Davis through technology, which is easier for her. On the other hand, it’s sad to see Noah alone, without the support he needs. Focusing on the brothers, I can see they are judged based on their money. Aza’s mom overdoes it when she assumes Davis has everything, but I understand she worries about her daughter. Aza finds out about Daisy’s character, Ayala, that is meant to represent her. She struggles to see how Daisy feels about her but she starts to slowly understand her view. Meanwhile, Aza is giving in to her thoughts. She spends time thinking about all the things that could happen, but she doesn’t focus on what she can do, which is why she feels controlled. She’s afraid of that possibility and it keeps her from living a calm life. There are inevitable circumstances that could happen, but Aza lets herself believe they will happen.
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Emily Arizaga
9/29/2018 04:41:35 pm
I agree, Aza hasn't really made much of an effort in trying to help herself get healthier and not worry about certain things to a great extent where she has to drink hand sanitizer. I do feel like Davis is a great help though, he is able to connect with Aza and make her forget about certain things for a while. I believe he is able to calm her down sometimes and I like how Aza is starting to realize she can be herself around him and tel him exactly what she is thinking about without him being rude or judgmental. I think it's was perfect timing that they met because they were both staring to hit rock bottom. I also feel bad for Noah because he feels as if he is the only one still thinking about his father while everyone else doesn't really care.
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Randy McCoy
10/31/2018 07:13:35 pm
I strongly agree with Emily on her whole statement. She is not really taking those health measures into consideration with her drinking hand sanitizer. Also David is too, a very big help because he takes her mind off of a lot and for Aza that's honesty really a big deal considering she overthinks a lot and starts to think about nothing but negative things which also brings me to the fact she's becoming more and more nonchalant as a person with a condition like OCD.
Yuxin Hong
9/30/2018 03:08:06 pm
I agree with you that Aza and Davis fit so well but I still disagree with you about that. They seem to be good partners for each other. As I can see, Aza is very polite and careful when she deals with Davis. She texts him about many things and she would like to read Davis' blog for further understanding about Davis' characteristics. At present, no one can give Aza such a huge attraction. In this case, I think they fit so well. Nonetheless, I still want to say that they doesn't fit at all. They both make use of each other. From the description of the kissing process, I can tell that Aza doesn't literally like Davis but only uses him to release her personal loneliness. Same as Davis. When he talks about like Aza's body, I feel so weird. I think at this point Davis never respects Aza or he won't say something like"blog ass". They are just too lonely. They won't get into an ideal relationship, personally speaking.
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Chantal Garcia
9/30/2018 09:19:42 pm
I agree with you. Aza does let her thoughts give in which let's her be controlled. I do like how she can control her feelings when she texts Davis and that's because theres no bacteria she has to worry about. Aza sees more into Davis than the money he has and can connect with him in a way they both feel and think but I wish Aza can just live in the moment and focus on her real life moments.
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De'Janae Phillips
9/30/2018 10:12:56 pm
I definitely agree. I feel like Aza is being her only obstacle in life. She mentally traps herself in this body that she makes out to be so terrible, and it makes her uncomfortable. I can imagine that it is hard for Aza to be in this position, because she is literally uncomfortable being in her own body. This is about the molecular level of her body, not even insecurities. But she and Davis are a good match. Her mother is just trying to protect her from the possibility of Davis using her and hurting her in any way--what else is a mother to assume about a boy of a higher economic status finding interest in her daughter? Not saying that she is right, but she is acting like what a lot of mothers would act like. But Aza has to find a way to get comfortable with the fact that she is a human with a body. As soon as she realizes this, she will probably stop sweating, and feeling paranoid about C. diff.
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Emily Arizaga
9/29/2018 04:29:17 pm
When Aza and Daisy got into that argument I thought it was really going to effect their friendship dramatically. I didn’t like how Daisy treated Aza and how she went about the situation. I was completely on Aza’s side, until I read further into the book and heard Daisy out. I didn’t take Daisy’s feelings into consideration and thought she was being a bad friend. I still think Daisy isn’t there for Aza as much as she should be. Yes, Daisy tries to comfort her but I feel like there should be more effort into it. I thought Daisy was being selfish but I think there is some fault to Aza’s side also. Aza can try being more open no matter how hard it may seem and I understand where Daisy is coming from when she told Aza she is not sure how to help when she is feeling anxious because she doesn’t know how it feels, and Aza barely even shares anything with her. In conclusion, I think they both have some faults that they both need to work together on to fix.
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Kristina Vargas
9/29/2018 07:01:14 pm
I agree with you Emily, I thought that was the final straw between their friendship but I guess not! I didn't like how Daisy treated Aza either, I really wanted to scream at her. She acts like Aza can control how she is, Aza doesn't want this as much as Daisy does. Aza didn't ask for this, she just wants to be normal and not cause any harm to anyone! I get that Aza doesn't really talk much but that isn't something she can control, but as I was reading, Aza does know the things Daisy feels that she doesn't know, she literally said them when Daisy was yelling at her before the car crash. But I totally agree that they both need to fix themselves!
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Jailyn Soria
10/29/2018 08:56:40 pm
I definitely agree with Daisy and Aza’s friendship. The friendship didnt seem that supportive. Like as if Aza’s feelings and mindset wasnt to be acknowledged as much as it should be. This very much made me not like Daisy and just gave me bad vibes for the rest of the book. I could see that she had her own stuff to deal with too. But i felt vey strongly about how she wasnt the type of friend i thought Aza had needed.
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Skyler Negron
10/30/2018 11:19:58 pm
I agree with you Jailyn. I do not think Aza and Daisy’s friendship was genuine. Friends are supposed to be supportive, and Daisy was not. When Aza needed Daisy was no where to be found. I personally feel that Daisy would get irritated with Aza because of the attention she needed and got, Daisy would tell Aza that not everything was about her. I think what Daisy needs to realize is that Aza doesn’t like her condition anymore then she does, Aza didn’t ask to have this condition,if anything she wishes to be more normal.
MIngdongYang
12/19/2018 08:09:44 pm
I agree Daisy is a bad person, and the way she treated Aza were annoying me too, they used to great friends, she can't be like the way Aza did for her to thnik back foward ro herself.
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Kristina Vargas
9/29/2018 06:51:23 pm
This book is extremely amazing and the character Aza just keeps getting better. As I was reading a lot of questions came up. For one, you see that Aza only wants one thing, and that to be normal. This condition she has isn't getting better to her but actually worse. I find interesting is that she knows what she is doing isn't right and wants t get better but her brain and thoughts won't let. I feel really bad for her, she wants to get better so bad, but she hasn't from some time now and that makes me really sad. She just wants to be normal and be able to live how she wants. She wants to be able to kiss Davis without thinking she's going to die of C. Diff and she just wants to escape from her own thoughts. I don't know, I just want her to be better and feel better and not think she is crazy. Plus she and Davis are really cute together!
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Saniyah Jordan
9/30/2018 03:55:23 pm
That's true all Aza wants is to be normal but it's just so difficult for her. I've never really thought about or noticed mental illnesses like this because they just aren't noticeable. On the outside Aza seems "normal" but she really isn't. It also must hurt her to want to get better but not know how. It's like reaching something but not being able to fully grasp it which could get frustrating. It would be nice to see her and Davis be together but with the way things are going with her I don't think it's possible.
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Nalah campbell
12/19/2018 09:18:01 pm
I agree, but you will never know what a person really is going through because they would try to hide it. I know it has to a be struggle for her ,she just wants to be as normal as anybody else.
Chelsea Bautsta
9/30/2018 09:24:29 pm
I totally agree with feeling bad for Aza. She seriously made me anxious and cringe whenever she hung out with Davis because she is so unpredictable. Because she is not able to control her thoughts she at times tries to be a rebel but it just fails. For example, when she made the first move at holding his hand and leaning in for a kiss, she at first was enjoying it. But eventually she let her mind get the best of her and stopped because she cant control her mind from controlling her. I did not realize the strength her mind has over her till she was so desperate enough to get rid of the germs she basically swallowed hand sanitizer.
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Jordan Wright
9/30/2018 10:06:52 pm
I agree with you 100%. Aza wants to better herself, but due to all the other things that she hears in her head, she convinces herself that the way she is doing things is the only way to do them. I feel like logically she knows this isn't true, but she let's her mind control her body. It's sad to watchj her condition worsen, and as a reader, I want her to get better but I know that I have read and see how she figures this out for herself.
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Aaron Ceja
10/29/2018 09:04:46 pm
Its weird when you read this book. You realize how much Aza wanted to be normal but couldnt. Then you realize how tehre isnt a true normal that one can be. Mostly because everyone has something about them that differentiates themselves from one another. But Aza’s wnating to be nromal always seems to be set back. Whether it be herslelf or major events that stop or hold her back.
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Anastasia Adjei
9/29/2018 10:55:49 pm
This book amazes me every time I read it. It is so relatable and I personally enjoy reading it. The fact that Davis found out about Aza’s main purpose of looking for him was terrifying. I thought their friendship was going to end. But instead, Davis gives Aza a lot of money so she won’t share the photo with the police. I was really hoping that she would return the money. But Daisy convinced her to. I felt like as a friend of Davis, she didn’t have to take the money. I feel as if Daisy really pressures Aza to make decisions that she doesn’t want to make. Aza tries to find out where Davis’ father is by reading some notes from his phone but still can’t find anything. Daisy advised that she stop because she got what she wanted. But, Aza is trying to find out as much as she can to help Noah. It is reasonable to infer that Noah does certain irresponsible actions to attract the attention of other people, including his father. That is why he took some pot to school. Personally, I enjoy reading Davis’ poems because they do reflect on how he is feeling at the moment. I really love this book and can’t wait to see what happens next.
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Kevin Rodriguez
9/29/2018 11:27:07 pm
Aza's character is still surprising me with acts she does throughout the book, and I have gained a new interest into Davis' philosophy, as well, as his underlying reasons to doing what he does. I have recently noticed through reading the book that Aza doesn't use the word "I" when it would be proper to do so, or that she makes some weird mistakes in sentencing, an example being "Felt the tension between the urge to pull over and change the band-aid and the certainty of Daisy thinking me crazy." (Page 129) I see this as a growing problem of Depersonalization, a psychological state where an individual can lose a sense of identity or they think one's thoughts and feelings seem unreal or don't belong to oneself (again supporting the symptoms she consistently has throughout the book). Aza also shows derealization as she HAS to press her finger against her cut to know that she is alive and real, as she compares it with the analogy of pinching yourself in a dream. Her consistent downfall in her psychological state brings some concerns into the general plot of the story and and to what degree it will affect her relations, as we say a small quarrel between Daisy and Aza that afterward got 'resolved'. Her consciousness of her mental state also intrigues me as Aza described herself as "I wasn't only crazy" (Page 96) I also see an ironic difference between Aza’s character and that of Davis’ which I found compliant with the phrase “opposites react”. I saw that Davis is more passionate about astrology and the stars’ name along with approximate locations, while Aza is more into the microorganism world of bacteria; a comparison of an Infinitely Big concept to one that is Microscopically small, showing their differences in character in the fact the Aza is more detail oriented while Davis likes to look at the big picture (but keeps detail in priority still).
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MingdongYang
12/19/2018 08:12:10 pm
I agree with you on who she is can seem to be constant with her personality. She has this fear of getting infected that her mind is blocking all the good things that can be coming her way, because her struggle is very real and she has a goal. Her anxiety also prevents her from moving through life normally, but she still perseveres. Aza’s relationship with Davis also began to develop more as the story progressed.
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Yuxin Hong
9/30/2018 03:16:18 pm
Aza is too lonely to learn about how to love others. She mentions about kissing with Davis and spending time with him for many times. But every time she depicts it, she seems to be very conflict. Specifically, she insists about the bacteria's reproduction as well as the feeling of spirals comes out. I feel like Davis is kind of aggressive about their relationships but Aza isn't that much. She keeps checking her wounds and continues the meeting with her personal doctor. All of her reaction seems to be a little bit nonchalant. But I still want to say that Davis is nonchalant, too. He is just so lonely or he won't text Aza. I think they are very similar.
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Jailyn Soria
10/29/2018 09:12:28 pm
Her relationship with Davis really seemed to have conflicts. And i certainly didnt think this could have realky lasted in the first place. Yes i know that sounds harsh but i felt this for a certain reason. I feel that for any person, you should be steady befire going head first into a relationship. She certainky needed more time to to prepare herself more before going into a relationship (in my opinion). Davis seemed sweet but very much more than what i thought Aza had bargained for.
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Skyler Negron
10/30/2018 11:33:34 pm
I agree with you Jailyn. There was no possible chance of that relationship working, unless Aza worked on herself more. Aza’s condition was getting worse and I fell that would make the relationship worse. Aza’s condition prevented her from wanting to interact with others like Davis, which could stop her from doing a lot of things in life, in general. Not saying that the condition doesn’t allow her to do anything but definitely makes her over think things, which sometimes is unnecessary.
Yushan Chen
10/30/2018 09:29:24 pm
When Aza and Davis spend time together Aza always got anxiety, their relationships look awkward and conflict. It seems like they don't have a good relationship. And I think is anxiety and bacteria made Aza too lonely to learn about how to love others. She spends too much time to fight against the anxiety instead of paying attention to others.
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Star Brooks
9/30/2018 05:02:52 pm
In my opinion, Aza feels bad about herself because she doesn't really understand her anxiety. She thinks that this sets her apart from everyone else. If she knew exactly what it was, she could use it in a good way to thoroughly think through her strategies. I thought of how could counseling effect her but it would be difficult to get her to spit out her real feelings and thoughts. In my opinion she isn't anymore different than another individual. Daisy could be a better friend and help Aza a little more, but that would be expecting a lot from Daisy.
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9/30/2018 05:44:18 pm
I agree with you. In the book, Aza mentioned more than once that she felt that she was not a real person, which always made her scared and anxious. However, I felt that she just needed help to control her feelings and to calm down and not think too much. To be hones, I felt Daisy was not a very good friend. The reason for Aza to investigate the location of Davis' father was to help Noah and Davis, since she knew that both of Davis and Noah needed their father. However, the reason for Daisy was just for money. And I saw that Daisy did not care a lot about Aza. When she stayed with Aza before she had homework night with Mychal, she did not notice that Aza was upset after Aza thought too much about Ayala. Instead, she just focused on herself and her own interest and her own life, which showed that she was not a good friend for Aza.
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Isabell Gonzalez
9/30/2018 10:45:01 pm
I understand what you have stated and I agree with you. Aza is such a unique character she deals with multiple things in her life that affect her. I believe the counseling isn't a great idea, because she hasn't been taking her medication. She isn't 100 percent committed to it either, I feel like she needs help from Daisy too. Since Daisy is her best friend then there shouldn't be a problem.
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Yushan Chen
10/30/2018 09:41:22 pm
Aza is not like others, she always thinking about she is nor real person, just a character created by someone else and live in someone else's world. I think that's all caused by her anxiety, she doesn't really understand about herself. Anxiety makes her cannot estimate accurately. And Daisy is the one who can affect her.
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9/30/2018 05:37:22 pm
From this part of the book, I felt that Davis and Aza were similar. First reason was that Davis lost his mother when he was really young and Aza lost her father when she was very young. Next, even though Davis was a teenager, he sometimes acted as a young child. For example, he cried when Aza's mother said things to him about taking care of Aza. And the sentences he talked with Aza that "Adults think they're wielding power, but really power is wielding them" was a little bit childish. For Aza, even though she knew that the imagining things were not real, she was still scared and believed that the imagining things would hurt her, which was a little childish. Last but not least, they both lacked of safety. From the sentences or poems Davis wrote, I could see his loneliness. And he did not know what to do to make Noah feel better. And when Aza felt that she was not real, she always wanted to grab her father's phone to tell secrets to her father. They both made me feel bad and sad.
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Jacqueline Sánchez
9/30/2018 08:56:55 pm
I agree with you on the idea that Aza and Davis are a bit similar. Like you said, they both lost a very significant person when they were young. The death of their parents tremendously affected them; this event shape who they are now. Based in what I have read, I have a strong feeling that Aza developed her disorder when her father died. Davis and Aza should be together in order to heal the sadness caused by the absence of their fathers’. They understand each other and sometimes have similar thoughts.
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Edgar Godinez
9/30/2018 06:39:52 pm
As I have read, I noticed that Aza’s personality and character remains unchanged. Aza feels like she is not normal, but little does she know, she is. Being normal, is really just being different. Everyone in this world is different, and view the world differently. Aza has feelings like everybody else, they might be a bit stronger, but she is still a teen who is living a teenage life like all other teens. She overthinks many situations,like when she wanted to kiss Davis and she thought about his bacteria, but that is what makes her unique and very normal to me.
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Milkiyas Bitew
9/30/2018 07:50:48 pm
I agree with you on who she is can seem to be constant with her personality. She has this fear of getting infected that her mind is blocking all the good things that can be coming her way. We all can, at some point, relate to how she is feeling when we think we know what is good for us but it is not. So yeah Edgar. I agree with you.
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Isabel Mares
9/30/2018 09:45:02 pm
Yes! Aza is normal but not in the typical way she believes everyone else to be normal. Everyone is different in their own way no really is “normal”. Aza has different ways in coping with things that others find easy. But that’s okay because she’s still trying figure out who she is and what she wants just like every other teenager.
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Milkiyas Bitew
9/30/2018 07:39:42 pm
What interests me the most is how the author draws ideas from other novels and philosophers to help create a meaning of some sort. For example, when Aza cited Descartes's words, "I think therefore I am." I find it engaging when a writer cites another writer's stories on his work to further his thoughts. Also, I seem to notice that Aza might be getting better mentally as the book is progressing. She mentions that despite the consistent spirals, life goes on and on with "spirals" being in small part of her life. I think that is a good reflection on her part.
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Jordan Wright
9/30/2018 08:24:17 pm
I personally when I started reading the didn't really like Aza. I knew she would be an interesting person though. She's an over-thinker, and I can personally relate to that because I often experience "thought spirals" that she tends to go through. I think said the overthinking is what makes her smart, and interesting. She's inclined to figuring things out and she's trying to figure herself out all while doing these things, and I think that makes her a relatable character.
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Chelsea Owusu-Bonsu
9/30/2018 09:21:26 pm
Yes! I am an overthinking as well. When something I want to know is not answered, I think of all the possible answers till I actually get the answers. I believe that is what makes her smart without her even realizing that she is a very intelligent young. She doesn't really know herself which I think cause her to think as much as she does.
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Armani Pace
9/30/2018 10:08:34 pm
I agree with you about Aza. I think I can personally relate to Aza also because my brain goes through some crazy things sometimes. I overthink things so much to the point where I'm not even talking about the original thing I was thinking about. I am the type of person that questions everything that goes on and am very curious. Aza and I are similar but we are also different because I'm not as obsessive with germs and other things as she is.
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Leslie Martinez
9/30/2018 10:32:51 pm
I totally agree, we are all over thinkers and many people see it as a bad thing, but often it can also be a good thing. Over thinking leads us to solving certain situations until we get an answer. I tend to overthink a lot, i question myself when I catch myself doing something. When I am comparing myself to Aza I don't really consider me like her, I just feel that we have some character traits that are similar, but through everything Aza is an amazing character.
Jacqueline Sánchez
9/30/2018 08:37:24 pm
As I keep reading the novel, I start having strong belief that Aza’s disorder will eventually cause a damage on her since it got to the point where her anxiety led her to drinking a bottle of hand sanitizer. I really enjoy reading Turtles all the way down, because it helps me understand and see through what people with anxiety suffer daily. At first, I believed that Aza exaggerated when it came to microbes, but by the way she described how she was feeling, it made me feel sympathetic. Her disorder impedes her from being with the guy she likes, and from her friends.
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Chantal Garcia
9/30/2018 08:54:38 pm
Aza continues to be getting in her thoughts and let's it control her. She realizes that she has to depend on her medicine to be “normal". Aza doesn’t have a fear of other people but of her thoughts of the circumstances for example I thought it was quite weird when she kisses Davis but it was no surprise that she was going to get freaked out when she thought of the bacteria that she gets from kissing. That leads her to doing a crazy abnormal thing of swallowing hand sanitizer which might affect her later. Aza seems to want to find her identity but she can’t because of her many many thoughts and fears.
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I totally agree with you. Aza is a good girl. She tries to be a normal person when she is with Davis. But she cannot do it, because of her thoughts every time she and Davis is together. Although she likes Davis, but she cannot control ber minds about the bacterials. She can be herself when she is with Davis. However, her fearness stop her.
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Ron Scott
9/30/2018 10:27:33 pm
I feel like Aza’s abnormal behavior is foreshadowing something bad that will eventually unfold towards the story’s climax. Aza is very unpredictable and her medical disorder makes her harder to understand since some of us can’t relate to her entirely. If Aza is unable to cope with her problems more effectively, then she may cause more damage than healing. Hopefully, one of the characters can be there for her so Aza can get the help that she needs.
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Emily Gallegos
9/30/2018 08:58:54 pm
There are some clear connections with other books in this book. Green alluded to Tender is the Night by Scott Fitzgerald. It alludes to mental illness, and that is clearly something that Aza is struggling with, or may be struggling with. It's very clear that Aza feels like she isn't in control of her life, and I understand that personally. Being a teenager can suck because you don't feel like you're in control of your life all the time. It just feels like you're getting by or moving on autopilot. That goes back to what she started off saying in the first chapter, when she says that life is not a story you tell it's one that is told about you, and sometimes you may feel like the author, but that's not really the case.
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Armani Pace
9/30/2018 09:04:46 pm
When I started reading this weeks chapters I notice that Davis and Aza are similar in may ways. They both are trying to differentiate the real from the fake. Aza believed she was not real and that she wasn't in control of her own body. When Davis' mom was in the hospital his father told him that when she squeezed Davis' hand, it was only a reflex and not her and that she was gone. After Davis and Aza get more intimate, we start to see the way Davis' thoughts work like a ferris wheel repeating and moving in circles. They both relate to each other in that way because their minds kind of work the same way. Davis is also way deeper than I expected him to be. He is very vulnerable and sensitive when it comes to people using him to get information about what happened to is father. He just wants his life to be normal for him and his brother and I love that about him. The fight between Daisy and Aza, I'm on Daisy's side. I understand where Daisy is coming from. When people don't talk about how they feel and they hold things in the way Aza does it actually hurts because we can't help. Also the fact that Daisy never had as much as Aza so she is taking advantage of her money while she can.
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melany Montesdeoca
9/30/2018 11:38:34 pm
I also like Anza and Davis relationship; the both understand each other in a way. There both going through emotional trauma that other people around them may not understand. For example both loosing their parents can be hard for daisy to relate. I enjoy those scenes were they talk together is cute. I like there text where he explain he like her body. I found it pretty weir but it was cute. There relationship is not a normal teen relationship but I enjoy those aspect tat are different
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Hao Lam
9/30/2018 09:22:03 pm
For many years watching movies and reading books, I realizsed that Turtle All The Way Down is a good book and also a nice script to become a movie too. It contains all off the drama. Aza received the money to not searching for Davis's dad. But she also care about Noah, and agree to help him find Davis's dad. Overall, Aza and Davis is a perfect match to each other. They both understand for each other's life and struglges. This book also show how best friend's relationship become after the other person is in relationship. I feel happy when Aza and Davis are in relationship because they're so cute !
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Isabel Mares
9/30/2018 09:34:06 pm
As you read you notice Aza continues to stay the same. She continues to over think which lead her to doing drastic things. For instance when she had drank hand sanitizer to get rid of Davis bacteria. I believe if she continues not to take her medication like she’s supposed to that one day her overthinking will get her into serious trouble. Through Aza we get to see how people with anxiety and other mental issues experience everyday life. John green dose a great job in showing awareness for metal health problems and how people experience it. Which is what I really like about the book because he brings awareness to something that is usually not spoked about and looked down upon.
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Adrian Fernandez
9/30/2018 10:44:23 pm
I am also fond of how Aza is portrayed throughout the novel. During any scene, we are shown the constant daily struggles that Aza has to go through and she handles them. We never stop seeing these conditions of Aza to show that that Aza never stops having these symptoms. We are not told as readers one time of her condition, we read and read over the different events in her life that cause her to react the way she does. It was a great thing to bring awareness of anxiety and how serious it really is. I agree that Aza should start taking her medication more as prescribed in order to better her state of health.
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Anna Antunez
9/30/2018 11:14:47 pm
Actually Aza was taking her medication, she even says through out the chapters that she takes them and that she feels a little bit better, but I think she is getting worse because at the beginning of the book she would not go as far as this, she would only care about her band-aid. I do agree that John shows awareness to something we over look or brush off.
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Yushan Chen
10/30/2018 10:09:28 pm
When you read thought the whole story you will see more reaction from Aza, She tried to fight against her anxiety every day, and as we see sometimes she feels good and sometimes just became worse. Medication is very important for her and she has to take it. Actually I can 't image how can she against anxiety every day, every year. Aza has a really strong heart.
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Chelsea Owusu-Bonsu
9/30/2018 09:34:31 pm
In this book as it is a coming of age novel, a theme I found throughout the book would be self-identity. Because of Aza's disorder, I believe that sets her back. She doesn't really know who she is. She is confused on her identity and is trying to find who she really is and her purpose on earth. She is not really in control of her own thoughts. She overthinks everything.
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Dung Nguyen
9/30/2018 09:36:02 pm
As I finish reading chapter 16 I don't really like Davis and I think he is a bit childish especially in the way he treats Aza and they have been friends a long time. On Aza part, she just over-thinking, the way she thinks she is not normal and how she think of herself being pushed away from people, but in fact she be totally fine. It just that her anxiety make her feel odd.
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Chelsea Bautista
9/30/2018 09:40:08 pm
The main struggle I realized Aza has is accepting that she can not defeat herself. At first she knows something is wrong with her but she can not even put it into words for dear life, and because she herself can not understand herself, she has created a barrier between her and her mother. And personally, I can relate to that, at times it is difficult to be able to put into words what you are feeling to make others understand. But because she lacks at this, she is not able to have true relationships with those she loves. You can see this repressed in her friendship with Daisy, for example, Aza allows for Dasiy to walk all over her because she is too scared to really express how she feels. Then to make things all better Aza was able to see how Daisy truly feels about her through the stories Daisy publishes. But instead of confronting Daisy about it, Aza allows for herself to try to prove Daisy wrong instead of talking to her about what it really meant. Then also, she is basically falling in love with Davis but every time she moves forward they take a step back and just finds another route to proceed. Davis is able to understand she has complications but instead of her using that to be able to explain to him, she allows for it to slow things down and for her to just accepts the way she is. Aza wants to change, she wants to be better, but I do not believe she pushes herself hard enough to succeed.
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Jordan Wright
9/30/2018 09:49:06 pm
Initially when I started the book, I thout Aza was a little annoying. Now that I'm about 16 chapters into the story, I've started to sympathize with her. Aza is a complicated character that's for sure. She has layers. It's very clear that has a goal, and that is to solve the case. However Aza is unsure of whether she is living her life for herself, the voices in her head, or if she's simply getting by. She's definitely struggling with a mental problem, and that just makes it a lot harder for her to live her life the way she feels she wants it.
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De'Janae Phillips
9/30/2018 10:41:36 pm
I did find her annoying too, but honestly I have had some thoughts similar to Aza, but not that extent. I also found it interesting that her therapist said that Aza expresses her pain through metaphors, like spirals and fish anecdotes and such. That is definitely true, and maybe that is what makes her freak out at times about what she is feeling. Everything she says is exaggerated, so her reaction will be the same.
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Evelyn Padilla
9/30/2018 10:46:24 pm
I agree, at first I was getting annoyed by constantly re reading Aza's thoughts about her Band-aid, but now that I've read more of her, I now understand why she talked about it so much. It's who she is as a person, and her mental state contributes to that. Plus, this is a different type of book, because we're more in Aza's head than the actual plot of the story, if that makes sense. So adjusting to that, was kind of annoying at first too
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Adrian Fernandez
9/30/2018 10:02:18 pm
I find the relationship between Aza and Davis to be beautiful and innocent. I like how they constantly text and FaceTime one another. That shows growth between them in that they're communicating a lot. It's also nice to see that Davis trusts Aza enough to read the poems on his blog. Davis doesn't want them published and it's shown that he's hesitant at first when he asks Aza how she found them but ends up to be okay with it. Davis puts himself in a vulnerable position when posting those poems online. It's like posting anything online, it's there for the world to see. An alias won't stop someone, and that's proven the way Aza finds his poems.
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De'Jah Donahue
9/30/2018 10:53:42 pm
I find their relationship to be beautiful too. I actually like their text messages between each other. They are able to be more real to each other than when they are face to face. Aza also notices this because she says that it is easier for her to talk and connect with Davis under a great big sky rather than looking at each other. I love their first time when Davis shares his poetry with Aza. He's so vulnerable. This scene alone just makes me be so filled with romance. She comforts him and lets him know that his poetry is not trash and that it has meaning. She helps him find himself which leads to all of the events later involving his poetry.
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Leslie Martinez
9/30/2018 10:27:09 pm
Aza and Davis have grown a very strong relationship with each other, even though in the beginning they were being very awkward, with time they started to build this connection with one another. The way they communicate is so sweet and romantic even though to the both of them being romantic is sort of weird. I feel that with Aza and Davis they can relate to each other, that's why it's so easy for them to communicate with one another. They are very similar with the way their mind communicates with them. For Davis is means a lot that they are close because he trusts Aza to even read his poems to Aza.
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Chris Rivera
9/30/2018 10:45:42 pm
I agree with your comment. They did have a good relationship, but their relationship was just different. They had a bond with eachother because they had things in common. They both know how it feels to be misunderstood. This allows them to have a good communication with one another and makes them close. I enjoyed reading about how they had a good relationship.
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Chris Rivera
9/30/2018 10:31:00 pm
The novel became really interesting as I was reading it. I noticed that there were many more obstacles that Aza had to go through by having a relationship with Davis. She couldn't even be with him because of her mental illness preventing her to have a relationship with Davis. I wouldn't say that Aza was weak exactly because she was also brave. She tried to have a good relationship with him, but it wasn't going to work out because she couldn't be in a relationship that he wanted. I think that she just felt that her mental illness was going to have a huge impact on both of them and she just didn't want anything to happen.
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Miguel Corona
10/31/2018 11:16:39 pm
I agree with you on how the book gets more interesting as you read on. It was very interesting on how to see this character, Aza, was dealing with a possible relationship even though she had a mental disorder. Their relationship didn't really seem like it would work cause of how she kept worrying and putting herself down cause of the germs she feared.
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Julian Giron
11/1/2018 11:23:43 am
I agree with you. Because her disorder kind of stopped her going into the relationship because she would think negatively about everything.
Evelyn Padilla
9/30/2018 10:37:37 pm
Like mentioned before in my previous post, I've very used to John Green's writing, and how his style of books go. But reading Turtles, i feel like in some parts I'm not reading John Green at all. This is probably the most depth that I have ever seen in any of his characters. Aza, despite her intrusive thoughts, is a beautifully written character. She is extremely deep with her explanations of how her life goes, unlike many of his other characters. Parts like when Aza describes her fears in depth, where I can actually feel them, are the parts that I forget I'm reading a john green book, and I feel like I'm actually listening to Aza tell me about her struggles. I guess this is what people mean when they say that they feel like they are apart of the book.
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Karol Gonzalez
9/30/2018 10:42:41 pm
I kind of like Davis and I kind of don’t. I think he is really caring towards Aza. He tries to hold a conversation even when Aza is mute and not communicating back. He shows concern for her silence and asks why she’s like that. He really tries to get to know her and understand how she is. He told her that he wants her to call when she’s not trying to use him. Although he (basically) bribed her with $100,000 to not say a word about his father, his intentions were to actually spend quality time with Aza. But, at the same time, I feel like Davis will treat Aza poorly and use his money against her once he feels like Aza betrayed him. I see the theme of money versus love. There’s always that question of which one seems more important to survive.
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Jonathan Vega
9/30/2018 11:03:07 pm
Now Karol I know where you are coming from but in my heart I believe that the money will not get in the way of their relationship . Reading the story we really get to find out that Aza is a unique character that really in a way is hard to understand, yet Davis has the ability to break those walls and kind of open Aza. If money was even a question in their relationship I do not think Davis would have the ability to get to know Aza.
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De'Jah Donahue
9/30/2018 10:46:07 pm
I love Davis! He is an amazing character. The way he is just understanding of Aza's condition and situation in the first couple chapters, or the first couple of instances of them "dating", is so admirable. I empathize with Aza so much on her view of their relationship. She does not truly know if she wants Davis or if she wants to solve the mystery of his missing father to receive the reward money. But it also was not right for Davis to just assume that about her. Giving her that money was a punk move! He was so afraid of being used that he could not immediately recognize someone that was good for him. Again, John Green has a reoccurring technique that he uses when developing his male characters. They are often so nice and admirable. They are shy at times and the girl is able to break their shell. I love this technique and I love John Green's work!
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Miguel Corona
10/31/2018 11:21:14 pm
Personally I thought that Davis wasn't much of a good character. I love his character, let me explain, but I thought he was just kind of there in the story. I feel as if he should have been more involved with the actual investigation as it is his own father. Plus he was pretty awkward and seemed to have always made the mood a little weird whenever he was in the chapter. I love how he changes as the story goes on however.
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Ron Scott
9/30/2018 10:51:56 pm
Aza is more of a 3-dimensional character because her struggle is very real and she has a goal. Her anxiety also prevents her from moving through life normally, but she still perseveres. Aza’s relationship with Davis also began to develop more as the story progressed. A problem that I have with many stories is many protagonists have uninteresting character arcs that are very predictable. Despite my criticism of Greene’s writing, I appreciate his effort in making Aza an interesting character.
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Isabell Gonzalez
9/30/2018 10:54:47 pm
Aza and Davis have an interesting relationship with one another;It is awkward, complicated, and out of the ordinary. I say this because of the actual reason Aza even began to talk to Davis originally was to find out about his father's whereabouts. They both understand each other though, but there is a complication when a relationship involves class. Davis obviously has more wealth than Aza and money can cause problems. For Davis he will always fear that people only talk to him because of the money. The relationship between Aza and Davis isn't about the money, and that is so rare today.
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Jonathan Vega
9/30/2018 10:59:57 pm
As I continue reading this book I have notice that the author John Green really emphasizes the fact that Aza is different. Now with that being said U believe that Davis is kind of a reflection to Aza. Now the reason I say this is because Davis is one of the only characters that really gives Aza a chance. Although Aza really does not want to communicate with Davis he still digs deeps to try to have a conversation and actually try to get to know her. It’s good to see how a shy person can be transformed by a individual that is nothing but outgoing. I know a lot are saying that the money might get in the way of Davis and Aza, but in my heart I believe that love will win rather than the money itself.
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Star Brooks
10/4/2018 01:53:30 pm
I see exactly where you're coming from. I also see this in Aza and Daisy's relationship. In chapter 16, Aza feels as though Daisy's opinions are right about her but she is just rude when communicating. Davis understands Aza as Daisy is understood by Mychal and this is mainly where their problems root from. Aza is a good listener so I believe that if Daisy talks to her and make compromises, she can understand Aza as a person way better. As her best friend, she should understand that her time has to be distributed to a lot of people. not just her because there are others who care about them both.
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Anna Antunez
9/30/2018 11:10:37 pm
I like how Aza and Davis yalk about things they like or are interested in. They go into length about what they say like Davis with the stars and Aza with all these diseases and how they trasfer. But it hurt when Davis knew about the camera, called it though, and can I say I feel so sorry for Noah. He has to go through this alone because Davis does not know how to speak with others or his brother and Noah just wants his father to come home so he can think straight again. Can I say Daisy is rude to Aza when she simply says she shouldn't spend her money so quickly. Sorry but I never liked Daisy from the start and don't think I will Ever through this book. Aza and Davis kissing was cute but awkward when she ran after kissing just to clean her mouth. But it worries me because we start to see Aza having more and more fears and always needing to clean off the bacteria and the dirty feeling she has. They are cute and how he mesages her about liking her body. Back to Daisy I hate her, Aylaa is basically Aza in her story and that is so mean to do to your "best friend"
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melany Montesdeoca
9/30/2018 11:33:25 pm
I am still not really into the book;the characters are fine I like that Green put individualize personality. I think that daisy spending habits was crazy;when reading I was kind of blown away she spend a/5 of her money in a a car and a laptop. Aza and David have shown process especially in Anza side. I enjoy understating what goes through her mind and her germophobia. I don't really have a clear understanding what the plot is or how there is a progression. I feel bad for Noah for not having his father. He is lashing out because that is the only form he feels he could convey his emotions.
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Amber Williams
10/3/2018 11:24:31 pm
In the beginning of the story, in Chapter 2, Aza says "'It's just weird, how this is decided by someone I don't know and then I have to live by it. Like, I live on someone else's schedule. And I've never even met them.'" I really felt and understood what she was saying to her mom. Sometimes people, and I know I can say I do, might feel like they have no control of the direction their life is going and if it's going in any direction at all. When things go wrong or failures happen people become hopeless and wonder if they are even in control of what's going on. If they could have prevented it or worked harder or done better or,....on and on and on of things they think they could have done. But, if there's a plan for your life, you can't change the past without messing with your future and I think that's where faith ties in. She said "And I've never even met them" like with God, you never really meet God like face to face, yet you have this life and he already knows how it's going to turn out and sometimes it can seem like you have no control in your life. However, it's not like you're stuck in perimeters of what you can and can not do, no, you have options and decisions to make. You can go beyond the perimeters and so can your future, even when sometimes it feels like you don't have a choice or nothing matters, everything matters; and I think that's what Aza started to realize at the end of the book.
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Amber Williams
10/3/2018 11:35:41 pm
I believe that Aza has Hypochondria or at least a form of it. Hypochondria is basically a health anxiety, I came to this conclusion when her stomach made a noise and she immediately connected it to her being infected with Clostridium difficile or C. DIff, for short. It bothered her so much that it caused her to google C. Diff, which is probably something she doesn't have, and scroll through the symptoms, of which she only had one which could be for anything. Even when she reassured herself that she didn't have a fever, it says, "...myself replied: You don't have a fever YET," which shows how serious this is to her and how seriously it affects her daily life. Later on, I noticed that she continues to judge herself like it's her fault for having this anxiety. It's not her fault at all; no one is the same, consistent, or without flaws so, if anything, it's normal for her to not be normal because no one is.
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Destiny Phillips
10/14/2018 10:07:15 pm
It seems as she has self-diagnosed herself. Everyone can tell that she is worried, but she is questioning her anxiety as if it is a curse on her. Now I completely agree with you when you say that everyone is different. And no one is normal-everyone is different or unique in someway. However, she dealing with this everyday, like you said impacts her very much. If I had anxiety I believe I would feel the same way.
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Amber Williams
10/3/2018 11:45:29 pm
When Aza was given money, I wasn't sure that, if I was in the same situation as Aza if i would have taken the money or even used it. I said this due to the fact that I don't think anyone would be that nice to just give someone 100,000 dollars, especially in cash. I understand that the situation was different for Aza, but it even says "...but I was still worried that it might be dirty money....," because you can never be sure. If someone gives you straight cash, how did they acquire that? What did they go through to get it? There's also a factor being that it just seems too good to be true. It could also come with strings attached, why else would anyone give you 100,000 dollars. Maybe I'm just skeptical , but I don't think I would want to or try to put myself in a situation where someone is controlling me over money. You have to be wary about things relating to money in this world.
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Star Brooks
10/4/2018 02:20:38 pm
Overall, I loved how this book made me think about other people's thoughts. In Chapter 16 Aza was worried about how Ayala was viewed from her view but she was viewed in a completely opposite way in Davis' eyes. She over thinks about things a lot that Davis doesn't even think twice about. Having people like Davis around people like Aza is a perfect match because Davis is cool, calm and collective whereas Aza can think herself into a bad mood. It was so sweet how Davis went on his blog to talk about Aza in a way that only she would know because of the way they make each other feel.
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10/4/2018 10:19:44 pm
I agree with you Star, Aza felt like she was alone with her disorder because she felt like nobody understood her. For example in chapter twenty-two she explains to Daisy how she feels by telling her to turn off her headlamp and flashlight while being in the tunnel but I feel like Davis tried his best throughout the book to understand Aza because he really wanted to know how she felt. Aza can be difficult to be friends with but Daisy nor Davis cared about her disorder and although it was sometimes difficult to understand they made her feel normal and real.
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Kevin Rodriguez
10/4/2018 06:53:52 pm
Seeing Aza’s diminished state into play in the book’s plot is heavily interesting, seeing how further down the abyss she got to because of her surrounding stressors. She became more aggressive and I saw that the voice also changed its reactions to being denied, especially when she was in the hospital (although it could also be better explained by the EXTREME anxiety felt because of C. Diff statistics in hospital stays) as it is seen saying to Aza, “Then get up and wheel your IV cart to the container of hand sanitizer mounted on the goddamn wall you idiot.” The aggression of Aza is directed towards Daisy and also her psychological state (the voice) as she screams to Daisy after she finds the horrid truths of Daisy’s blog, and also shows more of a rebellion towards the voice, although very slightly. Both Aza and Daisy give descriptions of Aza’s personality that closely resemble the symptoms of Narcissism, but I would have to refute all off these claims because Aza shows an overwhelming concern towards a possible serious illness, while Narcissism is more closely related to constant bragging of positive character descriptions (“I have a nice body” “Shut up about ___ and talk about me as a person” type of descriptions). But Aza only seems to talk about her negative feelings, using it more as a coping skill than a bragging method. It seems to me that Daisy, while having a reason to want the attention she asks of Aza (poverty/suffering), is more of a Narcissistic character than Aza as she is usually the one making conversation about herself, answering for everyone else and even made a character to BASH HER BEST FRIEND. As Daisy herself said, “My Whole life I thought I was the star of an overly earnest romance movie,but it turns out I was in a goddamned buddy comedy all along.” (Page 241)No matter your level of patience, I don’t believe that it is ever justifiable to do this to someone under no circumstance; especially if they suffer from something you can’t even BEGIN to understand. I don’t care what this person did; an act of this severity can bring devastating results that I don’t believe anyone should ever have to experience. Although it is understandable to have the suffer the hardships of poverty and her assumption that Aza is ‘privileged’, I still don’t believe that neither Aza nor Daisy have justifiable reasons to judge one another, as neither have the understanding of the other. I loved the character progression and how we can see Aza fall into a dark abyss, only to be able to get free and roam wild in the end. Chapter 20 is also interesting in within itself because of how relatively short it is compared to the other chapters, and because of the final line “I'm in trouble, mom. Big Trouble.” It sparked me as odd and also interesting to see Aza’s breaking point and her desperation with the microorganisms and the voice associated with it. Overall, I actually enjoyed the book for its psychological aspect and also the philosophies it gave, almost as if they were directly for the viewer. I also loved that this book made me think of the mental disorders associated with her symptoms and it also showed me the wide variety of disorders that could be given to a single set of symptoms; showing me the complication in creating a formal and effective diagnostic for an individual. In regard to the title of the book, Turtles All the Way Down I find to be a simplistic representation of finding our identity as teenagers. We struggle to find a single object to define us, but in reality it is not a single object that identifies you, but instead all of the nesting dolls involved.
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Ingrid Diaz
10/4/2018 09:58:56 pm
In the beginning of chapter twenty- four Aza finally realizes that her disorder is superior than herself and comes to terms with it. The ending was unexpected, I felt like the ending was rushed and it didn’t really say anything about Davis’s father or how he died. I wished there would have been a flash forward of what happened to Noah, Davis, Daisy and Aza. I personally think the ending could have been more detailed and I was really rooting for Davis and Aza but overall I really enjoyed reading this book and I thought the author did a great job in presenting the title of the book in chapter twenty-one.
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Chelsea Bautista
10/4/2018 11:58:13 pm
I completely agree with the fact that it seemed like this book was rushed in the end. I wished he had more closure, for the characters but also Aza. Everything was just left for you to imagine the ending you hope for. I guess its like the book title, Turtles all the way down, thats what he wanted to leave us with. That the story just continues on because there is no particular end. Overall its not like this book has been on one smooth track. From Aza fighting with Daisy to getting in a car accident, so much you never imagine, did happen. So I guess it does suit this book to not have complete closure. After all, Aza made peace with herself, she finally accepted herself the way she is. Instead of it being her fighting herself, she finally learned how to just work with herself.
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Maryfer Palacios
10/5/2018 10:18:14 pm
As for the brothers, it was difficult to cope with their father’s death. Now that they have no parents, they have a lonely life ahead of them. I would have wanted to know more about it too, but I see how it relates to the real world. It’s realistic and sad. Whatever happens, happens. I appreciate the truthfulness in this book. It doesn’t exactly have a happy ending as most books do. Aza mentions it as well, “‘[t]he problem with happy endings…is that they’re either not really happy or not real endings. In real life, some things get better and some things get worse’” (Green 276). The ending is death in literal terms, but I think anyone can figuratively make it what they want. In this case, Aza decides to focus on herself and the life she has ahead. I don’t think she really thought about Davis and Noah as much, but again she has herself to worry about. She has found a small grip of her life and will continue to live the only life she knows.
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Kristina vargas
10/7/2018 12:25:26 pm
I agree with you, this book was really truthful , down to the nitty griddy . I’m not going to lie , I wanted this book to end with Davis and Aza having a happy ending and being together as I stated but that’s not always how life is. Not everyone gets to live a perfect life because having a perfect life doesn’t exist . You don’t always get what you want , no matter how bad you want it . Towards the ending Aza I feel gets better and keeps telling herself that life goes on and it does .
Anastasia Adjei
10/7/2018 03:36:26 pm
I agree with you Ingrid. Overall, I did enjoy the book but I was expecting a better ending. I wanted to know what really caused Davis’ dad to die. For some reason, I also wanted to know what happened with the weath. How the money was used for the tuatara. I also like the fact that Aza has accepted the fact that her disorder is definitely going to stay with her forever, but, she is also in control. She can’t let her thoughts control her. It is reasonable to infer that Aza has grown as a person, in terms of her mental disorder. This accident really helped her shape her life for the better.
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Isabell Gonzalez
10/7/2018 08:50:37 pm
I completely agree with you, because I also wanted to find out what happened to the father. I was confused on what happened to him and I wish that John Green could have gone into more detail. For me the ending was so quick and that is the only thing I disapprove of is his lack of detail-in the end.
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Chelsea Bautista
10/4/2018 11:43:09 pm
This is dumb. Personally I feel like it’s the Fault in Our Stars all over again. From reading both these books written by John Green, I have come to the conclusion that he really is not into the ideal ending of a happy ending where both the girl and boy end up together. I get that sometimes it's refreshing to twist the iconic happily after for the happy couple but I feel with that ending you get a sense of closure. At the last page I felt so incomplete, “no one ever saids goodbye unless they want to see you again”, so is that suppose to mean later on Davis and Aza reunite? I will agree with the fact that towards the end of the book it was about time Aza made peace with herself. She grew so much, for example, she did not just stand up to her mother, but also Daisy. The Aza we knew in chapter 1 would have never had the courage to do that, she would have just kept all the thoughts she wanted to express in her head and never expressed them to others. At the end of the book Aza and her mother got closer because Aza expressed to her mother the heavy burden she would carry around about worry ti disappoint or hurt her mother. Then Aza expressed to Daisy how she felt unappreciated but also it was vice versa but at the end they got even closer because they shared with each other how much they really meant with each other. Then at the end, she really got exposed to a lot with Davis. Who knew the kid from the past with mark you so deep that it would change your future. I think more than anyone Davis changed Daisy the most. With him she learned her limits from just a simple thigh to thigh contact to the extreme of saliva exchange. But because he pushed her, she had to learn how to conquer not her fears but herself. Before she was just use to to always keeping to herself and accepting she is different. Yet later on when she shared with Davis the news about his father was a big step because Aza was always one to keep to herself. For her to share information like that showed her that yes she is different, but she should acknowledge it and use it to strengthen herself. At the end she did get the money, she solved what joggers run meant which meant she solved the case, she had the boy for a while, yet ended up with being content with herself which I think was the biggest reward.
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Kevin Rodriguez
10/7/2018 06:13:39 pm
I agree with you on the ending, it seemed a rushed and somewhat dull, even. I can understand if he wants to avoid the romantic cliche ending, but this gives the overall book a bad name, almost. I also agree that Aza grew up so much when comparing her character to the beginning of the book, when she was so quiet and shy that she wouldn't mention her symptoms to anyone, let alone her psychiatrist. Speaking of; her mental state throughout the book was almost a roller coaster of changes, some actions were progressing her character (dating) while others set her back in a way that we could see the disastrous results. Overall, the mental illnesses portrayed and their symptoms were beyond fascinating and enhanced Aza's character and ultimately her identity.
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Karol Gonzalez
10/7/2018 08:52:48 pm
It took Aza a long time to realize that holding things to herself was not healthy. They say that bottling up emotions only make situations worse. Communication was a big theme in the book. I say this because throughout the book, Aza struggled at times explaining her thought process to other people which limited her relationships from getting closer (with her mom, Daisy, and Davis). Verbal communication along with behavior are both necessary when trying to understand a thought process and the actions that follow it. Once Aza came to peace with herself and began to speak up to everyone, it made it easier for people to understand where her feelings came from and why she did the things she did.
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Maryfer Palacios
10/5/2018 10:04:29 pm
In these last chapters, Aza has spoken more than ever. Daisy and her seem to have solved their problems and focused on being better friends. Daisy introduces her to the phrase turtles all the way down which is a joke I don’t completely understand. I see it as an excuse to describe infinity in simple terms. As the title, it serves to describe the future among each characters’ life; they all face issues, nonetheless their lives go on. Although, I found Davis’ departure sad, it was meant to happen. It is that part of life where you realize the person you meet will not stay with you for the rest of your life. Aza realized the same as she imagined her future in a different life. But of course we remember the events, people, etc., that have an impact in our life in some way. If it is true love, I agree it opens up our hearts. In this case, I don’t see the true love. Aza claims she loves Davis, but she barely knew him. Moreover, how can she love someone else when she doesn’t love herself? I see it as this. They must first solve their problems before they can be in a real relationship. As a result, they seem have been experimenting with one another. It is also clear, Davis and Aza will not see each other again as they Goodbye each other at the end.
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10/7/2018 06:27:12 pm
Maryfer, I like your honest of saying that you don't completely understand the title. I think this title in my opinion means that things may not work out the way we think, but they may work work in reverse ways. And another personal interpretation for the book from me is that we are the one who could decide our life. This phrase came from an old lady and it was used to describe the formation of world in the book. However, even though this phrase was not the actual formation we knew, it was the one who created by people themselves. Thus, this phrase showed that we are the one who control our lives. By the way, there was a sentence in the book that said "Like, the world is billions of years old, and life is a product of nucleotide mutation and everything. But the world is also the stories we tell about it," (Green 257).
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Chantal Garcia
10/7/2018 09:37:01 pm
I understand your view on that. Which is a very mature way to think about it like that. I feel like Aza and Davis did know each other, they understood how each other felt about certain things and that's what made them feel comfortable with each other. Davis crying in front of Aza is a way of that comfort they have with each other because not everyone can be open like that. I do agree that they probably did needed to be split apart, in order to fix their own problems, which is a smart thing to do. Yet, their moment together definitely help each other in some way.
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Karen Diaz
10/6/2018 04:28:40 pm
I have finished the book and I have mixed feelings about the ending. I liked how Noah got closure. He knew his dad was dead and didn’t have to keep thinking one day his dad would come back. I was also proud of Davis and Noah that they decided to tell the police. Although I still cannot believe their dad would leave his money to a Tuatara. On the other hand, I feel like the ending was also kind of rushed. Aza and Davis didn’t have a proper goodbye. Davis is leaving to Colorado and Aza won’t see him again. The last line of the book was really sad “ No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again”. This line really stood out to me because I don’t think Davis doesn’t want to see Aza like ever again, I think he just needs to get his things together. This line was also sad because I liked how Davis understood or at least tried to understand Aza,he was patient with her and I just hate that he has to go. Although I had previously said that I didn’t like how Aza kept repeating herself on how she wanted to keep changing her band-aid etc. at the end of the novel I liked how Aza was like okay this is something that I have right now and something that I’ll probability have forever but there’s things I can do to cope with it. When Aza came to terms with that it also made me realize there’s people who have OCD just like Aza and that their brains are constantly focusing on small things or things I wouldn’t consider important.it made me understand all the things people with OCD have to go through. Also I liked how Azas friendship with Daisy improved. Aza mentions in the book that now she feels like she could talk and listen to daisy and she feels that Daisy does that same thing to her. Lastly, I liked how the title was explained in the book and how in the book is says it just keeps going like it’s turtles all the way down. I did like this book and I would definitely read a pt. 2.
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De'Janae Phillips
10/7/2018 02:49:18 pm
I agree with you, especially with the quote in particular. They would have been so perfect together, but maybe it would have been better this way. Aza still has some figuring out to do, and so does Davis. I think it really hurt, and I felt that their relationship came way too easy for them to end up with one another, so when they didn't, I was sad but not surprised. He did care for her, he was patient and had done what he could to make Aza feel loved, and to let her know that he cared for her. But like I said before, it all happened way too easily for them both to end up together. That probably would have made the book too cliche.
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Kristina vargas
10/7/2018 12:13:45 pm
I really wanted Aza and Davis to end up being together , like in a relationship ,but that’s obviously didn’t happen. Aza might think she’s crazy but I personally feel like Davis makes her sane . Towards the ending of the book you see her sort of fighting her illness, telling her inner thoughts to stop and that there is nothing wrong with her wanting to kiss Davis and do normal stuff with him . Aza also is starting to realize that her thoughts are just thoughts and not actions . I’m also pretty happy that her and her mother are getting on better terms, because in the beginning of the book you kind of noticed that her and her mother didn’t have a really good relationship and Aza would not talk to her but now she does and that really makes a big difference in Aza’s life . Green has a way of speaking to people without even realizing it . All these little quotes and side comments to certain situations makes you really open your eyes and have a whole different perspective on life , and other peoples lives .
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Emily Arizaga
10/7/2018 07:40:45 pm
I also, really though Davis was helping Aza in some way become better, for the most part he would keep her mind off of things and they had fun together. Also, I did realize Aza never really told her mother how she was feeling and towards the ending Aza started opening up not only to her mother but also to Daisy. The thing I agreed on with you the most, was what you said about John Greene. I'm glad you said this because I feel like he is recognized but not for the fact that he connects with the readers. He is recognized for the stories her writes about relationships like, "The Fault in Our Stars". The little things he includes in his books, like the quotes, is what makes him one of my favorite authors.
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De'Janae Phillips
10/7/2018 02:42:40 pm
I really liked the book overall. I can see why people feel like it is a repeat of the Fault in Our Stars, but what if this is just John Green's writing style? Every author doesn't write different for each book that they write, some like to write with the same recurring themes of love and whatnot, so if you didn't like The Fault In Our Stars, you wouldn't like this one. But it was so beautifully written to me. I would recommend this book. it may seem like your typical love novel or whatever but I loved how Aza's point of view was the guide that we had throughout the whole book. She was my favorite part, and knowing what she was thinking is what, in my opinion, made the book as interesting as it was while I was reading it.
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Jacqueline Sánchez
10/7/2018 03:45:17 pm
Turtles all the way down had a very astounding ending. I was certain that Davis and Aza were going to have a formal relationship and be together for a long time, but when I started reading the last pages I was astonished by the way it ended. I personally believe it was a good ending because it was different than other novels. Many novels have a traditional ending where everything turns out to be happy, but this novel showed that not all novels need to have a good resolution. I feel like Aza and Davis have to be apart in order to find who they really are; if they are really meant to be together, they will find each other in the future. Aza’s disorder was getting out of control, but then she decided to actually to let others help her. It was difficult to choose a side on the conflict that Aza and Daisy had. I agreed and disagreed with both of them. At first, I took Aza’s side because of her illness and I thought that Daisy was being inconsiderate, but then I realized that Aza had the option to stop her illness from taking over her, but decided not to until the end.
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Chris Rivera
10/7/2018 04:16:07 pm
I agree with this post, Jackie. I liked how it ended even though Davis and Aza didn't get together. This showed that a story doesn't have to have a happy ending in order for it to be good. Sometimes the best thing to happen is to become distant towards each other. I feel like Aza should stay being friends with Davis until she finds herself. She needs to grow a little more in order to maintain a stable relationship because she had a lot of problems that she faced. I already feel like she has grown since the beginning of the novel.
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Isabel Mares
10/7/2018 08:59:42 pm
I agree Aza and Davis didn’t have to end up together for the book to be good. This shows that not everything will end up like you expect. But that’s the beauty of life we never really know what’s gonna happen and how we will end up. We just have keep going on and experience everything we can no matter what it is. Aza and Davis not being together helps them figure out who they are and what they need to do for themselves.
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Anastasia Adjei
10/7/2018 03:48:43 pm
Turtles all the way down was a decent book overall. I personally liked it because it’s a modern book and it used some of the modern day slangs and English. In addition to that, I did enjoy the book because of the moral lesson it had to give. Aza really grew as a person. She was definitely a different person at the end of the book. But to answer Dr. Singh’s question, I really did feel like she was a threat to herself. She might not have known this but she was definitely a treat to herself by drinking the sanitizer. I feel like what Daisy is going through cannot be the same as what Aza is going through. Sometimes poverty happens at certain parts in you life but it’s definitely not everlasting. I believe that Aza condition could be and therefore Daisy had no right to compare these two instances. I was really glad Aza demonstrated what she goes through every day with her cognitive behavior. I feel as if that made her(Daisy) understand her more. When Aza got out of the car accident worried about her car, I totally understood. I mean that was indeed her fathers car and she had a right to react when the car had been damaged. But not only the car too but her dads phone. Harold and her dads phone was as part of the living memory she had of her father.
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Karen Diaz
10/7/2018 05:09:04 pm
Yes, I agree with you. You could see Azas change as a person. At the beginning of the book she had Daisy, her best friend, but didn’t really talk to her but throughout the novel, especially at the end Aza feels more comfortable talking to Daisy and says that she feels like she can listen to her and vice versa. Aza also grew by accepting what she has. I feel like throughout that novel she still had the whole band-aid problem but we got to see a bit more of her life. We also got to see her talk more to Daisy and reaching out to Davis. I also thought Aza was a threat to herself since she began drinking hand sanitizer when she kissed Davis
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Million Abay
10/9/2018 08:43:30 am
I like how you mentioned that this is a modern day book, and it relates so much to every single teenager. Every teen believes that they are different from everyone else which may be a reason one isolates themselves. This book expresses those ideas and shows that it is okay to be different because there is always someone like you, which can help a teen not feel alone. The idea of self-confidence in the book also illustrates a person can be whatever they want, but can be respected for their differences all because of their confidence.
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Donesha Bradley
10/31/2018 09:29:30 pm
I totally agree . This is a modern day book which kept my attention throughout. When Aza was first introduced I found her very peculiar because she thought of everything as being “germy”. Throughout the book she did progress as a person and got a little better . I liked how different Aza and Daisy were but at the same time there was a balance which is what kept them being close friends . I enjoyed the book over all . I also agree with your statement that Aza and Daisy had 2 very different situations .
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Chris Rivera
10/7/2018 04:04:38 pm
I like Aza as a character. She has a lot of different thoughts going on in her head that makes her feel all different kinds of ways. She's actually kinda relatable to some people in real life. This usually happens to some people (mostly teens) because all of these different types of emotions that we encounter do have us think all these different kinds of thoughts. In chapter 19, Aza starts to have negative thoughts. She thinks that Daisy hated her and texts her saying sorry for not being a good friend to her. Aza also starts to believe that she won't have a normal life. I really enjoyed reading this novel and I'm glad that she seemed to be able to have control over how she feels towards the end. I just wish that she could of got with Davis because I kept thinking that things were going to happen when they didn't.
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Jacqueline Sánchez
10/7/2018 07:16:38 pm
Aza does have a very unique personality. I am cognizant that Aza suffers from a disorder, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is still a honest and righteous person. I admire how she decided not to take advantage of Davis situation, and instead, she decided to become a true close friend to him when he mostly needed one. When Aza had evidence about Davis father, she was discreet and she let Davis decide what to do with the Information she had about his father . This character helped me obtain knowledge on how people with these disorders struggle everyday for thing we consider inconsequential.
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10/7/2018 05:45:12 pm
Finally, I finished this book. To be honest, I started liking this book until I read the ending. Things totally changed when Aza had the car incident. She started recovering and fighting against her thoughts instead of being controlled by her thoughts for her entire life. I was so happy for the recovery. What's more, because of the car accident, Aza realized the value of the love between her mother and her and between her best friend and her. After that accident and the time she had in hospital, she talked with her mother more about her mental situation and her daily life, which showed that she grew up and became more mature. She became a normal person at the end of the book. And I think that part of the reasons for the author to use the title "Turtles All The Way" was to connect the main character Aza's own experience to the tile. Since a turtle stands upon the shell of another turtle, things do not work work in a normal way and need to be in a reverse way sometimes. And in the book, Aza was a person who had mental disorder in the beginning and recovered at the last, which was a reverse.
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10/7/2018 06:04:56 pm
In my opinion, John Green wrote this book in order to show his audience about the growth of teenagers. He actually depicted many teenagers. First of all, Green told about the growth of the main character Aza. Since she experienced mental disorder and car incidence, she finally became a person who would take care of the people around her and also appreciate the love from people around her. Next, Green mentioned the growth of Davis. Davis was a person who was really rich and fond of astronomy at the beginning of the book. However, after he experienced the lost of his father in the end, he chose to sacrifice money to let his brother know the reason that their father did not contact with them. He did his best to take care of his brother and he grew up as a young man and assumed his responsibilities to his brother, which really was a growth for him. Then, Green talked about the growth of Daisy. Also because of the car incident of Aza, Daisy did reflect on herself and she made apology to Aza. When the book got closer to the end, Daisy sold the car she bought for herself and she gave that money to her family, which was also a growth. Through the experience and changes from these three teenagers, Green demonstrated the growth of the teenagers to his readers successfully.
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Tiare Mendez
10/8/2018 05:11:45 am
I'm glad you brought up character development, Donna, since I personally think that this is something that Turtles really lacked. However, after reading your post I can agree that Davis (he being basically the only one) went through a character development, for both better and worse. He is humbled by the confirmation that his father is truly gone, but he is also hardened by the burden of having to now father his younger brother. This put Davis in a position where he was truly forced to act for himself which is something he hadn't honestly experienced before.
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Emily Arizaga
10/7/2018 07:32:16 pm
As I got to the end of the book I found myself feeling like the ending needed more. I felt like there was so much left out and I didn't like the fact. Overall, I did enjoy the book. Aza progressed with her recurring thoughts and I liked that she faced the fact that she was not going to change but learn how to help herself. When Aza told Daisy about Pogue's Run tunnel I actually got the chills. When Aza and Davis were saying goodbye it was really sweet and I really wish things could've gone better for them. As for the actual ending I feel like John Green could''ve extended the book a little more just so that the readers could be left with an 'okay', because I was left wanting a little more.
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Makiya Baskerville
10/7/2018 10:44:56 pm
This has left me wanting more as well. The ending of the book came a little bit to fast. I wish I wasn’t goodbye for her and Davis. I wish it would have elaborated more about what would happened to her in the future. This book was really relatable to teenagers especially a long the lines of relationships and learning lessons.
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Million Abay
10/9/2018 08:37:47 am
I completely agree with you that John Green could have had a little more character development instead of abruptly ending it, in my opinion. I feel like an author's job is to get the reader emotionally attached to its characters, and he did a good job of that because I honestly feel a responsibility to Aza, which I know is weird. But, creating an emotional attachment requires that the ending leaves the reader okay with the growth of the characters so that when the book ends the reader is satisfied.
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Donesha Bradley
10/31/2018 09:34:04 pm
Yes !!! I feel like this book left us with some unanswered questions and we needed just a little more . Aza and Davis saying goodbye to each other made me feel a little sad for them because throughout the book I was hoping things would really work out for them in the end . Although I really enjoyed this book I wish that we had more towards the ending .
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Milkiyas Bitew
10/7/2018 07:55:35 pm
Good and unique ending. Like I said in my first and first comment, the whole story followed the path of identity and development. If you discern closely in the end, Aza realizes that she has a life ahead of her. She also learns what it truly means to love someone and what love actually is. My thoughts as I was reading the novel was that it was trying to rely on a message or teach us something about life. Aza's main concerns were how much control she had and whether she exists or not. These concerns can be seen in a lot of young teens like myself as we think about what we are meant to do in life. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend other students to read it also.
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Adrian Fernandez
10/7/2018 10:41:25 pm
Aza has her whole life ahead of herself, and I cannot imagine the kinds of things she'll get into in college, her job, overall just living her life. As you said, she has learned to truly love someone. I'm sure there are many more things that Aza will learn along with her path. Another thing which I found admirable was that Aza and Daisy will remain best friends after all of this. I think they will both find new adventures together in their futures to come. Overall, the book did have a unique ending. One that didn't seem rushed, but ended calmly and smoothly.
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Dung Nguyen
10/7/2018 08:00:08 pm
I think Turtles All The Way Down is very relatable book to teenagers. It shows us Aza and Davis growth over the course of the book. For example, in the beginning of the book, Aza was a very quiet person but her flow of thoughts just go crazy in her head, to a point that she was being controlled by it that limits her ability to decide on her own. Toward the end of it, and I mean the last chapters when Aza is in her recovery, she basically fight her own thoughts and she became an independent woman. After all, this book really help teenagers to find themselves.
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Edgar Godinez
10/7/2018 09:27:44 pm
I too noticed a change in Aza and a little bit in Davis, but mainly Aza towards the end of the book in comparison from the beginning. Because of Aza’s personality and fear of many things,especially bacteria, she was limited to many things. I personally thought it was wonderful that she was actually trying to put up a fight with her own thinking. That sort of struggle is very inspirational. There’s is definitely a true connection between Aza’s life and other teenagers.
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Jordan Wright
10/7/2018 10:30:31 pm
I agree with you completely. I think Aza's growth throughout the book was tremendous. She clearly has shown growth from the beginning of the book , where she let's her thoughts rule her actions and fuel her emotions, to the end of the book where she's still working on not letting her thoughts control her. She's fighting those thought, and voices and learning to become independent of them. I'm proud of her growth as a reader.
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Chelsea Owusu
10/7/2018 10:52:02 pm
Green did an amazing job with showing growth among these characters throughout the book. The growth specifically of Aza. As the book came to the end, she showed courage and strength to continue. She didn’t give up and she continued to want to survive. Aza’s fear really took a toll on her. She went through some hard times with her mental health, but even in the end, she continued to strive toward her goals in life.
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De'Jah Donahue
10/9/2018 09:22:55 pm
I could not have said it better myself, Dung. Aza certainly did change. At first she was too careful. Then, gradually, she was forgetting to clean her wound. She was, as you said, letting go more and more. I do believe though that she was already independent. It could have been made firmer, but the independence was surely there. I would only recommend this book to teenagers who are more quiet. Not saying that it could not help someone who openly and frequently voices their opinion, but for me I did not find myself. I believe I was on that path before reading this book. But that;s all for now. Great comment!
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Jalante Honeycutt
10/30/2018 08:13:50 pm
I totally agree I think the whole book was made to show teens and relate to teens that change happens over time. Also that change can happen. I like how the main focus point of the story is Aza and her friends.
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Donesha Bradley
10/31/2018 09:38:12 pm
Yes I agree with that statement Dung . This book is very relatable to teenagers because in your teenage years , you don’t rewllt know who you are or what you want in life . Over a course of time you start to figure those things out and it’s okay if you’re not quite sure . As people we grow , grow into our adulthood , grow into Tb people we want to be and sometimes we even outgrow things which is totally fine. Sometimes our thoughts control us as people and we have to take our control back .
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Miguel Corona
10/31/2018 11:25:36 pm
I also think that Turtles All The Way Down is a pretty relatable since it gave us a pretty good insight on the mind of a teenager dealing with anxiety and, from the looks of it, also paranoia. This book made a twist on how most books portray teens as these rebellious kids who just want to go out and do stupid stuff, when in reality lots of people are constantly being controlled by their own thoughts and doubts.
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Isabell Gonzalez
10/7/2018 08:42:47 pm
I was very sad when I was reading the last few pages. The ending surprised me and irked me at the same time, because I really wanted Davis and Aza to end up together. When Aza and Daisy figured out what the words meant I was spooked out a little bit. I imagined myself being in the exact spot they were and figuring it out. As I read it I thought about how it could have smelled and I would have been freaked out. In the ending Davis gave a box to Aza and I can not figure out what could be inside of it. Overall I love the book, even though all the germ description was a bit weird to read, it was addicting to read.
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Hao Lam
10/7/2018 09:00:41 pm
The sad ending was a thing that I also not expect it will happen. It goes totally different what I thought before. This is a good book. I'm really like it but I still cannot get over the ending. Sorry John Green!
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Anna Antunez
10/7/2018 10:43:01 pm
I agree, that whole scene was creepy to me and it also made me feel like I was there! It really gave me chills when they figured it out and I would also freak out and run from there. I also agree with all the germ descriptions were weird for me to read through and I got a bit confused while reading it.
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Donesha Bradley
10/31/2018 09:40:59 pm
I also found the germ descriptions a tad bit weird to read but at the same time interesting . I wasn’t so happy with the ending because it left us with unanswered questions . I also believe that a lot of us weren’t too happy with the fact that Aza and Davis didn’t end up together . Throughout the chapters I was really hoping that things would work out for Aza and Davis in the end .
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Isabel Mares
10/7/2018 08:44:41 pm
Overall I had liked the book a lot. Even if Aza and Davis don’t end up together. Which is what everyone would have guessed was gonna be the ending. There was no happy ending there was just closure , which sometimes is better. The closure Aza had gotten with Davis helped her realize that life goes on and that with time things become better. While Davis was able to get closure on why his dad just disappeared on him and Noah. After finding out his father was dead Davis realize he had to take care of his brother and that it was his number one role now. I liked how John green didn’t end the book with a happy ending, because in real life there isn’t always a happy ending. Sometimes life just goes on like nothing.
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Hao Lam
10/7/2018 08:57:18 pm
after all, I don't like the ending of this book!!!!!!! Why Aza cannot be with Davis :(( they're so cute and adorable couple. I feel sad for Aza. She tried to be a normal person and separeted from the other Aza which is have a C.diff and scare of bacterials. She doesn't know how to explode her emotion and thoughts so people don't really understand Aza and what she wants. She wants to be friend with Daisy and in a relationship with Davis. But she cannot shows her thoughts because she's scare. I cannot even read the last pge of the book. I skipped it to the last paragraph when they said good bye. And I was holding my heart and crying when I read it. Whyyyyyyyy!!!! No !
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Yuxin Hong
10/7/2018 10:10:55 pm
Hao, your opinion makes me think and finally I want to say that sometimes what is not happened is actually the best. Maybe Aza and Davis are similar, but they can't get together. Sometimes it's just because they are too similar to be a couple. They will have many same reactions toward one thing which won't actually help their relationships. Like Aza just said about her thoughts which are hard to change. I used to think that Aza doesn't fulfill the requirement of loving someone. And I change my mind finally. Anyway, she grew up. Her "so-called" logic is essentially something extreme.
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Karol Gonzalez
10/7/2018 09:05:36 pm
In chapter 18, I think it was kind of interesting that Daisy was indicating that Aza was self-centered. I mean, sure, you can say Aza is always thinking about whether she’ll catch an infection in her finger or a disease inside her body and never really payed attention when other people are talking to her, but it’s not intentional. She doesn’t necessarily talk about herself all the time and she doesn’t brag about anything she does, she just is so catious about minor details that she blocks out the environment and people around her. I don’t think Aza is self-centered, she’s just very unaware at times and doesn’t notice that she lacks giving attention or doesn’t “properly” communicate with people (like Daisy). And I think that Daisy only said she was self-centered because she wanted certain attention that Aza was not giving her. She wanted Aza to support her fan fiction and actually read them, but she doesn’t see Aza’s efforts nor her struggles to do things. I think that Aza’s repetitive actions throughout their friendship make Daisy closed-minded and angry/jealous towards Aza.
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Chantal Garcia
10/7/2018 09:25:18 pm
Wow! This book is just fascinating. Aza is such remarkable character trying to find her identity as she goes against her problem within herself. I now see how Davis played a big role in Aza’s life, this was definitely more than solving Mr.Picketts mystery. This gave Aza a chance to notice what love is along Davis and able overcome some of her fears she had in the beginning. It’s nice to see how some people can have an influence and impact on your life. She can now start to have some control of her life, and it showed. It was sad to see Davis and Aza be split but it’s true, there’s not always a happy ending.
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Donesha Bradley
10/31/2018 09:44:43 pm
I absolutely agree . Even though I didn’t get the ending that I hoped for which was Aza and Davis being together I do love the fact that he helped her grow as a person . I think one of the messages that John green was trying to display is some people come into your life to teach you something and help you grow as a person. Davis served his purpose which was helping Aza find herself despite of her own demons in her head that she battling . I also see how this relates to Aza saying that there is really no happy ending . They ended and it wasn’t really happy but at least she grew from the experience that she had with Davis .
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Yuxin Hong
10/7/2018 10:03:18 pm
Personally speaking, I don't like this book. It's so boring. With the development of the story, I became more and more nonchalant about the what's going on next. I don't even care about each character's fate. People always change themselves in some particular way. Like Aza, by experiencing car incident, she grew up finally. However, I never think that's such a big deal as above posting. I mean, I've already know this kind of examples a lot due to my surroundings. Aza is just a prosaic person. And I don't really appreciate the way Green depicts Aza's mental disorder. It makes me uncomfortable when she thinks about bacteria or infection. Unfortunately, Green mentions about her craziness many times. I don't like to hear anything negative. Especially, I hate Aza's thoughts when she realized she is actually a demon. I completely understand she has mental disorder but I never think that this can be an excuse to spread something negative. And the thing is, she repeated many times which is kind of annoying.
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Adrian Fernandez
10/7/2018 10:13:45 pm
Finishing up the book, I have come to see how much of a good read it was. Including the special finishing quote, "nobody says goodbye unless they want to see you again." I think this really opens up a door for the reader's to imagine that the moment Davis and Aza had at the end of the novel was not the last one. In fact, they could have had more interactions. Noah finally finds closure, Aza goes to college, life continues to go on for all characters, that much is made clear in the last chapter. I really like the way that ended, instead of the story coming all to end. You read as if there are more chapters after it.
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Armani Pace
10/7/2018 10:44:11 pm
I agree with you. I liked the ending because it didn't leave us with a cliff hanger and a thought of what happened next. I loved how the story came full circle. We found out Mr. Pickett died and Aza just wanted to continue her life normally. I really loved how they gave us an inside view of what would happen later in their lives without them knowing it would happen yet. This book was very eye opening towards many things like friendship and love and it is now one of my favorite books.
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Leslie Martinez
10/8/2018 09:26:37 pm
I totally agree with you. This book was a big eye opener on many things that go on in our teen lives, like love and friendships. Sadly the book ended but it was a good ending unlike other books where we are left wondering what would’ve happened next. It was a great book, I consider it now one of my favorites. I liked that we got to know what happened later in their lives. The book in general made me have things in common with the characters in the book, I didn’t think I could actually relate to a book so much.
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Makiya Baskerville
10/7/2018 10:18:49 pm
After reading the last eight chapters, I didn’t realize how much me and the main character, Aza, have in common. The book used to make me wonder how all of this stuff just went through her head. I also have anxiety and an adjustment disorder. Sometimes I don’t know how to handle things and so much is going through my head at one time. Now I can finally understand her. I loved the ending and made a connection to the main character. This book also reminds me of the Curious Incident. Her and Christopher’s personality is somewhat similar to each other. Maybe it’s the fact that they’re all over the place at some moments.
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Armani Pace
10/7/2018 10:25:19 pm
After finishing Turtles All the Way Down, I came to really love this book. The characters are very relatable and are very diverse in traits. I am stuck between Daisy and Aza on whose side to take because I can relate to both. Aza is upset because of the way Daisy portrayed her character Ayala in her stories. I agree with Aza that the character is very similar to her and was based on her. Aza did not agree with the fact that Daisy wrote about her in the way she did. But I also understand where Daisy is coming from. The way you view a person is way different than the way a person views themself. As an outside spectator, Daisy can see things that Aza might not notice about herself like when people say they don't do things a certain way but you are the one who actually sees them doing the thing it makes you upset in the end.
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Jordan Wright
10/7/2018 10:36:15 pm
After finishing the book, I'm a little glad that there was no happy ending. There was just closure. It's realistic because in real life there won't always be a happy ending to a situation. That's just how it is and life goes on. Aza and Davis didn't need to be together, that's just not how their lives were working out at the time. Aza needed to focus on bettering herself and her thought process, and Davis needed to worry about taking care of his brother since it's just going to be the two of them from now on. Sometimes a happy ending isn't in the picture.
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Emily Gallegos
10/8/2018 04:53:54 pm
I can agree with Jordan on how this book doesn't necessarily have a happy ending but closure. The realisitic lives these two teens come to see at the end of the story is quite inspiring, because it takes a bit of realization to come across reality. It seems as if the author took into consideration real thoughts of teens, because I too am an older sibling with similar conflicts that Davis has within his relationships, but I too, have similar characteristics as Aza. Therefore, it is quite easy for a reader , as myself, to really take of their shoes and try walking in the place of Aza.
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Anna Antunez
10/7/2018 10:38:36 pm
Can I just say I dislike the whole book. We went from a mystery of the missing father to a lovey dovey romance. I'm glad it brings awareness to an illness that Aza has but I do wish that this book was more focused on the mystery then the romance. We did not get much mystery in the book only the beginning and the very end, majority of the book was Aza and Davis' relationship and her illness, which i do not mind. I am also happy that Aza is finding herself and doesnt feel like she's not in control of herself. I am happy she knows that she can control her future and herself and live on and fight her illness. But I still dislike this book very much.
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Chelsea Owusu
10/7/2018 10:40:34 pm
After reading the last eight chapters, it really bothered me when reading the part when Aza is in the hospital and eating hand sanitizer. Aza is so content with believeing something is wrong with her. The problem isn’t is that she’s actually sick. She at first didn’t realize that now her mind and thoughts are a danger to her entire self. The ending of the book turned out better than I expected. I’m glad Aza continues to battle her illness and learn lessons important for life. I really enjoyed the book and it was somewhat relatable.
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Melany Montesdeoca
10/7/2018 11:51:57 pm
Mental illnesses is a serious thing; and I enjoy how John green let us enter the mind of Anza. Looking at outside perspective her actions is wrong and crazy. Most of her actions in her mind are justified by herself. Anza does not realize that eating handsanitizer will endanger her more than germs.At the end of the day her actions and not right and should not be justified. Her paranoia with germs is causing her more harm. Her receiving help will help her understand her actions. I think she will realize her thoughts and actions are a danger for herself but towards others.
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Jonathan Vega
10/8/2018 06:52:38 pm
I really agree with you Melany due to the fact that John Green really never stood back to explain Aza as a character. I feel at times when I am reading other books they seem to walk away from the mental illness and don't really get in depth with it. John Green really made me realize that you could still be who you are no matter what. Although Aza might do things that others might not I still feel in my heart that she is special. When I mean special I mean that she is a character that most of us really were interested in and really seen the biggest change in.
Ron Scott
10/8/2018 10:25:38 pm
I never thought about it like that! I actually really like how Greene gives a unique perspective of story telling by using Aza’s mental conditions. Aza kind of reminds me of Christopher from the curious incident. These different perspectives allow us to empathize more with the characters and it makes them feel much more believable than other generic protagonists. We get to see a lot of character development between Aza and some of the people she encounters along her journey.
Edgar Godinez
10/7/2018 10:49:06 pm
John Green did an amazing job with this book. Especially the ending, because Aza didn’t end up with Davis. It was truly not surprising for me, because I already got used to books without having a true happy ending. “Some heroes never get the girl”- Anonymous. I read this quote as “not all books/lives have a happy ending”. Like in A Tale of Two Cities, ultimately, Sydney Carton never gets the girl, Lucie Manette, but he was a hero because he saved Charles Darnay from being executed by taking his place(Totally not a happy ending, well at least not for Carton) Cities, as well as Turtles share the same thing, not having a happy ending. I am a person who doesn’t believe in true happy endings because there is ALWAYS going to be misfortunes in life until the end. Another reason why I like the ending was because Aza showed some great characteristics of courage and bravery for trying to embrace her thoughts and trying to change them. I bet this is very motivational for many teens. The book overall was fascinating and I enjoyed it very much. It’s totally a book I would recommend young adolescents to read.
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Melany Montesdeoca
10/7/2018 11:44:16 pm
I like the ending especially the part where the main character was not expecting she would spend her entire life with David. She understand that they would probably drift apart and gives a more unique ending. I think one of the things I found interesting was the fight between her and daisy. Anya is sometimes self centered and does not look at other people problem. Daisy brings up a great point of being privileged but not acknowledging it. The scene with her in the hospital was sad. It helps gives a depiction of the extent of her mental illness. I like the green was in her point of view and what driven her do that action. When we look at others doing crazy tings we do not understand we believe they have no reasoning. I enjoy he gave more context and allows us to potra y her differently than other people. Anya has gone through some character development and understanding things that is happening around her.
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Isabella Hernandez
10/7/2018 11:58:08 pm
When I first read the book, I got a glimpse of what goes on in Aza's thoughts that no other teenager would think about in this world. She had a lot of thoughts that were unusual in the beginning when Aza was at lunch with her friends and began to have these thoughts on how living organisms are in the things that she eats, touches and mainly worries about getting C. diff. It sucks for her to have go through this for probably for the rest of her life. I was curious to know and understand why she has to go through this process of having to check for any infections or symptoms that she thinks will get her sick or kill her. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for Aza to be dealing with this sort of madness in her mind that constantly over thinks for everything as she tries to settle it but overpowers those thoughts. As I continued to read the book, I started to get to know Aza a bit more of her background, lifestyle, situations and relationships. She has a normal life and has people who love her an are always there to help her every step of the way.
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Tiare Mendez
10/8/2018 05:03:24 am
I really enjoyed how John Green decided to write out Aza’s intrusive thoughts. It’s something I connected to and it gives an insight to other readers on how trapped Aza feels and /why/ she feels like she isn’t in control. That is another topic I enjoyed in this book: how one’s body and thoughts are not their own, they are controlled by outside forces. This is something I personally think about quite often, along with the Matrix idea that we are all just a simulation. However, Aza’s therapist tells Aza that she gives her thoughts (and by extension, her imagination) too much power. Instead of thinking that you are /actually/ a manifestation of your thoughts, the doctor says, in reference to Descartes’ philosophy “Cogito ergo sum”, that your thoughts don’t make you real, you already /are/.
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Tiare Mendez
10/8/2018 05:04:44 am
I really didn’t like the ending of the novel. It seemed so typical of what John Green does, which is anticlimactic and ends in the couple not being together. None of the characters went through any sort of development nor did they have a teachable “moral of the story” moment. I wouldn’t even consider Aza’s misguided suicide attempt a point where she realizes that her actions have consequences that would affect those who love her. Sure, not every book needs to have that, but Turtles could have ended on a much better note that would have made me enjoy it if it did undergo one of those moments. Aza could have been honest with her mother, put her father to rest, learned how to be without Daisy, been pumped full of drugs, gotten rid of the money... I’m not sure but all of this could’ve made for a more dramatic ending. I just felt like Aza faced no consequences for any of actions, or at least she didn’t tell us about it.
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Saniyah Jordan
10/8/2018 09:02:56 pm
After reading this I agree with you Tiara. It is classic John Green. Like the fault in our stars the couple never got to be together. But the ending was weird for me also. I think John Green just has a particicular way of writing which isn’t for everyone. To try to answer that last question I think Aza is trying to or was in the process of seeing herself in control of her mind and body. It’s been a struggle for her but i would say she’s in the process of improving
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Isabella Hernandez
10/17/2018 02:08:11 pm
I agree that the ending for Turtles could have been better for Aza if she had ended up with the person she loves but It does seem unfair that she had to go through so much of having to overthink the littlest things and being more open with the problems that she has instead of lying to the people she loves. I understand what John Green wrote about near the end of the book, saying that "not all stories have happy endings". The story would have ended with her being with someone who really loves and cares about her deeply even though she hates her image, she could have deserved happiness and not having to accept that things are the way that they are. Aza could have tried her best to ask for help from friends and family and not having to hide her feelings or thoughts so she can have her problems solved.
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Emily Gallegos
10/8/2018 04:49:33 pm
After completing my reading of the book, I came to see how Aza's self strengths and esteem have gotten way better than how it was in the beginning of the book. In the beginning she was very close and kept her thoughts to herself. As I got to the end of the story, Aza had been more open with her mom. You can easily tell by now, Aza has reached a state of happiness of some sort. Before Davis' departure he says goodbye to Aza, and she says that no one says goodbye unless they want to see you again. This spoke to me in a depper way, becuase I have lost many people in my life in which I never had the opportunity to say good bye to. And those I usually say goodbye to, are the ones I usually end up seeing again. Turning topics a bit, within the story she brings imagination and memory as one, which, makes sense because I too, come across times where I use memory as imagination. Overall, this whole theme of reality comes close to thought. Azas ays in the story, " The problem with happy endings, is that they're either not really happy, or not really endings."
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Emely Martinez
10/30/2018 07:18:25 pm
I agree with Emily because there is times in life were you met people and you get to know them and you just don’t say goodbye to each other. Your stay there thinking everything is going that you’ll see them soon but theres time were you don’t and it changes things.
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Evelyn Padilla
10/8/2018 05:29:59 pm
After finishing Turtles, I can finally understand what the title mean, and how it relates to the book. It represents how Aza sees herself, like a spiral that just keeps going down. I thought that comparison of herself to the Russian dolls was interesting because it also can relate to the spiral. How you keep removing the doll on top, yet it feels like you'll never get to the bottom but you do, well with Aza she feels like hers would be infinite. I see character growth with Aza, especially be able to speak about her mental illness out-loud, show's strength and maturity that she gained through out the story. I really liked this book (not just cause it's john green) and I would highly recommend this book.
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Jonathan Vega
10/8/2018 06:48:34 pm
After reading this entire book I came to realize that John Green really relates the character Aza with a lot of teens today. When reading about Aza we were aware that she was different, but at the same time she had the ability to represent her illness in a positive way. Aza still found the sensibility to fall for someone who was completely different from her yet she opened her heart and really fell deep. Ana's life can really relate to a lot of us. At times we feel like there is a problem that might stop us from being who we are, but at the end of the day that one problem might represent us.
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Jasmine George
12/17/2018 09:28:26 am
I also agree that John Green made Aza relate to most teenagers today. A lot of teens feel like they have problems that they can't stop or control but then we learn that the thing we thought was a problem was probably just something we can use to better ourselves. Or that problem makes us different and being different is good.
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Saniyah Jordan
10/8/2018 08:57:07 pm
As someone who usually doesn’t like John Green’s books this one was good. The title finally makes sense too. I can see why Aza relates to the old woman who said turtles all the way down, she feels like this all the time. Her thoughts digress and just keep going. I sympathize but not empathize with that. Aside from that I wish Aza and Davis could have had a relationship. I’m most books Aza and Davis would have ended up together, I just kind of expected it. The most shocking thing was the finding of Mr. Pickett. I guess I had the mentality of Noah thinking that Mr.Pickett would just appear and make things better for his sons but he didn’t. The ending was a bit confusing until I realized Aza was talking about herself and getting older with kids.
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Leslie Martinez
10/8/2018 09:22:21 pm
Finishing the book, was really touching because I feel like many of us can relate to this book. Many teens today can relate because we may be going through something similar. Although we may have our problems and everything we all carry something special within us. The book is like an eye opener, to realize what’s right in front of you. To embrace how you feel. I really the book didn’t have to end because the book was just so good I couldn’t let it go. I would definitely recommend it to anybody.
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Ron Scott
10/8/2018 10:37:53 pm
I am actually surprised that I ended up enjoying this book because I was not a fan of some of Greene’s previous works. This story felt refreshing and Aza was a very interesting character that made me want to keep reading the book even more. I feel bad for going into this book with a negative attitude since I enjoyed it so much. And I actually proved myself wrong because I thought I wouldn’t like the book according to my first blog post. What makes Aza so relatable is she has a goal, but had to face many external and internal conflicts, just like we all do.
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Million Abay
10/9/2018 08:31:54 am
As I keep seeing Aza want more and more to be "normal" the more I cannot wait until she finally accepts and loves how she was born. I felt like towards the end she had a little more self-esteem, and less scrutiny for herself. I was little unsatisfied with how little confidence she gained at the end of the book, but growing confidence takes time; the amount of confidence she already gained was a good enough sign that in her later years she would be happy enough to show people the real her. One major sign that Aza revealed was allowing herself to be able to miss someone, which was Davis. I guess since they are not far from different than each other it made it easier for Aza.
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De'Jah Donahue
10/9/2018 09:15:53 pm
Ughh. I am not a fan of this book anymore. JK. The ending was superb. In the beginning of the book it was very evident that this was a frame story. Aza was speaking in past tense. She was talking about how she had ended up "here". It is unclear to the reader what "here" meant for Aza. But we know that she is looking back and reflecting. To find out her reason for telling the story was really good. I love how this further allows us to see John Green developing Aza's character. Aza has some type of disorder that causes her to overthink. At the time, she was seeing a therapist that ultimately tried to help her find the root of her problem and help her find coping mechanisms. Still, as an adult Aza is seeing a therapist and this therapist is helping her through. She was able to get this entire story out of her. Aza had a dramatic change over the course of her life, At the beginning of the book everyone was connecting Aza to Christopher from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Now I can see another similarity. Dr. Singh is just like Siobahn. Siobhan was the closest thing that Christopher got to a therapist. That was an interesting connection to me since the illness was not enough before.
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Sebastian Cordero
10/29/2018 10:56:11 pm
I strongly agree with you when it comes to Aza talk she talk in the past but says with to confuse us like for example like you said when she said "here" like what does here stand for or what can it be a signal for.
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Jorge Zavala
12/18/2018 12:41:18 pm
That did confuse me I did not know how to take that. Speaking in the past or present I am still trying to figure this out.
Ahlyna Rivera
10/22/2018 10:05:12 pm
I like the book so far it’s very interesting with the way Aza’s mentality is with ever little thing in her body and through her body. It makes me look at things differently when I read this book. Like me being”me”.
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Ahlyna Rivera
10/22/2018 10:13:33 pm
“Anybody can look at you. It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.” This quote is a very true thing when I seen it, it spoke to me very much because I have felt this way for a long time with friends this book seems to have a lot of things that I have been mentally burdened with as well.
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Jessica Roman
10/28/2018 10:48:48 pm
I agree that this quote was very impactful. When I first read it, the quote stuck with me. It really is easy to make a personal connection with that quote because of how relevant it really is. Friends are always something that I have struggled with. Not just with making friends, but keeping GOOD friends. I think that although it is good to have friends that are different than you, and that view the world a little different than you do, it is good to have at least one best friend that sees the world with the same lens that you do.
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Lorena Villa
10/30/2018 12:08:21 pm
I strongly agree with Ahlyna in this because I also respect to this. I myself sometimes feel like I hear my stomach louder than anyone. I ask other if they heard it too and they always say no. I think this is a strong quote because I know a lot of people will be able to relate. We always think no one is going through the same thing we are but in reality, a lot of people go through the same thing.
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Gabriela Villa
10/30/2018 06:42:50 pm
I agree with Ahlyna only because everyone sees the world differently there will be people out there who will see the same world as you but it will be rare. Not everyone will be like you and that is what makes an individual unique. So like that’s why Aza is unique because she worries about herself the majority of the time .
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Jalante Honeycutt
10/30/2018 08:22:22 pm
I can agree Ahlyna I feel like this quote speaks to my life a lot, because it is different having someone to talk to. Then there is someone who you can talk to and who you can relate with. I feel this is what Davis and Aza are in the story everything they talk about they connect with. Which I can really appreciate from the book.
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Skyler Negron
10/31/2018 12:16:47 am
I agree that this quote is very accurate. The best thing about this quote is that it can be taken in many different ways. I see this quote as learning to accept one another and ourselves . We are all different in our own way which is what makes us unique. I think now a days people are afraid to be different because they feel they won’t be excepted. Aza talks about being normal but to a certain extent normal is boring and if people do not except her for who she is then that is their problem. It’s not like you can only be friends with people who are exactly like you but you want to be friends with somebody you has an open mind and is understanding.
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Julian Giron
11/1/2018 11:26:56 am
I agree because that’s all Aza wants to be “normal” but she can’t because of disorder. She just wants to be happy.
Miguel Corona
10/31/2018 11:29:21 pm
This quote also is very relatable because a lot of the times people have these different point of views when it comes to certain things, so finding someone who sees the world the same way as you do is very rare. Lots of times people feel lonely cause although they have friends and family, you are truly one of the only people who see things the way they are in your mind.
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MingdongYang
12/19/2018 08:18:05 pm
I like this quote, it's related to Aza, It is her choice to choose to do wrong or right. But always remember to never look in the past or else you will get stuck there. If it is a bad action then there will be a bad outcome.she is lonely , and really don't have a lot friends, If it is a good action there will be a good outcome. You are in charge of your destiny. I try to think this way at times but my experiences make.
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Ahlyna Rivera
10/22/2018 10:20:31 pm
“And the thing is, when you lose someone, you realize you'll eventually lose everyone." I related to this on a personal level. Aza speaks out for what I truly feel. Also the detective theme in this book is exhilarating to read.
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Lorena Villa
10/30/2018 12:12:16 pm
“When you lose someone, you realize you’ll eventually lose everyone.” Wow. This is powerful, at least to me it is. Lately, there has been a few deaths in my family just this year. It all happened so quick, I took one at shock. Having his feeling is not a good feeling. Because you lose family members, it makes it hard to live without them for a while. That’s hard and that makes me think... “who’s next?” It’s really hard losing someone you love and wonder who can be next.
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Abena Adu
10/31/2018 12:36:07 pm
Yes you right, when you lose someone ,that is when you realize you have lost everyone because only that person's death makes everyone sad and feel like there is nobody else left in the word. It is really sad to lose someone you love and is not easy to live by the fact that, that person is really gone and you can't see them again.
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Atzihri Guido
10/23/2018 02:21:18 pm
The beginning of the book really interested me. I never thought deeply of the idea that there are microbes in our body. I think Aza was a little extreme about the whole idea. I understand that there are people that have this mentality but Aza hardly ever took her medication so she could not get better. I understand how her thoughts took over. I liked the relationship that her and Davis had even though they were really open about certain things.
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Ashley Willis
10/28/2018 03:14:10 pm
This book overall has been a great book. When I first saw the cover and looking at how big the book was I thought it was going to be boring. After the first 2 chapters this book made me really want to read more. I really admire Aza personality and how unique she is. I love how close her relationships are to certain people and things. I love her as an character.
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Kristina siete
10/29/2018 12:16:59 pm
I agree with you. Reading this I think gave me another perspective on things. Like I never really thought of anyone being afraid of doing things because of being afraid of microbes. Like I know their are people who are afraid of bacteria but thinking of it their are people out probably like Aza. Also like reading about how many microbes are exchanged while kissing someone was gross and I never really thought about that. And those microbes stay with you for awhile and it just had me thinking.
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Jennifer Rios
10/29/2018 07:40:47 pm
I agree with you Atzihri about the part when you said that saca did go way more extreme than what she should of. She talks about millions of microbes that make us up and that can slowly kill her (that’s why she doesn’t want to kiss Davis). She also starts drinking hand sanitizer thinking it will make her healthier. Her anxiety was on a whole other level. This made me realize how bad anxiety can really be and how it can absolutely control a person.
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Jordan Newell
10/30/2018 07:18:41 pm
I would disagree with you about the beginning. It was slow and not as interesting as the end of the book.
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jalante honeycutt
10/30/2018 08:28:09 pm
I agree Ms. Guido the beginning of the book really interest me. I can really appreciate Davis and Aza Relationship. How it has changed and grew throughout the whole book
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Julian Giron
11/1/2018 11:27:42 am
I agree, when I first read the book it caught my attention right away.
Miguel Corona
10/31/2018 11:32:11 pm
Yes I agree with you on how the beginning of the book was actually pretty interesting. I actually found the idea of thousands of microbes and little critters inside your body kind of interesting as these little guys have roles to play in our bodies. Did she overreact? I guess she did, but Aza does have anxiety and even possibly signs of paranoia so things are much different for her.
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Atzihri Guido
10/23/2018 02:26:54 pm
"Your now is not your forever" Most people think that what is going on in their life whether good or bad would always be like that. Your actions define how you are as a person. Your experiences make you who you are. The past will always be in the past and we have to keep on moving forward because if we keep on looking back we will never grow.
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Gabriela Villa
10/30/2018 07:11:11 pm
I totally agree with Atzihri because what happens in to the past stays in the past it’s a one time thing a lot of people do not repeat. They made you one person but those problems would stay in the back and won’t come back . The good will always be good but for some people sometimes it could be bad in some kind of way. But it will make you the person you are.
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Atzihri Guido
10/23/2018 02:33:25 pm
Aza was always saying how she felt like she was fiction. She never felt real. When she told Davis this he changed her whole perspective. What makes a person real is their thoughts not their body. This is a very true statement. I think that if you are able to feel things then you are real. Aza always felt things such as pain and love. The thoughts are what leads the person to do things and without it there wouldnt be much being done. That is why actions speak louder than words. Words are just a thought. When you actually do something you are making some change in your life.
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Atzihri Guido
10/23/2018 02:39:22 pm
Aza's thoughts on love changed throughout the book. She never though she could love but at the end she knew she loved Davis. Because of the changed she was making this caused her heart to grow. She was not the kind of person to show love so she kept it inside. I can relate to her because I dont show people I love them all the time. I am not the type of person to tell someone I love them. I keep all my feelings inside and share them when I think it is the right time. Aza knew she probably won't see Davis again. That is why it's hard to love because then there is the fear that the person will leave.
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Ashley Willis
10/28/2018 05:03:53 pm
I absolutely agree with you Atzihri and the whole concept of love and how it was betrayed in this book. Its the same thing with me I cant really say I love someone because I fear something will happen or I will never get to see them. I think Aza and Davis had a true love connection since the beginning of the book. Aza Just let her thoughts and feelings get to her head sometimes which had her questioning love in the beginning.
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Atzihri Guido
10/23/2018 02:47:38 pm
"You pick your endings, not your beginnings" Throughout the whole book Aza was someone who always looked on the negative side of things. She always thought of the worst outcome. I tend to do that at times. You have the ability to change things. All it takes is just one step. It is your choice to choose to do wrong or right. But always remember to never look in the past or else you will get stuck there. Your actions influence the outcome of things. If it is a bad action then there will be a bad outcome. If it is a good action there will be a good outcome. You are in charge of your destiny. I try to think this way at times but my experiences make me doubt some things.
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Angela Ponce
10/30/2018 08:11:19 pm
I noticed that Aza did have a negative view most of the time on things and I saw a little of myself in her too. I sometimes think of the worst possible outcome to try to avoid what can be defined as 'danger' and stay in my comfort zone just like Aza tends to do. These spiral thoughts are what stopped Aza from moving forward in her relationship with Davis and controlled her actions that caused her harm. I do agree with you when you said we have the ability to change things but only partly. I do believe you get to choose whether to do good or bad but you don't get to choose whether today will be your last day or how things may develop throughout the day.
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Chantel Beltran
11/2/2018 07:04:33 am
I personally agree with Angela because I always seem to find the bad in things I don’t mean to. I guess it’s a habit at this point, but I would imagine it would be a lot worse if I had the paranoia that Aza had. Aza no only seems to be anxious but her paranoia seeps through during the reading. For example her relationship with Davis is so dysfunctional because of her paranoia.
Thao Nguyen
10/28/2018 08:56:08 am
To my way of thinking and feeling, John Green always have this style of writing that is so touching and emotional. He brings his thoughts and outlook into every single book he wrote. In this book, my favorite character is probably Davis. He has suffered from a lot of tragic incidents, mostly come from his family. “No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.” That is my favorite quotes from his meaningful blog. The book also ends with this quotes which may imply that in the future there might be some change in the relationship between Aza and Davis.
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Thao Nguyen
10/28/2018 09:10:32 am
While reading the book, I figure out that John Green is somehow a crazy man. This personality of him is revealed throughout his character. For instance, Davis’ father is going to leave his entire estate to the tuatara instead of his children. Aza drinks the hand sanitizer. Davis says that he wants to write a fiction about Aza’s butt. Those are all the parts of the story that I found ridiculous and entertaining. This is the type of book which can make you laugh and cry at the same time.
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Thao Nguyen
10/28/2018 09:42:21 am
In Turtle all the way down, Aza is the protagonist of the book but she does not impress me at all. In my opinion, she is too ordinary and not really an interesting person. I have read Paper Town which is also written by John Green. The main female character is Margo and her characteristics are more impressive in comparison to Aza. She is adventurous, brave and mysterious. However, I think that John Green is able to create Aza a more alluring person but he chose not to do that. Because if he did, the meaning of story will be different.
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Thao Nguyen
10/28/2018 09:52:31 am
I personally think that the ending of Turtle all the way down is unpredictable. At the very beginning, I hope that they will find out where Davis’s dad is so Noah and Davis are able to meet their dad again. Eventually, Davis’s dad was dead and they have to move to another place to leave and Davis could not continue his love story with Aza. It is sort of a sad ending though while the readers always seek for a happy one. But sometimes, the ending is sad but it might be a good one since it gives us a lot of priceless lessons that the happy ending might not give.
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Ashley Willis
10/28/2018 04:47:01 pm
The ending was very sad and heartbreaking. Not only knowing that Davis and Noah father is dead but they will never get to see him. They then like you stated had to go away. I know that I am a very sensitive person and I will not be able to hold with all the memories in the house. I would eventually have to leave also. I also loved the part when Davis gave Aza the painting that she had really liked when she was a their home. That was very nice and considerate.
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Thao Nguyen
10/28/2018 10:07:22 am
In my opinion, the main attraction of the entire book is definitely Davis’s blog. His flow of thoughts really impresses me as I always have to read the parts again and again. He is not a regular shallow man. His personality is shaped by the domestic tough environment. By the virtue of that environment, Davis becomes a really strong and profound person. “The worst part of being truly alone is you think about all the times you wished that everyone would just leave you be. Then they do, and you are left being, and you turn out to be terrible company.” I feel sorry for him that he technically doesn’t have anybody by his side and he has to suffer all this stuff all alone.
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Chantel Beltran
11/2/2018 07:00:36 am
It’s honestly really sad that he has to go through his fathers death all on his own. It’s also really puzzling because some people say that Aza is the main attraction in this book, but honestly in my point of view, without Davis’ blog there is no Aza. Davis’ blog and Davis in general is the Main character, the protagonist.
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Ashley Willis
10/28/2018 04:07:26 pm
There were some things I did not like about the book. I didn't like how it took a long time to get to the point of that chapter. Its always great to use details but to help the reader get a better understanding of whats going on but I think it just dragged the chapter out to much. I also think Aza thoughts and spirals hold her back from certain goals in the book.
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Jessica Roman
10/28/2018 10:37:32 pm
I agree with you. I think that the chapters did drag a bit. There were some details that I thought were needed just to not completely bore the reader, but some of them caused the chapter to steer away from the main point and caused it to be unnecessarily long. I also think that Aza's thought spirals were necessary, I think that including those in the chapter kept reminding the reader about how serious Aza's condition was and how bad it had become. Aza mentions in the book that she believes that the number of times the therapist requests on seeing you determines how crazy you are. She mentions that her trips to the therapist have gotten more frequent and I think that the thought spirals and her constant anxiety really instill that into the reader.
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Jordan Newell
10/30/2018 07:17:10 pm
I agree with you too. The chapters in this book can drag on at some points. This is one of the few negatives things about the book, but it happens to many times.
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Gabriela Villa
10/30/2018 07:26:52 pm
I totally agree with Ashley to get to the main idea of the chapter they really do take a long time. They add so many information that’s important but sometimes it’s just a lot that the person reading it sometimes don’t want to read the whole thing to get to the main idea. That makes them seem not interested in what the chapter is going to be about.
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Lam Nguyen
10/30/2018 10:17:36 pm
I totally agree with Ashley about this point, to much detail is not bad but it also not very good. It make the reader feel bore and lose their interested in the book.
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Ashley Willis
10/28/2018 04:30:18 pm
I also admire the plot of the story. Daisy is a crazy but adventurous person which drives the plot. Daisy really likes fan fiction and through that Aza discovers somethings about Daisy. I feel as if Daisy really didn't like Aza lifestyle or things she do she could have just told her that. They have been best friend for to long. This tension leads to them getting in a car accident. This again could have been prevented if Daisy would have just spoken up. I am really happy that Daisy apologizes for her actions and they both make up.
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Moshay Turner
10/28/2018 05:15:55 pm
I am so glad that the all school reading book was fiction because I feel like it's good to not think so literal all of the time. I automatically became addicted to the fascinating plot. When I first began Turtles All The Way Down, I was very confused about Aza. I figured out that she was mentally unstable in a very uncommon way. Also I loved how this book contained a mystery that is solved in pieces through out the book. The mystery of what happened to Davis's father is what kept me invested to the very end. Another first impression is that I thought it was fascinating that the author exposes the main character's explicit thoughts instead of keeping them hidden. Some of things that Aza thinks about on a daily basis were quite knew to me.
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Moshay Turner
10/28/2018 05:43:01 pm
the**
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Jennifer Rios
10/29/2018 07:46:40 pm
I also liked the story and I was also very happy they chose this book as an all school book. I also enjoyed how the author would say all of Aza’s thoughts. I liked the parts where Aza was fighting or arguing with another voice in her head. It made it seemed like it was a complete different person.
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Moshay Turner
10/28/2018 05:31:38 pm
In my opinion I believe that John Green did a good job of building the relationship between Aza and Davis. It starts off with Daisy mentioning the fact that Russel Pickett, Davis's father, has gone missing. Daisy's sole purpose of mentioning this is because she knew that there would be a reward for finding Russel Pickett. As the reader, I thought the book was just going to be about Daisy and Aza investigating Davis. I was so intrigued to find out that Aza and Daisy had some history together at a camp. "Anybody can look at you. It's rare find someone who sees the same world you see."-page 9. From this point on, I knew that Davis was one of the most important people in Aza's life.
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Kristina Siete
10/29/2018 12:21:08 pm
I totally agree Moshay. I thought the book was just going to be on Daisy and Aza and didn’t really expect Davis to be an important person in Aza’s life. Especially with her mental health I didn’t think she would want him to be apart of her life. I onl y thought they were going to investigate him and probably like turn in his dad and it was nothing like that. And that quote is an amazing quote and it is so true anyone can just look at you but when you find someone that sees the same world as you is amazing and Aza found that Davis.
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Moshay Turner
10/28/2018 06:02:37 pm
I truly admire the amount of patience Aza displays with her bestfriend Daisy. Daisy doesn't understand what Aza goes through everyday until the very end of the book. One day, Aza finally reads one of Daisy's fanfiction. Aza finds out that the character Ayala is based off her personality. "Ayala, Aza. Beginning of the alphabet to the end and back. Gave her compulsions. Gave her my personality. Anyone reading it would know how you really feel about me."-page 214. I take Aza's side because she is trapped within herself and unable to think like a normal human being. I get that Aza didn't even know basic facts about Daisy but honestly Daisy should have told Aza how she felt in person. I do believe that it is worse to find out that someone is talking about you from a third party or source.
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Jessica Roman
10/28/2018 10:21:27 pm
I agree with you Moshay. This part of the book really shocked me. I was not expecting Daisy to be this rude or fake towards Aza. I was surprised to find out that Daisy felt this way about her "best friend's" mental condition. I would think that Daisy would be more accepting towards her best friend and not make it a big deal since Aza is her best friend and because they have been friends for a bit. I did not like Daisy from the beginning of the book. I thought she always had some attitude about her and figuring out who she was as a character through the book was something very interesting. I do also agree with you that Aza must have felt even worse about the situation because Daisy did not tell her to face and instead Aza had top find out from a third party source.
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Moshay Turner
10/28/2018 06:30:44 pm
While reading Turtle All the Way Down, I really understand the title as best as I could. I was so glad that the author included this short story on a conspiracy that the world is sitting on a turtle's back. "Mr. Scientist, but the truth is, the earth is a flat plane resting on the back of a turtle'. "The Scientist decides to have a little fun with the old woman and responds, 'Well, but if that's so, what is the giant turtle standing upon?'....It's Turtles all the way down.'" This quote is so important to the story because Aza spends a good portion of her time trying to figure out the "real her". I think this is a perfect character for many teens today because we are all trying to find ourselves and the person we hope to become. Sometimes we are a little lost about who we want to be and Turtles all the Way Down shows that it's okay to feel this way.
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Moshay Turner
10/28/2018 06:49:58 pm
The end of the book did not particularly leave off on a good or a bad note. Personally, feel like there should be a part to because I want to know if Aza and Davis ever get to see each other again. I also want to see how Aza's condition affects her over time and if she ever will get better. I also enjoyed seeing how Davis has matured from the beginning to the end of the book. At first, he was this awkward rich kid but then he turned out to be this romantic,cool person. This is shown in the end when he gives Aza a painting he stole from his dad's lizard. I also recognized that Aza matured and officially realized how important mental illness is by starting a special alliance for it
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Jalen Gomez
10/30/2018 08:43:59 pm
I agree. I think that there was definitely a possibility Aza’s condition improved with the help of Daisy and Davis. I strongly believe that these three main characters all grew and benefitted from their interactions. A second book would be very much appreciated to see how much they have changed and/or stayed the same over time.
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Moshay Turner
10/28/2018 06:52:26 pm
part two**
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Jessica Roman
10/28/2018 10:11:36 pm
I thought the book was very confusing towards the beginning. Figuring out each character was a little easier, but the beginning Aza's mental illness was a bit confusing. Since the book doesn't explain she has a mental illness until a few more pages, I was very intrigued as to why her way of thinking was this way. I liked the fact that John Green incorporated this characteristic into our main character because it's not something that we get to see very often as readers of modern writing.
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Aaron Trinidad
10/31/2018 03:16:22 am
I agree with you. I think that Aza having a mental illness kind of threw me off since it was introduced in such a weird way in the beginning of the book. After reading a few chapters however I found that I was becoming more fascinated than thrown off. Her character is not something I have seen in a lot of books that I have read. I loved that the author made her the main character so that we can go through her struggles with her and we can try and understand why she is the way she is. I would love to read more books like this because it puts you in a different perspective and challenges you to think differently.
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Jessica Roman
10/28/2018 10:42:23 pm
I personally think that Davis had a positive outcome on Aza's life although she didn't think so. I remember Aza saying that if loving someone wasn't making her any better than what would? I think she was incorrect. I think that Davis was actually helping Aza out. I noticed that after Davis and Aza hung out more, Aza was beginning to follow the rules that her therapist would give her and actually do what she was told. Although she was stubborn about it, and saw everything pretty negatively, I believe that Davis was a big help through Aza's hard times.
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Kristina Siete
10/29/2018 12:08:21 pm
I totally agree on that Davis was had a positive outcome on Aza. Even though she saw everything in a negative way she still did things because I guess of Davis. Like for example, she thought kissing Davis could kill her but she wanted to really bad and even though she thought kissing would “kill her” she still did it and I think Davis taught Aza how to be more open I guess and how to love and care for someone.
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Kristina Siete
10/29/2018 12:04:50 pm
When I first got the book I thought the entire book would be based on turtles. The title is way different then what the book is genuinely about. Reading the first chapter was sort of boring to me and I really didn’t want to continue reading it but reading more and more of it, it got more interesting.
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Jennifer Rios
10/29/2018 07:52:24 pm
I also thought the book was going to be about turtles or something related to them but when I started reading this was not the case at all. When I got to chapter 21 I found out why they called it like that. Turtles all the way down was actually a phrase in a story told by Daisy to Aza and thanks to that story Aza and Daisy became closer and more trusting with each other.
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Lorena Villa
10/30/2018 12:02:25 pm
I agree with Kristina. The title made it seem as if the book would be all about turtles. That to me, made it not interesting. The first chapter was not quite as interesting as the others but it continues to get better as I read it.
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Kristina Siete
10/29/2018 12:11:44 pm
Davis coming into Aza life changed her. It changed her because even though she still had all those thoughts in her head she still changed a little. She was more open in a way. The things she did after meeting Davis are probably things she would have never done if she had not met Davis. Especially kissing another human begin because of all those microbes exchanging, but she wanted to and she did it.
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Jennifer Rios
10/29/2018 07:58:41 pm
I really enjoyed this book because the characters were our age and we could sort of relate to what is happening and in their lives. I really loved the part where the author would include Aza’s thoughts and made it seem like Aza was arguing with someone else. This story made me realize how horrible anxiety can be and if not treated properly it can lead to some bad consequences. This book also taught me a lot about relationships. Relationships with a partner, relationships with your sibling and relationships with your parents. There was so many stuff going on we th Aza and that’s what I liked about this story. There was no boring part, there was always something happening.
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Jennifer Rios
10/29/2018 08:08:40 pm
After finishing up the book I realized that this book is now one of my favorites. I loved and hated the ending at the same time. I loved when Aza and Daisy finally found out what the jogger’s mouth meant and found Davis’s dad. The part I hated was that Davis left. Honestly I thought Aza and him would have been great together but it is what it is and Davis made a good choice in reporting his dead father. It was good for him and his brother. I hate how Davis and Aza has to separate. I also thought the note he left on the huge box he gave her was funny and the gift he gave her was really sweet and thoughtful of him. It showed that their relationship was real and how it might even continue even if they are miles away.
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Carla Zepeda
10/30/2018 08:59:53 pm
I most definitely agree with you Jennifer, I also considered this book to be one of my favorites. Even though there had to have been something to hate about the ending, and that for me was Davis leaving. I really thought that him and Aza were really cute together and he was so patient and understanding with her. When they found out what Jogger’s Mouth meant and where it was that also made me so happy, but not the fact that Davis’ father was dead.
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Angela Ponce
10/29/2018 08:50:46 pm
While reading Turtles All the Way Down, I wondered how Daisy and Aza were best friends. I understand that “opposites attract” but being too opposite from one other can disrupt any relationship. Daisy is outgoing, funky and loves nerdy things like Star Wars while Aza usually keeps to herself and only has her mother as family unlike Daisy. It wasn’t until I got closer to the end when I realized their friendship works because Daisy’s constant talking fills Aza with comfort. For example, Aza says on page 66, “So often nothing could deliver me from fear, but then sometimes, just listening to Daisy did the trick.” Although Aza is sure her cognitive disorder cannot be healed, Daisy’s conversation help her feel some sort of stability.
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10/30/2018 02:57:24 pm
I kinda wondered how they were best friends too because Aza never really seems interested in Star wars or a lot of other things Daisy is into. It kinda annoyed me throughout the book.
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Emaya Bassett
10/31/2018 08:13:07 pm
I agree with you as well, they really don’t have a lot of similarities to be best friends. Right before the car crash they were having an argument that was intense. In my opinion Daisy seemed a little of Aza because she has more money, opportunities and etc than Daisy.
Jordan Newell
10/30/2018 05:24:43 pm
I would have to agree with you on this. Just before the car crash we get a agressive interaction between Aze and Dasiy. Even though the crash was traumatic foe the both of them, but that shouldn't have changed what was said.
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Jalen Gomez
10/30/2018 08:01:13 pm
I agree. I wondered the same thing. How could these two characters be so different, yet compliment one another. Although they had different types of personalities, they had a connection. Daisy is more outgoing, while Aza is more to herself. Despite their differences, they both have found an outlet to express themselves. Daisy and Aza both relied on one another, regardless of what was going on. Thus, they were never able to be themselves without each other.
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Kevin Perez
10/30/2018 10:02:24 pm
I also agree with Angela because they both had different mindsets and goals. They both did not really had much in common. Aza had a fixed mindset where she didn't really step out her comfort zone meanwhile Daisy had a growth mindset, were she had plans for the future and was always everywhere in the book doing many different things. Daisy was more outgoing than Aza because she likes to live a crazy life, dating and spending money too.
Abena Adu
10/31/2018 12:42:48 pm
I agree with you Angela. They have nothing in common to be best friends because Daisy is more loud than Aza and she likes Star wars but Aza do not like Star wars.
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Ho Kwan Cheng
12/19/2018 07:23:43 pm
I had the same question as you at the very beginning but I realized my best friend is also completely different than me. I think sometimes it doesn't have to fit each other in order to become best friends, relationships are amazing, it doesn't need a reason to start a relationship with someone. It could be the way that you feel when you're hanging out with them, but it is usually the ones who make you feel comfortable to be your best friend.
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Angela Ponce
10/29/2018 09:05:56 pm
I knew I would like Turtles All the Way Down because John Green is the author. His books usually have an unconventional ending such as this one. Aza didn’t end up with Davis and Davis’ father had died leaving his children none of his inheritance but their lives were on road to healing. They were getting better such as one of Davis’ post when he says life goes on. Aza had started to recover from her anxiety and only needed to see Dr.Singh every 4 weeks while Davis was making sure his brother Noah was getting it together and helping him out. I honestly thought the book had a good ending.
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Angela Ponce
10/29/2018 09:20:54 pm
An aspect of the book that I enjoyed to read was about Aza’s disorder because it gave me an insight to what I hadn’t know before. I had known anxiety was a serious condition but didn’t understand how crippling and affecting it could be on a person’s daily life. What truly surprised me the most was when I read how Aza could be harming herself in ways that seemed to be evidently wrong to us but not to a person with anxiety. Aza would daily open her wound and not let it heal because her intrusive thoughts would tell her to “disinfect” it. The most harm that seemed extreme to me was when Aza drank hand-sanitizer not only once but twice because her brain told her to. It was interesting to see how Aza would try to fight off the thoughts and avoid them but they would take control in the end.
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Aaron Trinidad
10/31/2018 03:06:37 am
I was also very fascinated by Aza continuously opening her wound to see if it was healed. Although, it is ironic because it probably could never fully heal because she was checking it and touching it so often. I wonder if the wound represented something or if it made a connection with something in the story that we did not notice. I did wonder throughout the book if the author was trying to tell us something because she continuously checked her wound. Especially after or during one of her spirals.
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Thu Duong
10/29/2018 10:07:13 pm
In my opinion, Daisy is kind of a friend that everyone should have. I really like her personality and how she treats Aza. Although Aza has psychology illness, Daisy still stay with her as a best best friend. Daisy helps Aza and Davis have more chances to be together. She also tries her best to catch up Aza. Like, she buys a new car, a new laptop, just because Aza got all of that and Daisy wants to be the same as Aza. Besides, Daisy is an emotional girl. She cares about Aza and being upset when Aza seems like doesn't know anything about her. What a great friend!
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Thu Duong
10/29/2018 10:08:26 pm
Davis is a wonderful guy. He is very nice to Aza and he knows a lot of stuff about the sky and stars. That is one of the reason why I like Davis because I like watching the stars at night and study about the them by myself through internet and books, just like him. He seems like a romantic guy because he writes blogs and does poetries. Although he has a luxury life but he is very lonely, his mom died since he was a kid and now is his dad. Davis and Noah become orphans then. I hope that they will have a better life after his dad’s death.
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Thu Duong
10/29/2018 10:09:36 pm
The ending of the story makes me sad a lot. It surprises me when Davis tells Aza he has to move to another place. The point is that Aza and Davis do have feelings for each other but they can’t be a couple till the end. Maybe in the future, they will meet again just like the way they meet now through many years. “...no one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.” If they want to see each other again, they will. So after all, it does not a sad ending as I thought but it still makes me upset and concern.
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Thu Duong
10/29/2018 10:10:55 pm
Aza’s mother is one of the best mom of the world. She loves Aza very much and does care about her. When Aza is injured by an accident, her mom takes care for her overnight at the hospital. Moreover, when she knows Aza and Davis are being together, she gets worried because in her view, mostly rich guy like Davis is not good and will be harmed to her daughter. All she wants to do is to protect her daughter from dangerous.
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Thu Duong
10/29/2018 10:11:48 pm
In my opinion, Turtles All The Way Down is one of the book that I like most. The story is so meaningful and sad. It shows the beauty of love in family, friendship and love. Moreover, there are a lot of quotes that I like, “We never really talked much or even looked at each other, but it didn't matter because we were looking at the same sky together, which is maybe even more intimate than eye contact anyway. I mean, anybody can look at you. It's quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.” It is such a soft story of love that makes me smile when I am reading it, I like the way Davis shows his love to Aza and how Aza think about that, because she has never loved before.
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Sebastian Cordero
10/29/2018 10:51:50 pm
For me this book is not very interesting but it does has some really good events that make me want to change my mind. i believe that aza is a very confusing character in this story but a very self centered person.
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Sebastian cordero
10/29/2018 11:01:31 pm
This was more of a romantic story which is very surprising because romantic stories are not really read in high school for all school book so i was surprised so much when i was in the first couple chapters. The book so far is getting better then the first thought i had of it when i started reading it. the love life of Aza and Davis is pretty complicated but it works out with all there movie dates and everything leaning to kissing.
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Sebastian cordero
10/29/2018 11:12:20 pm
this story has no twists because everything is straight to the point and we wish we all were simple clear for other to understand but were not. We are so different that causes problems and change the future or the cause/ dreams of others.
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Nayanna smith
10/30/2018 02:39:51 pm
I feel that Aza's disorder is really a hindearance to her life. I do not believe that she will ever be able to go out enjoy life without constanstly wondering about will she catch germs from someone. She will not be a bike to date or really start a family for fear of getting a disease before or after she is with a somebody. I feel her disease will eventually start pushing people away from her because they won't be able to understand why her disease is so serious to her.
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Jordan Newell
10/30/2018 05:07:25 pm
Her disorder is something that is definitely a hindrance to her life, but I don't think she will continue with this trait. She has changed form the beginning of the book, not much, but still changed. It won't be soon, but she will overcome this.
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Yadira Santoyo
10/30/2018 10:34:20 pm
I don't agree with you Nayanna, I feel like Aza can recover and still enjoy life even though she has her disorder. I feel like she has so much support around her life that she recover and enjoy life even though there is going to be difficulties along the way.
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Abena Adu
10/31/2018 12:45:53 pm
I agree with you Nayanna, I also felt like people won'y even come close to her anymore because of her disorder and I even thought her own mom will give up on her.
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10/30/2018 02:40:05 pm
This book is actually pretty good. I wasn't really interested in any book that was written by John green but I actually liked it a lot. There were parts where i completely understood Aza and wanted Daisy to understand what shes dealing with. But there were also parts in the book where I wanted Aza to try to think about other people other than herself. I was really surprised by this book
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10/30/2018 02:46:17 pm
I really liked how the author portrayed the conversations Aza has with herself. It was really on point and gave me an insight to how Aza thinks and why she cant seem to escape herself. At the climax where Aza gives in to the voice inside, the author really captured how Aza convinces herself to do things she doesn't really want to do because of her mental state.Seeing the conversations back and forth between Aza and her inner self were my favorite parts of this book
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Kevin Perez
10/30/2018 02:51:20 pm
I really liked this book, but the main character, Aza is the character I hated the most. Everything bothered, disgusted her. She is just so lame through pout the whole book, most of the time the book was doing good until Aza ruins it, she doesn't Daisy have fun with the money they got
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Eric Sanders
10/31/2018 12:03:03 am
I totally disagree with you Mr. Kevin. Yeah she was lame and all but maybe that was her personality. She had lot of stuff going on with her through the whole book so you can't really blame her.
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10/30/2018 02:52:32 pm
Even though Aza is the main character, I was really happy when Daisy told her how Aza really is sometimes. In my opinion i think Aza is a little self centered and never considers how her mental state affects her best friend. Aza didn't understand on why Daisy really wanted the Money and judged her whenever she bought something. Daisy had every right to be mad but she also didn't have to write about Aza like that online. This book really makes it hard to hate a character. I don't hate any of these two but i came close.
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10/30/2018 02:55:02 pm
Honestly if there was one person i hated in this book, it was Davis. He was kind of annoying throughout the whole thing. If he wanted to find his dad for Noah so much.....why didn't he help Aza?? He always assumed everyone just wanted his money and that kind of makes him annoying throughout the book.
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Eric Sanders
10/30/2018 02:57:01 pm
Overall I liked everything about the book. John Green did a great job with the characters in all. My favorite was when Davis came back at the toward the end of the book to surprise Aza after a long time. That was cute and lovely what he did.
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Kiwane Scott
10/31/2018 03:26:49 pm
I agree this is overall a great book its crazy how the two characters don't have anything in common and What he did at the end of the book was so romantic. I like this book so much that i keep reading it over and over
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Jordan Newell
10/30/2018 05:14:38 pm
When looking at Davis as a character in the book, he is somewhat useless to Aze and the others. He is a major plot mover and his traits did attract Aze to date him for a short time, but the story could have still gone on with out him.
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Jalen Jordan
12/11/2018 10:43:17 pm
I agree with there, it kind of feels like Davis' character is just there for a some type of odd love interest for Aza. Even though knowing Aza's personality and her mind that wouldn't be able to work so that plot segment could have replaced with something else that develops Aza and Daisy's relationship.
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Jalen Gomez
10/30/2018 06:56:59 pm
This book started off strong. The reader is immediately engaged as the main character, Aza, is introduced. I was intrigued by Aza and the way she processes things. For example, her anxiety with bacterium. I never really thought about this type of disorder can truly affect a person’s life. The author allowed the reader to truly get a snippet of what life is like for Aza and how it completely affects all aspects in her life, including her thoughts and actions.
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Jalen Gomez
10/30/2018 07:30:43 pm
The earlier parts of the book led the reader to assume what the ending would be. I was definitely able to see the foreshadowing of Aza and Davis under the cloudy sky. The story initially read more like a mystery. The story transitioned from mystery to more of a drama between characters and various side stories. I believe the story really sidetracked from its original storyline. I don’t believe it was a bad idea to go this route. I just feel that the author should have found a way to keep the mystery of Mr.Pickett’s whereabouts more consistent as an idea throughout the story. I believe this would have improved the storyline.
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Gabriel Hader
10/31/2018 02:22:56 pm
I also agree with you here. I wish the author would have focused more on the mystery aspect rather than the drama aspect of the book. That way the book would have been more interesting to read. When the book started to switch to drama it became boring really fast. And finding out about Mr. Pickett was very anticlimactic.
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Emely Martinez
10/30/2018 07:39:13 pm
What I thought about in the book the most is the way Aza and David love was they didn’t really express it much. Aza will be all quiet about she’ll never tell him how she felt like. And i can connect towards that because in my point of view I’ll always be like that at times and just won’t tell the person how i felt towards them. I’ll think about the many problems that can happen if i did and when they leave it’s even worst because there’s no way of telling them how you feel. and the more you think about it it’s harder to not tell them and to keep it a secret. And there will be a point where you will tell them how you feel it can cause problems cause they won’t feel the same or they will and it’ll be good.
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Angela Ponce
10/30/2018 07:58:41 pm
Turtles All the Way Down was a great book and I would recommend it to anyone asking for a good read because there were many occasions that it became relatable. The relationship between an older and younger sibling such as Davis and Noah hit home since being the youngest of two, I can relate. It was really interesting to read from an older siblings prospective on circumstances. For example, Davis is worried seeing his brother cling to the hope that their father will call or try to contact them. Also, when Aza tells Davis she might know where his father is, he ends up telling Noah about it to try to give him closure even though it’d cost them the money. I found this to be the case with my sister and I. She is always looking out for me and trying to fill the role of a young parent towards me.
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Jalen Gomez
10/30/2018 08:24:51 pm
I believe that Daisy and Davis especially really helped Aza deal with her anxiety and illnesses. Although there were moments that they did run into problems with one another, they also brought her out of her shell and relieve the stress and bad from her daily life. Daisy always kept her calm and reassured she would always be there, while Davis kept her intrigued and focused on her education and family life. Regardless, the two truly helped Aza grow from the person she was in the beginning of the book, till the very end.
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Aaron Jaszczor
10/31/2018 09:00:52 am
I definitely agree with you, Davis and Daisy played a huge role when it came down to assisting Aza's illness. They helped her get through her day to day life and they often made Daisy get out of her comfort zone which exposed her to new things.
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Gabriel Hader
10/31/2018 01:56:14 pm
I also agree with what you said. It is for sure unfortunate that Aza has anxiety and illness but she is lucky enough to have really good friends to surround herself with. She would definitely have a had a harder time if it were not for them by her side. Both Davis and Daisy helped pushed her out of her comfort zone and ended up trying new things.
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Carla Zepeda
10/30/2018 08:41:34 pm
When I first started reading this book, it caught my attention pretty quick. I believe it’s because this book involves a teenager that’s in high school, and those are the types of books I like, where I can somewhat relate to what’s going on. At first my thoughts on Aza would be that she isn’t weird at all because in the way that she overthinks mostly everything, and gets nervous, I could relate to that. Although personally, her mind and thoughts are probably a little exaggerated. I personally found this book to be an easy read or easy to understand what’s going on in the book.
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Carla Zepeda
10/30/2018 08:43:34 pm
Elaborating more on Aza’s illness, I wonder why she is so terrified of having C.diff, like out of all the things to be afraid of, why bacteria? I understand that she doesn’t like it in general and it makes her paranoid about getting sick and dying from it. Especially with the thought of her finger being infected if she doesn’t reapply hand sanitizer and a new band-aid. I just find it kind of aggravating that her thoughts convince her that she needs to change the band-aid, or even wash her mouth after she would kiss Davis. That’s probably the only thing I don’t like about her illness, that her thoughts can be so cruel to her and make her feel and do things she doesn’t deserve or is even necessary.
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jalante honeycutt
10/30/2018 08:45:51 pm
Overall I really did like the book. I liked how all of the characters within the book changed and evolved over time. My favorite part of the book would have to be the detective sections within the book, where everyone is looking for Mr. Pickett and trying to figure out how and where have possibly have gone. I was shocked when his body was found dead in the river that was really messed up. I thought it was also messed up when he said if there was anything to happen to him all of the money, the house and the company would go to his pet tuatara. How would you spend money on a pet before caring for your own children. The book was really good in my opinion. I would rate this book a 5/5 and I would recommend this to a friend .
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Chantel
10/31/2018 09:01:15 am
I definitely agree with you about the whole detective piece of this book because I feel like most books just completely ignore or just completely not explain the investigation piece at all. Another thing that puzzled me would be why Mr. Pickett left his money to his pet tuatara. I would think that after leaving this earth he would want to leave his kids well off so they wouldn't struggle.
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Carla Zepeda
10/30/2018 08:50:10 pm
Coming closer to the end of this book, I still haven’t gotten why John Green gave this book the title “Turtles All The Way Down.” The name came across in a chapters, but I didn’t understand the meaning behind it. Aza said it was a story that her mother told her, but turtles all the way down? From what I can assume, I believe it refers to Aza’s thoughts and her illness; meaning like her mind is on repeat. Her overthinking, her paranoia of bacteria is never going to end, no matter what medication she takes, or what therapy she goes to. She’ll eventually feel better, but it’ll always be apart of her.
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Yushan Chen
10/30/2018 09:08:13 pm
I don't know why is turtles all the way down neither. I think this whole book have no connection with the name. maybe it just wants to say Aza tried to get rid of her anxiety and disgusting bacteria, she went to doctors to get help but that's helpless. Aza keep herself in anxiety and disgusting all the time just like turtles all the way go down, never get rid of it.
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Yadira Santoyo
10/30/2018 10:41:51 pm
I agree with you Carla, I also didn't really figure out why this title is the name of this book. It was pretty confusing because it doesn't really make sense and have any connection with Aza's disorder
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Yushan Chen
10/30/2018 08:59:41 pm
Aza is complex and contradictory. She has anxiety and that tortures her every day. She always thinking about the facticity of herself, she is created by someone and play the role in someone else's scenario. She fears the cut on her finger can not heal anymore. Also fears ubiquitous bacteria. She can even enjoy a kiss with Davis just because of the bacteria. Aza is very special than others. And that's how we have this Turtles All The Way Down.
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Emaya Bassett
10/31/2018 08:06:15 pm
I agree with you as well, aza being feared of microbacteria was really shocking to me. Not a lot of books write a plot twist like this and it was really refreshing. She suffers from a lot of anxiety and depression and it was really relatable to me.
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Carla Zepeda
10/30/2018 09:02:57 pm
I loved the ending of Turtles All The Way Down, John Green couldn’t have said it better. The way he wrapped the entire story up within a couple of paragraphs was so good. I liked how he made it feel like Aza was talking to us directly, at least to me it felt like that. Although I am shocked with the fact that Mr. Pickett has been dead this whole time in which it does make sense because there was no trace of communication from him whatsoever. I really loved the relationship Davis and Aza had, and I’m upset that he’s moving and they won’t end up together but it’s understandable.
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Yadira Santoyo
10/30/2018 09:15:05 pm
I started to love this book after a few chapters in, it was okay the first 2-3 chapters but for some reason I thought it was a bit boring but I surprisingly really enjoyed this book, mainly because I became interested in Aza I can relate to her when she has so many thoughts running through her mind, and she's also the type who doesn't really talk much but has talks too much in her head.
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Tiara Lloyd
10/31/2018 03:49:04 pm
I agree with you on the fact that the beginning chapters did start off a bit slow. I have a short attention span when in general so the slow beginning chapters took me a while to read because of that. I also agree with your statement about Aza and how she talks more in her head than to people in the book.
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Linh Nguyen
10/30/2018 09:41:58 pm
"Turtle All The Way Down" is generally a great book. I know John Green for his amazingly touching book named "The Fault in Our Starts", so I thought this book was going to be good as well. I'm glad it has been chosen for our school book. I love John Green's twist endings. It was quite upsetting when Davis and Aza could not make it together, but they are good friends to each others. I love the way John Green builds up his characters. They are not simply high school kids, but they have their own stories, weakens, special characteristics that define who they are. For example, Davis, he might seems like every other rich kid but his family is broken. The way John Green writes book is special because it makes me feel like everything is worth caring, everything is possible and it all matters.
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Kevin Perez
10/30/2018 09:43:05 pm
I really like Turtles All the Way Down because many can relate to the characters. They are typical high students that go through many thing during their high school career. It can also relate to other students because they might not accept the way they are like Aza does to her self. Not only their high school experience can relate but also when they are outside of school both in the book and regular high school student.
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Damian Yelvington
10/30/2018 09:48:05 pm
When I started to read the book the first thing that stuck out to me was the main character. It was interesting to me that we didn’t find out her name or gender until later. But we did find out what she liked and the habits she had. But the main character made the book a little more enjoyable to me.
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Aaron Jaszczor
10/31/2018 08:53:47 am
Once I read the part about her gender I instantly came to a conclusion that she was going to be like every other delusional transgender person in today's world. I thought that the whole digging her finger into her thumb was disgusting and when she drank the hand sanitizer. Who in the right mind does that type of stuff.
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Gabriel Hader
10/31/2018 01:59:19 pm
I also agree with you. When is started to read the book I didn't think much of the main character. She seemed a little weird and really stood out to me. I have never read a book with this weird of a character before.
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Emaya Bassett
10/31/2018 08:01:57 pm
I agree with you as well, usually the author introduce the character in the beginning of the book. Aza really made the book more interesting with her character traits. She was a really fascinating character and I would introduce this book to someone else.
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Kevin Perez
10/30/2018 09:48:12 pm
At first I thought that the book was going to be about trying to solve a murder mystery because on the first couple of chapter Aza and Daisy try to gather information of the "death or escape" of Mr. Pickett. But at the end of the day it was more like a relationship, friendship, and some mystery type of book. It made the book interesting because it had many things to pay attention at.
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Kevin Perez
10/30/2018 09:57:40 pm
The ending was not what I was expecting. I thought it was never going to talk about Mr.Pickett again, but it did end up talking about his death. The ending had its pros and its con. Some pros are that it was for the good of Noah for Davis to tell where his father was at, Aza started to like her self a but more because of Davis post, and Daisy and Aza got close again because they were both the ones that were running the book. Some cons is that Aza and Davis would never be close together again, meaning that Aza goes back to her normal life, and not having the life she had with all the drama and Davis.
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heidy araujo
11/5/2018 08:49:27 am
I agree with you kevin, the ending was not as I expected as well. There is many pros and cons and I think that’s how it is in every book but these pros and cons are unique from any other book.
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Lam Nguyen
10/30/2018 10:00:29 pm
So, when I first saw this book, It gonna be something that not about mental illness, but it is. This is my first book about mental illness, it change all of my impression about mental illness.
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Mikela Arroyo
10/30/2018 10:06:17 pm
I enjoyed the novel because it had a different ending than most teenage novels with their endings. It was not an ending where one of the main characters dies or the girl gets the guy but rather she gets something even better which is self care and self love. Although the story included a crime the true story was of Aza and how she handled her illness.
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Chantel Beltran
10/31/2018 09:25:55 am
I agree in the fact that this book had a different twist then what most young adult novels have nowadays. Especially because Aza speaks about her anxiety and how she thinks of herself and she deals with herself its not everyday we get insights on how people really deal with anxiety. This book not only touches on this subject but it also changes her behavior which can be seen change during the book.
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heidy araujo
10/31/2018 04:59:20 pm
i also enjoyed the novel because i feel like it is very interesting and unique.
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Emaya Bassett
10/31/2018 07:57:45 pm
I agree with you as well, I really enjoyed this book and the ending. Aza was going through a lot and the ending really opened my eyes. The fact that she got trough her hard times really inspired me.
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Lam Nguyen
10/30/2018 10:10:22 pm
I also love the way John Green create the friendship between Aza and Daisy. Even though their personality are so different, like water and fire, they still get along with each other very well. I'm very admire their friendship, it unbreakable.
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Yadira Santoyo
10/30/2018 10:11:32 pm
I believe that John Green is a excellent author, he really made Aza come to life and can take the readers feel how she feels when she talks to herself and why she worries about small things, many people can learn from this book and can see how anxiety is really a big thing that a lot of people have, and not many people really don't know how they are feeling it can be hard to relate to them because nowadays not many people care about anything around us and worry about many things.
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Ahlyna Rivera
10/30/2018 10:15:55 pm
At the end of the book I literally wanted to cry because of the end of the love with Davis and Aza. As well as finding out that Davis’s dad died that was a major twist.
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Ahlyna Rivera
10/30/2018 10:25:18 pm
The mental health disorder the main character suffers from also fascinate me. The way her mind works is just like other John Green books. The sadness and grimness is interesting
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Yadira Santoyo
10/30/2018 10:25:57 pm
I really liked Aza's best friend, Daisy. I really loved how she stays calm and has patience with Aza when she is going through something, although Daisy can't fully relate how Aza feels and why she does what she does. I feel like we all need a caring, and patient friend who's going to stay with us through the most hurtful situations we go through in life. And Daisy also has this fun and bubbly personality that it kind of doesn't really look like she will hang out with someone who doesn't really talk a lot, but that's what makes her really special character.
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Kiwane Scott
10/31/2018 03:46:29 pm
Yadira I agree their friendship is really close but sometimes she doesn't stay calm but i feel overall she was a big help for Aza and Aza did need that support from Daisy to get through tough obstacles.
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Quentin Hayes
10/31/2018 04:05:50 pm
Yadira I very much agree with what you said about having a calm and patient personality because I felt as though aza need something like that because of her Anxiety and if they were both freaking out it would've made aza's condition way worse
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Lam Nguyen
10/30/2018 10:33:11 pm
When I reach the end of "turtle on the way down", it was heart breaking, i was crying a lot. Like most of the reader, i want a happy ending, but to think again, the bad ending is not bad, at least it you may still remember it forever. the bad ending make you remember it longer than a happy ending because that book will in your head for like a week, you think about it, wonder why the author make that end so sad, keep thinking and thinking.May be John Green don't want ' Turtle on the way down' just the normal book people read it and easily for got about it, he want it to touch our heart, make us remember it by our heart.
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Gelila Jarso
11/1/2018 07:28:33 am
I agree with you Lam it also made me cry but also I have a thought that the book may not have a happy ending because of you read the fault in our stars it also have a sad ending and I kinda have a feeling this might be like that too. And I also relate when something have a bad ending it stays long in my mind than those books and movies with happy endings.
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Heidy Araujo
10/30/2018 10:38:08 pm
I really liked Turtles all the way down because it shows us a lot real life events and how things can just take a big twist. This book brought many surprises to us that we did not expect to get from the book. The book felt like it was a real life, like somebody was telling me from their perspective.
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Eric Sanders
10/30/2018 11:47:24 pm
I also agree Heidy. Especially the way Aza starts off in the book when she's explaining about her thoughts about high school and her feelings about things. I feel like she was talking directly to us.
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Quentin hayes
10/31/2018 04:02:45 pm
Heidy I also agree with you because how she was talking and putting us in her point of view about high school, how she feels and how she feels about her social life with davis and etc.
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Mikela Arroyo
10/30/2018 10:39:36 pm
I at first found the book boring and disturbing with how Aza started describing her stomach and germs but then I came to realize Aza is a complicated character that took time to understand. Overall I enjoyed the book.
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Abena Adu
10/31/2018 12:49:34 pm
I felt the same too because it looks like in every chapter she will be complaining about her stomach issue through out the whole this. And i didn't also like the fact that she was so weak in somethings.
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Alberto colon
10/31/2018 01:13:47 pm
I agree with Mikela the very begging of the book I found it very weird how in depth she went in bacteria, and her stomach. It defiantly took time to get use to the book but I found it an okay book
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Kiwane Scott
10/31/2018 03:30:18 pm
Mikela I agree in the begging of the book was not interesting but i feel that it was necessary to tell everything the reader need to know until it got closer and closer to the climax. At the end of the book was so interesting to me.
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Dashaun Yelvington
10/31/2018 08:14:17 pm
Mikela I agree with you because when I heard her complaining I thought that she was going to be a boring main character. As I read more into the book though, I found out that she was pretty interesting, and the book obviously got more interesting as the chapters progressed
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Alberto colon
10/30/2018 10:43:43 pm
My first impression of the book were it was a very unique, I found the setting and the time it takes place very interesting I see very few books set their setting in a modern day sense. When I first started to read the book I found it very hard to get into it I was not interested, however after getting to the fourth chapter I found the book to pick up.
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heidy araujo
10/31/2018 04:57:45 pm
I agree with you, it was very unique and the setting was interesting too.
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Dashaun Yelvington
10/31/2018 08:34:05 pm
I agree with you the setting was pretty interesting. I haven't read a book where it is first set is in a cafeteria, it was different and I kind of liked it. The books that I read is set and the past and I'm glad that you pointed that out because I haven't noticed it until now.
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Ices Perez
10/30/2018 11:10:08 pm
1.) Aza is really interesting to me because of repetitive and intrusive thoughts their basically her worst obstacle from living a normal teenage life. Any romance or physical touches towards Aza are a big turn off to her because she finds it so appalling all the germs,etc. 2.) I feel like Davis is a gentleman even though he would be considered to be snobby cause of how rich he is. You could tell he really loves Aza even though she had issues like her mental stage ruining every moment. 3.) This book really made me think about certain things pertaining to my life because half of the curiosity she thinks about are the same thoughts that run through my mind. 4.) Now me personally do not struggle with the mental things Aza and John Green does but this made me feel it. I feel like I understand people who struggle with mental disorders more than I ever have before. 5.) Art is self expression and this book really gives a meaning to that.
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Aaron Trinidad
10/30/2018 11:22:01 pm
Before reading the book I was a fan of John Green. I have not read any of the books he has written but I have been watching his crash course videos since sixth grade. Turtles all the Way Down is a very interesting book. I am especially surprised with how he developed the characters of the book. Aza is not your average black and white character. Aza has many layers to her which you quickly realize after reading the first few chapters. Although I cannot relate to some of the things she did I can relate to her anxiety and over thinking like most teens cans. This shows that her character was very well thought out and that John Green did his best to make her like most teens while making her very unique. I also like his characterization of the other characters like Daisy and Davis. They all seem like regular teenagers but with some sort of twist.
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Eric Sanders
10/30/2018 11:54:37 pm
I finished the book but before I started to like enjoy the book I thought it was going to be really boring. I thought it was going to be about the main character illness at first. Before I even opened it up, I thought it was going to be about turtles going down a river a some. But turns out it was a very interesting book to read.
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Paul Sefah
10/31/2018 01:12:38 am
Same! I felt the exact way you felt eric. I didnt think i ws the only one. I thought it was going to be like The Fault In Our Stars, which I did not like even though i didnt read thed the book.
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Aaron Jaszczor
10/31/2018 08:49:19 am
My reaction after reading this book was the complete opposite. I thought this book was going to be really interesting at first but I changed my mind toward the middle of the book. The main problem I had with the book was that it was really dry and there was little to no action in it. The most action that occurred in the book is when Aza gets into a car crash.
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Eric Sanders
10/31/2018 12:27:05 am
As I read I saw that Aza and Daisy had two types of personality. Aza is like a chilled, isolated, home girl. She only a come out if its to talk to Daisy or if its a date with a boy. Daisy on the other hand seems like a more faster girl, just busy, she was just living life. But I will say that their friendship is very strong. It was a part in the book where they both got into an argument but at the end they was still friends no matter if one of them was upset. They was both good listeners to each other I can say also. One thing I liked about Aza but didn't like about Daisy was when they got a hold of the money. Aza was telling Daisy they should save and not spend a lot. But Daisy want to get a idea of spending it which isn't always a good thing to do. Money changes people sometimes, let it go to their head.
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Arturo Guzman
11/3/2018 01:29:10 pm
I totally agree with you Eric. Although Daisy and Aza have a strong bond, in the end it was Aza who told Daisy to use the money wisely which speaks volumes about Aza and their relationship. I sort of disliked how Daisy was concerned with Mr. Pickett's death case, but when handed money to stop she completely forgot about it and was selfish
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Aaron Trinidad
10/31/2018 12:53:20 am
I was most fascinated when Aza would be going through one of her spirals. Although I would not end up drinking hand sanitizer like she did, there are times that I am under a lot of stress where I seem to over think a lot and make it worse. I think Aza's spirals were, in more simple terms an anxiety attack. I think that most teens have gone through some form of an anxiety attack like Aza. Considering that, Aza was more understandable rather than a crazy person drinking hand sanatizer.
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paul sefah
10/31/2018 01:09:39 am
I went into this thinking I wouldn’t like it. To be honest, I went into it pretty much expecting to dislike. And yes, I know that’s a horrible thing to say, and a terrible reason to read a book, but It really isnt the type genre of books that I love to read. Nevertheless, It really wasnt a bad read. Some parts were boring and tidious to me but that only my opinion.
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Andrew Gonzalez
10/31/2018 01:22:38 pm
i agree with you completely Paul I really thought this book was gonna be trash but after reading it all I really got to enjoy it and I just really like the whole plot of 2 teens 1 the scared and nervous hero with her brave and helpful partner solving a mystery to benefit themselves but end up solving it for a friend.
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Paul Sefah
10/31/2018 01:20:04 am
Knowing that John Green was the author, I automaticallyhad a feeling that the book was going to involve some type of personal problems with the main character or the people surrounding her.
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Kiwane Scott
10/31/2018 03:54:03 pm
I Agree Paul when i saw he wrote the book i was more interested in reading the book I was pleased about the book overall. The book was outstanding.
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Paul Sefah
10/31/2018 01:30:59 am
Before reading the book, the tilte made no sense to me. I didnt the book would have anything to do with turtles. Upon reading the book I understand how the title represents Aza living within the spiral of her own thoughts.
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Andrew Castaneda
10/31/2018 03:50:57 pm
Right Paul same over here because at first the title didn't make no sense to me because it was such an odd name. I thought it was about actual Turtles, but it wasn't It took me awhile to figure out that it represents Aza's deep thoughts in life.
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Kiwane Scott
10/31/2018 04:02:34 pm
I feel Aza anxiety problems can be a learning process for teens. i feel her anxiety problems was big problem in her life it made a lot of things difficult in the book for her
Paul Sefah
10/31/2018 02:02:49 am
This book had great representation on how teens feel today. I haven't read a book that talked about this type of things. I myself dont particularly have anxiety, but i know how much of an effect it is on most teens
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Andrew Castaneda
10/31/2018 03:40:32 pm
I agree with you Paul, this book does show you how teens feel today especially the one's that have anxiety. This book had a great example about teen problems of today.
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Kiwane Scott
10/31/2018 03:58:00 pm
I feel that this could be related to teens lives today in society. Also it is an big affect on teens today. I feel it could have been better detailed about her personal problem because this book could have been very education to teens now a days.
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Aaron Trinidad
10/31/2018 02:26:34 am
Although I overall liked the book I did not love the ending. I felt like the book was not very complete with an ending like that. With Davis coming over to tell Aza he is leaving to Colorado and then the two of them laying in the grass holding hands it made for a weird ending. Throughout the book I thought that there was something bigger building up besides the police finding the Mr. Pickett's body. I was disappointed to find out that after the body was found nothing else would happen in the book. I also wanted more for Aza and Davis relationship, it felt too incomplete in the end, although Aza admits her love for him. Now that I am looking back at the book there were no big events that took place. Yes, there were some shocking scenes but nothing really stood out by the end of the book. I was hoping the ending would somehow bring it all together more but instead we get a pretty mediocre and predictable ending.
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Aaron Jaszczor
10/31/2018 08:45:07 am
I agree with the fact that the ending wasn't all that. Aza and Davis were building up a relationship through out the whole book. I honestly thought that the book was going to end with a dramatic or a romantic scene. After reading the end of the book I was glad that I was done with it because it was honestly very boring. There was little to no action in the book and the main character was very delusional.
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Chantel Beltran
10/31/2018 09:13:48 am
I can relate to not feeling totally satisfied because I didn't feel like the books ending really make sense to end the way it did. I felt like there was something missing when Aza and Davis were together for the last time, it just felt awkward and there was so much left unresolved. It was understood that their relationship was dysfunctional and not much happened between them even after they confessed their feelings to eachother
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Heidy Araujo
10/31/2018 02:40:47 pm
I also did not like the ending because i felt like there should’ve been more to it then there really was. It was also very sad but I forsure thought there should’ve be more to it.
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Damian Yelvington
10/31/2018 03:40:52 pm
I do agree with you that the ending could have been better. Everyone who was reading the book probably wanted or expected the two to get together for their happy ending. But I think the author was trying to stray from the norm. Which would be the happy ever after, predictable ending. This was actually an interesting twist. At least we get her confession to him if anything.
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Quentin Hayes
10/31/2018 03:57:08 pm
Aaron I totally agree about the part when they found the body because it ending the book before it was over then they just extended the book with other and irrelevant parts of the book which started to make it boring
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Aaron Jaszczor
10/31/2018 08:40:09 am
I really was annoyed by Aza. She appeared to be a very weak person mentally and her problems weren't even that serious. She used her mental problems as an excuse for everything which got really repetitive. Overall I did not like this character because she was weird and seemed to be somewhat sensitive.
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Gabriel Hader
10/31/2018 02:15:38 pm
I also agree with you. Aza was not an exciting character and she was an overall boring character. They could have chose any other character from the book as the main one and I would have liked them better. I agree that she was little too weird and used her "mental problems" as an excuse too much.
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Tiara Lloyd
10/31/2018 02:37:59 pm
Aaron I am sorry to say but sadly i disagree with your statement about Aza. I feel like Aza doesn't have control over her emotions and I feel like if she could she would get rid of her disorders.Even though you may not see Aza's problems as not that big of a deal and I feel get u about that they aren't that serious but to her they are.
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heidy araujo
10/31/2018 02:38:21 pm
I agree with you, she’s also very exaggerating with her having to drink hand sanitizer. I think everybody is weird in their own way whether it’s good weird or a annoying weird. I don’t know
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Linh Nguyen
10/31/2018 05:06:29 pm
I can understand why she is being annoying. But no one is really perfect, Aza has her weakness, and it is the emotions that she is not able to control. If everyone can control their emotions, it would have been so much more different. And everyone has a different view to a problem, she has been through a lot, her mental disorder, her father died, she might take things in her own way and it might be serious for her only. And she might not attractive or anything, isn't that makes her Aza Holmesy? She is unique, I love this character because she appears to be herself, she does not try to be someone else though sometimes she hates herself because of that.
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Abena adu
10/31/2018 12:28:02 pm
I really like the book very much and the fact that it is related to a teen like me makes it more easier for me to read.I like how Daisy is even though she wasn't a good friend to Aza. I think i also dislike about her is the fact that she likes money so much. Aza is a very good and smart kid. And i like how she was helping Davis find his dad. But the ending of the book was so raw, i didn't like it.
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Tiara lloyd
10/31/2018 02:12:09 pm
I totally agree with you Abena. I really like this book and it really can relate to a lot of teens that go through exactly what Aza is going through. I disagree with you about the Davis situation yes I feel like it's nice and maybe it could give her closer bc she doesn't have a dad but I feel like it was also unnecessary also
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Andrew Gonzalez
10/31/2018 01:16:47 pm
I really enjoyed the book.Everything Aza's character to the Tuatora. I thought that how they found the runners mouth was great and a bit sad since Davis and Noah had to hear about the new about their dad.But all in all I thought this book was great.
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Andrew Castaneda
10/31/2018 03:19:47 pm
Yes I agree with you Andrew I also like Aza's character and that part about Davis and Noah's dad also made kinda got me sad in a way.
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Tiara Lloyd
10/31/2018 01:22:31 pm
The main character in Turtles all the way down is Aza Holmes had a lot of problems in her life. She grew up with out a father, she had disorders like hypochondria and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Eventhough she has her problems she still goes out on an adventure with her best friend Daisy. I think that Aza is a nice girl but she has a lot of problems that make her sound a little bit crazy in the book.
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Gabriel Hader
10/31/2018 02:19:42 pm
When I started to read TATWD I thought it was O.K but not that exciting. I started to dislike the main character as the book went on, because of some stupid choices she choose to make. It was all thanks to Aza's friends that she got out of her comfort zone. Good thing that the author chose to bring them in because the book would have been too boring to read without them. The ending was very lackluster and I wish it could have been more exciting.
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Damian Yelvington
10/31/2018 03:28:22 pm
That is very interesting Gabriel. My opinion of the book was the exact opposite. I thought that the main character was one of the good parts of the book. Some of her traits are a little annoying at times it makes her interesting. But I do agree with you on how the book was ok from the start. It started off kind of slow and that’s what I didn’t like about it.
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Andrew Castaneda
10/31/2018 03:28:18 pm
I actually found this book interesting. Especially with the main character Aza's having a disorder with her anxiety. I also really like how her and her bestfriend Daisy have this strong relationship.
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Andrew Castaneda
10/31/2018 03:35:22 pm
This book reminds about Catcher in the Rye because Aza and holden are kinda alike they both have big issues also both of them have problems in life that they're are facing.
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Damian Yelvington
10/31/2018 03:36:15 pm
One thing I like about the book is that it adds a little mystery element to it. The characters are playing detective and to me makes the book entertaining. I like how the two characters Daisy and Ava have such a close relationship it adds in to the story and explains a lot about them. I think that it is good that they are looking for somebody together. And in their relationship I feel as if one of them picks up where the other is lacking.
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Tiara Lloyd
10/31/2018 03:44:05 pm
When I first heard that we had to read this book as the all school book I thought that I wouldn't like it because I usually dont like the all school books because I'm forced to read a book that I didn't choose. So I had already put in my mind that I wouldn't be able to like this book genuinely. I was wrong. This book is really good. In Mr. Helbigs class we often compare this book with The Catcher in the Rye Because the main Character Aza acts alot like Holden in a way. These 2 characters have a lot of the same characteristics. A thing that I noticed was that the ending was very dry and unintertaing unlike the rest of the chapters before it.
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Arturo Guzman
11/3/2018 01:14:48 pm
In my opinion tiara, i think the chapters in both books may have started off dry, but as we progressed we got to know a lot more things about our characters. Aza might not be the most interesting character, but notice the teen romance she had with Davis, thats whats interesting to us readers and humorous due to her phobia making her keep leaving him to drink sanitizer.
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Damian Yelvington
10/31/2018 03:47:29 pm
One of my favorite parts of the book is the Apple bees get together. This part of the book was very entertaining to me. I like how the two characters Daisy and Ava are having their casual conversation at Apple bees and I find some of the things they said funny. Like Daisy’s Star Wars fan fictions, I think those are a very interesting set of fan-fiction stories. It is also funny how they go there and use coupons every time they go there. And I found it interesting of how Daisy got the police case filed by impersonating someone.
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Quentin Hayes
10/31/2018 03:54:13 pm
At the beginning of this I felt like I could Aza because how she was explaining her thought about how high school is and was. Also about her social life
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Andrew Castaneda
10/31/2018 03:56:58 pm
This book was so interesting to me because it talks about a teen facing her problems w/ her anxiety and how Aza had a crush on David and she had tigh relationship w/ her bestfriend Daisy. Aza reminded me so much about Holden because they both have problems that they face in life. The quotes in the book I found really compelling.
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Arturo Guzman
11/3/2018 01:20:45 pm
I agree Andrew, this book can be compared to Catcher in the Rye. Holden and Aza both have similar traits but there is one major difference though. Holden decided to leave and run from his issues after he made mistakes, in Aza's case its involuntary, she has an actual mental issue.
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Quentin Hayes
10/31/2018 04:00:10 pm
I felt like toward the middle of the book when they found the body the book was basically wrapped up but they added extra parts that made it seem prolonged and boring because the book basically over after they solved the mystery
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Linh Nguyen
10/31/2018 04:36:52 pm
John Green does not build up characters based on perfection. He made it clear that no one is perfect, everyone has flaws. Like David, who seems to be a rich kid, he lives in a broken family. Daisy, a funny and a great friend, however, she is poor. Aza, a girl with anxiety lost her father as she stucks in memories of her old happy family. This is a factor that makes this book amazing, realistic and after reading the whole book, I find some real world problems that this book has reflected. Each book values great lessons of life.
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Linh Nguyen
10/31/2018 04:49:47 pm
The craziest part in this book is probably when Aza Holmesy drinks hand sanitize. I know this character has problem with anxiety and things but drinking hand sanitizer is definitely mind- blowing. She could kill herself, but, by that, I can see how much anxiety could do to a person. Aza knows it was crazy to do that but she did it anyway, because her thought of bacteria is too powerful that her mind would demand her to do things that should not be done. But John Green had written such a great book, these crazy and unique ideas keep the readers impressed and surprised.
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Linh Nguyen
10/31/2018 04:57:53 pm
Daisy and Aza have two completely different personalities. Aza is quiet, anxious, unpopular while Daisy is funny, energetic, popular, confident. Some people might thing they can not be friends because of this difference. But actually, it's like two poles of a magnet, negative poles attract positive pole, this difference builds up their strong bond. Even if they fight, they had a big fight but they are willingly to be fair and get back to their friendship as best friends. Friends have each other's back. They trust each other, remember when Aza shared half of 100,000 dollars with her friend. This has proven enough how close they are.
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Gelila Jarso
11/1/2018 07:24:34 am
I agree with you even though Daisy is a good friend of Aza and she always try to understand they both have different personalities. But I think the reason why the book is interesting is because of the different personalities and characters combinations as a friend.
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Emely Martinez
10/31/2018 05:34:25 pm
What I didn’t like about the book was that Aza would keep on talking about what she has in her thumb and that all the bacteria things. And I didn’t like it because of the way she’ll ignore her friends and will just talk about her thumb.
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Emely Martinez
10/31/2018 05:44:20 pm
What I thought about the book was that it was gonna good because of the author who wrote it. Because I’m a big fan of John Green and his books are the best to read the one I’ve liked the most was paper towns and kind of this one but there some twist in this book.
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Gelila Jarso
11/1/2018 07:16:31 am
I agree with you Emily. I also thought the book will be amazing because of the author which it is. Turtles all the way is one of the best books we read on the all school books. The characters and the story is really amazing and I love the plot goes. I actually come to a conclusion that John green is the best author even thought it’s like an opinion and also fact for me.
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Alberto colon
10/31/2018 06:28:24 pm
The thing I found the most interesting is how focus the Aza was on bacteria and how much she worried about it. Throughout the book we see how almost every chapter there is a mention of bacteria.
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Lorena Villa
11/4/2018 07:13:59 pm
I agree with Alberto. She seems to worry a lot about bacteria. In a part of the book it says how if she were to die because of bacteria, she wouldn’t think that she is about to die but how much bacteria she would exchange with Davis if they were to kiss. Her worry about bacteria fascinates me.
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Alberto Colon
10/31/2018 07:17:17 pm
Even tho I did not found the book to be all that interesting I did like the ending I found it to be a smooth ending however I did like the events leading up to the ending I find it very slow and and not all that interesting.
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Alberto Colon
10/31/2018 07:23:32 pm
My final opinion of the book was I found the book not the most interesting read this year. Overall the book was not terrible. Personally I found not as interesting as (for example) Catcher In The Rye
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Anthony Amezcua
10/31/2018 11:07:49 pm
Yeah I Agree on this 100%, Aza reminds me of Holden from "Catcher in the Rye". They both are edgy teens with almost similar traits but different mindsets, Holden is more about himself and him judging people and calling them phonies. Aza is worried about her entire body being infected with germs and having an obsession of cleaning herself and checking if she is infected with a virus or something worse. But they both seem to go at war with their own subconscious, both speaking their minds about certain things then later being judged on those thoughts by others which just drives them up a wall. Then really don't know on how they say things and the effect on others and how they react to it. To me they both sound like maniacs but to their own the tell themselves that they're fine
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Emaya Bassett
10/31/2018 07:53:59 pm
Aza was one of my favorite characters but she was going through a lot in the book. I noticed Aza has a few insecurities with herself and her body. When she talks about how she doesn’t like the body that she’s in and she wants to switch bodies.
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Dashaun Yelvington
10/31/2018 08:07:39 pm
I find this book extremely interesting. Aza is an interesting character throughout the whole story she is trying to find herself. I also like the part where they got together at Applebee's. That is relatable because there's always that one place where friends go and hang out all the time, and Applebee’s is the place for Aza and Daisy.
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Andrew Gonzalez
10/31/2018 08:36:19 pm
I agree with you on how the book and characters are so relatable and how we also have those friends we always hang out with and go to the same places with and do the same things with it’s really relatable
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Lorena Villa
11/4/2018 07:11:35 pm
I agree with Dashaun. This book is very interesting. The fact that they always go to Applebee’s is great because that is there “to go” stop to talk.
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Andrew Gonzalez
10/31/2018 08:27:18 pm
Another thing I really enjoyed was the relationships between the characters wether it be the relationship between Aza and her mom or Davis and his little brother Noah.I just really liked liked how I can really relate to them and how the relationships are so well put together
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Andrew Gonzalez
10/31/2018 08:34:27 pm
I also really enjoyed the origin of the Title name Turtles all the way down and how the story originated and it’s meaning for Aza which is basically how her mindset is all throughout out the book which is just always being in a spiral and having the reacurring thoughts about C.diff and how the story of turtles all the way down is a story about how a n old lady perceives the world as a bunch of turtles all the way down making the world into a spiral of things.
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Gabriel Sheikh
10/31/2018 08:36:04 pm
Despite my respect for John Green's vivid descriptions of Aza and her emotional roller coasters, I cannot help but think that book as a whole was sub par because of its lack of an interesting story line. As much as I enjoy the relationship she strengthened with Davis because of his father's disappearance, I feel like the book focuses too much on Aza and her feelings regrading herself and others. Personally, I was disappointed when I saw that the trail of Mr. Pickett went cold for about 75% of the book, only to find out that he died. I feel as though John Green could have focused more on that storyline and incorporated Aza's relationships into that, instead of vice versa. The story would seem quite boring to me as I read it, except for the parts relating to the Mr. Pickett mystery. Overall, I thought the story would have a much more intriguing plot and would focus more on the Mr. Pickett storyline.
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Anthony Amezcua
10/31/2018 10:40:03 pm
I guess we can conspire thoughts on this Gabriel. I can most certainly agree that the book's main purpose and judgement is on Aza and the story line of her and then the mystery of Mr. Pickett's disappearance. I really don't understand that concept though it seems like a bad movie ending you know. It's like watching the newest "Need for Speed" Franchise movie and you knowingly understand it's about cars and racing, turns out Scooby doo and the gang are all there in some weird concept. But the Author just confused me with that because all I read was About Aza and her life and school issues then she randomly get's money due to this guy gone missing and her dealing with her love life and friends. Then finding out "dramatically" that the guy's been dead for a while, totally not expected. Case gone cold for the most of the book, no sign of Mr. Pickett or whereabouts the last thing you can assume that he's dead
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Isabella Hernandez
10/31/2018 09:59:21 pm
In the book Turtles all the way down, I honestly don’t like daisy as much since she has been selfish and distracted by her own things instead of helping Aza with her condition or being a good friend to her. She quoted a couple of times in the book that she was being a “good friend” to her in certain events of the book. It really does irritate me on how she can be this rude person who is best friends with Aza which is a kind and caring person that has many challenges to overcome. Even though she becomes a better person to Aza near the end of the book, but I can’t honestly forgive her on what she did and could’ve have made better options as to being a good friend like she should be, not get distracted and spending majority of her time with her boyfriend, and being greedy with money sibce it seems that it is all she ever wants from the reward.
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Anthony Amezcua
10/31/2018 10:00:44 pm
At first glance of the cover of "Turtles all the way down", I thought this book was going to be about some edgy teenager trying to figure out what life is and it's meaning to it. Turns out it was close with edgy teen but with an obsession of being overly sanitary about herself and her wounds. Aza just over thinks everything that a normal teen would. I know we're all born differently and I don't critique that, I judge the fact that she knows she's like that. She has the realization of it and she can help herself get over it, she decides not to and let her mind get the upper hand in all of this. The book in general is good, to see the mind of this girl going through things in life others may not go through.
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Damien Aguirre
12/18/2018 11:31:34 pm
I think Aza has a good point of view compared to Daisy's who is a little more let loose. Aza over does being hygienic and she has become ok with that but she is constantly obsessed with being clean, which puts her in a mental stage where she starts to think that she is not a normal teenager and that is where her problems starts in the book.
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Anthony Amezcua
10/31/2018 10:16:57 pm
I really don't conspire with Aza's mindset through out this whole book, with her fears of germs and dying from c.diff. This practically ruins all relationships with family, friends, and love interests. When her and Davis hug and kiss a million thoughts go through Aza's mind, like how many germs are passed through kissing and all that. She literally stops whatever she's doing so she can google the effects of her humanly actions. Like how many germs she'll get by doing this or that, its annoying almost. With friends Aza has a hard time explaining her emotions and actions towards everything. Like her mind is set on what they should do to aviod germ contact as much as possible but her conscious self tries to avoid doing them. She like has fights with herself when she tries to talk to Daisy about she's thinking about or her actions on what she's doing.
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Anthony Amezcua
10/31/2018 10:57:49 pm
In "Turtles all the down" I have to be honest with it, least favorite character is Daisy. She's a bad influence on Aza I also feel like she has some bad mojo going on with her. Like her and Aza are great friends and all but when Aza starts talking to Daisy about something she later gets defensive for no reason and starts going off on poor Aza. Aza has issues she has to deal on her own just enough, she doesn't need rants from her best friend telling her what and what not to say about her. Aza is a very emotional person and I guess Daisy understands her but not completely. Daisy is the only friend Aza tells about her thoughts and phobias about her germ obsession of being sick and all.
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Miguel Corona
10/31/2018 11:40:19 pm
Overall, I thought the book Turtles All The Way Down was a fantastic book because of how relatable and interesting the characters and plot were. I especially loved how he portrayed panic attacks and overthinking, especially since I deal with anxiety and panic attacks as well, because all though they aren't all severe or serious like the ones she had, they can still be really scary since it feels like everything is just not in order or everything just isn't going the right way. John Green portrays Aza having these internal conflicts with herself where she is just afraid of the smallest things (literally microbes) and up to the big things. She was a prisoner to her own thoughts and constantly had these self-doubts which really hit me personally. All in all, I loved the book. 9/10.
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Gelila Jarso
11/1/2018 07:12:19 am
I agree with you, I actually like this book better than all school books we have read before. It is really fantastic and like u mentioned that characters are really interesting and make the book very amazing. And I also agree the part you said she is a prisoner to her own thought. She was struggling a lot and it was a very sad character of the book.
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Gelila Jarso
11/1/2018 07:21:53 am
Over all Turtles All The Way book is amazing. I love the book from the beginning to the end. And I actually find it very interesting. The characters the plot and the story is amazing also the author is one of my favorite because of the books he wrote and the movies I saw. The main character Aza is a very emotional character and even thought her friends try to understand her they don’t really connect and the struggle is real. But Over all I really love the book.
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Minh Nguyen
11/3/2018 09:33:00 am
In the first few pages of this book I find it a little boring when Aza pays attention to too many little things, but I got interested when it started talking about the missing Mr.Pickett. Overall I think it’s still a great book, I’m just not a fan of reading something in so much details. I also find the relationship between Aza and Davis interesting, and I actually expected a happy ending for them.
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Minh Nguyen
11/3/2018 12:30:28 pm
In this book, I feel sorry for Aza, she has to struggle everyday with anxiety and OCD, then she is involved in the mystery Mr.Pickett, then she also struggle with her social life since we don’t see her talk many people in the book, then she can’t date Davis properly because of her condition, at the end of the book, Davis even have to move away, everything is so hard for her but she still lives through it, I admire her.
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Minh Nguyen
11/3/2018 12:43:24 pm
In this book, I like the friendship between Daisy and Aza, even though I can’t tell how close they are, we always see them together, they always have each other, when they talk about Mr.Pickett, when Mychal asks Daisy out, when school end, when they have an accident, whenever Aza runs into something she always tell Daisy about it, no matter how small is the problem, and I think Daisy is one of the only friends that Aza has, since we don’t see her talking to many people in the book, and even Mychal in her group of friends doesn’t seem like close to her, and I’m a little jealous, I wish I had someone I can trust like Aza has.
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Arturo Guzman
11/3/2018 01:07:22 pm
Starting off Turtles All The way Down, before as readers we got to know Aza, she seemed pretty normal. It wasn't until later we really understood the severity of her condition, to the point where she was swallowing hand sanitizer. This to me was the important thing because due to her condition it drove her away from making strong connections with her family and friends. Not only does Aza suffer from this condition, on top of that her dad is dead which would be very traumatic for her. The point to my analysis is, we should understand that Aza is the protagonist and not a villain, even if she thinks as she quotes "im a demon".
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Jalen Jordan
12/18/2018 05:46:48 pm
I honestly caught Aza's condition and sort of mental twists off the jump when she's in the cafeteria. We do read her thought process of everything then she started going into health issues and diseases where you can kind of tell there's something different about her.. She's a bit of an odd ball but she may have been like that since birth or her father's death triggered something in her.
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Arturo Guzman
11/3/2018 01:38:03 pm
An event in the book that touched me the most was Aza and Daisy's car accident. I really wasn't expecting that to happen. Once the doctor gave the diagnosis on Aza and said she had a severed liver, so many emotions went through my mind.
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Minh Nguyen
11/3/2018 02:22:48 pm
In this book, the life of a teenage is shown very clearly. Aza shows the struggle in the social life through her OCD, anxiety and her love life, that makes her interactions with other people harder. Davis represents the sensitivity of teenagers, we see him cries when Aza mom about his family, he cries when Aza talks to him about his dad. Daisy symbolizes the financial struggle of young people, we all see how happy she is when she sees the money from Aza, because even with the help of parents, the fee for schools and college and pretty far out of reach. This story is very relatable to many teenagers, that’s why it is favored by many people.
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Minh Nguyen
11/3/2018 02:55:09 pm
In this book, Aza has her problems to eat with, she always worries and exaggerate what can happen to herself, she is scared of having C.diffs. She has anxiety when she is with Davis, she doesn’t want to be in a relationship, doesn’t want to sit next to him, she panics when they kiss, she even drinks hang sanitizer. She gives her thoughts so much power and she can’t control them, Aza conflicts herself when she thinks about the kiss, there is so many problems in one character but Aza also proves that help is available for mental illnesses, and she represents hope for many teenagers who is reading this book.
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Xi Cheng
11/14/2018 10:04:32 pm
this book use the title is an old joke used as a rebuttal for the existence of God, and it is also from Stephen Hawking's book A Brief History of Time: A scientist one gave a lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, orbits around the galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: "What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise." The scientist gave a superior smile before replying. "What is the tortoise standing on?" "You are very clever, young man, very clever," said the old lady. "But it's the turtles all the way down!" This is similar of how Aza sees herself.
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Xi Cheng
11/19/2018 10:01:07 pm
In the book,"I guess at some point, you realize that whoever takes care of you is just a person, and that they have no superpowers and can't really protect you from getting hurt. But Noah is starting to understand that maybe the person he thought was a superhero turns out sort of to be the villain" (Green 147). Iron man symbolizes the way Davis is portrayed through his father. Although he has access to money,,he feels powerless like his action figure because he is left out of the will and can't help his brother out with the loss of Russel Pickett. And "Years ago, Mom had backed up all Dad's pictures and emails onto a computer and multiple hard drives, but I liked swiping through them on his phone--partly because that's how I'd looked at them, but mostly because there was something magical about it being his phone, which still worked eight years after his body stopped working"(Green 117). The phone symbolizes Aza's past with her father, which leads her to not want to move on to her future.
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Xi Cheng
11/21/2018 12:03:12 am
When I was reading book, I found that the contrast of characters is the strongest part of the novel. Ava's obsessive-compulsive disorder adds a number of unique perspectives to the world and helps us understand how people in the real world react differently to situations because of mental errors. In addition, Ava's best friend Daisy's role, very passionate and bubble, as well as some of her love, Davis, is very sincere and kind, helping to keep the novel interesting. The mysterious plot line appeals to me almost as much as the contrast of the character depicted. I also appreciate the complex relationships portrayed in the novel, such as Daisy and Ava, Ava and her mother, the relationship between Davis and his missing father, Davis and his brother, and all other interpersonal interactions in the novel. These relationships are very unique and well written, which makes me interested in reading this book: I need to know that as a partition, this will become the content of all the unique relationships in the novel.
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Salvatore Santos
11/25/2018 07:18:51 pm
I have never read a John Green Book before and I only know him for making the famous books that our now motion pictures such as The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns. I personally do not have an interest in teenage books and they never will interest me. I did not find Turtles All The Way Down an enjoyable or relative book that sparked interest in me. The entire genre of teenage love or teenagers finding love is very bland, boring, and cliche.
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Salvatore Santos
11/25/2018 07:26:17 pm
When first reading Turtles All The Way Down I did have a sense that the book was okay and had a story that sounds like nothing new to me. There is a teenage girl who has this weird condition or has a very mysterious attitude and that makes her a very special character and revolves around the idea that " Oh yeah, I can relate to the struggles this girl has just like I did when I was in high school." I think that these kinds of books focus too much on making the reader relate to the background rather than make the actual story unique itself.
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Salvatore Santos
11/25/2018 07:36:32 pm
Aza is a very interesting character that I have never come across in the history of my book reading experiences. She has by far the most strange type of syndrome any girl could ever have. She is normal perhaps on the outside, but inside she is unbelievably strange. A very unnecessary self-caring kind of strange. She has this kind of self conscious that every teenager has ( making the book focus a lot on real world teenage realities as I mentioned ) and she takes it to a new level. She is the kind of character that makes me frustrated because her actions are so annoying and make no sense. But that's only because I am "ordinary" and she is "different".
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Salvatore Santos
11/25/2018 07:44:53 pm
After finishing Turtles All The Way Down I did feel a relief with the story having an okay ending and not dragging too much deeper meaning and emotion to other characters that were never important from the beginning. I felt like the background plot for Turtles was highly unromantic for a teenage book. Books that want to reveal a major plot twist in them should have a sensational feeling of foreshadowing in them before the major plot twist emerges. If the book was based on Harry Potter lore than this book's main story and plot twist to me would be more forgiving.
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Salvatore Santos
11/25/2018 07:57:26 pm
For anyone that would read Turtles All The Way Down I would let them know ahead of time that if they are looking for a fun and enchanting story that this would not be the book for them. I do not downgrade Turtles for being a bad book because I do not know anything about being an author nor do I have the skill to become one. But I can judge based on intellectual fact off the materials of the single sentences I am given the ability to read. Overall the book was boring for me and I felt like it was a book that I would never recommend or every read in my life once more. It is ( like I said ) not my kind of genre or my kind of book.
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Madelyn Jackson
11/29/2018 03:44:13 pm
When I first started this book I was expecting a mystery novel of some sort. Instead it turned out to be about this girl named Aza and how she views the world. Because of her illness she is always terrified of germs and I wasn't expecting that. I think Aza is an interesting character. She shows how people can view the world differently than you. Everyone has a different perspective. She also shows how you never really know what’s going on in someone's life. Aza went through her dad’s death and that helps build her character but she never really talks about it. She tries to cover it up and act like its not there.
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Madelyn Jackson
11/30/2018 12:33:37 pm
After reading some more into the book personally I feel bad for Aza. She feels like she can’t talk to anyone and her dad’s death is always dawning on her. She has a therapist but all she says it to take medications when Aza is saying that taking medications won’t make her herself. If she has to take a medication to be herself, is it really herself. Aza also says how she hears a voice inside of her head that makes her panic about germs. She says she can't escape from it but it's also part of her. She feels trapped inside her thoughts and that she will never truly be free from it. Another way she describes her thoughts is by calling it ‘herselves’. She feels like there is two parts of her. The one on the outside and the one on the inside.
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Nicole Styskun
11/30/2018 03:40:20 pm
So far I actually like the book.One thing I want to know so far Is why would the dad leave everything to the tuatara instead his own sons? Other then that I think it's cool how the girls are playing detective, trying to solve the case. Also the girls seem to know more them the cops and I wonder if the cops just didn't think of looking for the stuff or if the girls are just smarter.
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Myasia Madkins
12/3/2018 10:16:34 am
Okay, I just started reading the book not so long ago. So far it kinda grabbed my interest in some events and characters but I'm not fully into the book just yet. I'll read a few chapters then give it some time to catch my interest but so far the book has got my interest a little
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Madelyn Jackson
12/3/2018 05:15:31 pm
When I got further into the book I started to realize how much Aza’s illness interferes with her life. She can’t do normal things without panicking that something will happen with her. She then convinces herself that she is sick. The way she describes her voice is by a tightening spiral. She is stuck in a circle and can’t get out. She is constantly paranoid that she is infected or going to become infected but she doesn’t tell anyone because she doesn't want them to think that she's weird. She feels sick with herself when this spiral happens but she cant stop it.
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Arieli Rico
12/4/2018 09:37:24 am
I feel bad for Aza because she says that taking medication wont make her herself , she says if she has to take medication to be herself is it really herself. She feels as if there are to parts of her.
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Madelyn Jackson
12/4/2018 12:32:22 pm
In the book you can see how Aza tries to hide her problems as best as she can. She will briefly mention it or lie and not say anything. She will sit there and let her mind think and just not say what's going on in her head. Aza likes to lay under the stars with Davis and they bond that way. She is able to say what it feels like in her head, and can begin to describe it. Aza loses her only connections to her dad and once that happens she can't think straight. She keeps eating hand-sanitizer to ‘clean’ herself but she also knows how bad it is for her, but she can’t stop. She is convinced her thoughts are in control of her. There is nothing inside of her, she is the demon.
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Jalen Jordan
12/4/2018 06:27:53 pm
Where I see the resemblances between Aza and Christopher; I also see the differences between them. From the different spectrum of autism or mental illnesses they are both dealing with or how they interpret things in a social manner. However I also see the similarities of the plot of both characters of the mystery of finding the truth about someone or something. Where "In the curious incident dog nighttime" Christopher is on the hunt for the murderer of his neighbor's dog. Meanwhile in this Aza and Daisy on planning to hunt down the whereabouts of Mr Pickett after he disappeared the night before the police raided his home.
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Jakaya Gibson
12/4/2018 07:37:12 pm
I actually liked the ending. It's about first loves and how they never really leave you. That being said, I was not wowed by the relationship between Davis and Ava. The mental illness theme definitely had more of my attention and I think it was accurately portrayed. The frustration Daisy felt with Aza is easy to relate to for those with loved ones with a mental illness. I say this because I have family members that have mental illnesses and it is very hard to do things for them and deal with them in my opinion. Others may think differently because it's their child and they raised them so they knows how to raise them,
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Jocelyn Respeto
12/5/2018 09:15:49 am
This started off with a girl named Aza who has anxiety problems and wonders if she has C.diff which is an infection. Aza's best friend is Daisy, and Aza is invited to a double date with Davis,Daisy and Mychal.
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Jocelyn Respeto
12/5/2018 09:24:06 am
While I was reading I found it a bit weird that Daisy was receiving some inappropriate images. Aza has to take pills to keep her from her anxiety, yet she doesn't usually take them because she doesn't know why she needs them just to be normal, Daisy and Aza are still trying to get more information on Mr. Pickett.
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Myasia Madkins
12/5/2018 12:30:14 pm
Okay so far I'm on five due to too much work. The book did grab my interest a little more especially with the part where the main character got mad at her friend for terrorizing her with a daddy long legs which was sad but at the same time hilarious.
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Madelyn Jackson
12/5/2018 02:40:09 pm
In the last parts of the book Aza describes to Daisy how she feels when she's in her head. She takes her into a sewer tunnel and walks far enough from the light that the only light in their headlights. She turns off her light and says to imagine no senses, no tough, no smell, no sense of direction, no form, no control over anything, nothing. That's what its like when she's in her head. After this Aza feels a little better knowing that someone has begun to understand how she feels. Davis eventually gets the information from Aza where his dad was and he decides he is moving. For one last time they lay under the stars. She thinks to herself about how love shapes you. How you are who you are for many reasons in your life. You know one day you'll end up somewhere but you don't know where until you get there. You know you'll never forget the good moments but you know that there are many more ahead of you. You don't know where you'll end up until you reach it.
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Jakaya Gibson
12/5/2018 05:55:44 pm
I feel bad for Aza she's always feeling like she's alone and her father's death is bringing her down. She says taking medication won't make her herself it's really doing nothing but keeping her calm, because I think medication doesn't really heal pain honestly. Her illness defines her life like the things she has to deal with being mental ill she feels that she can't do normal things like other can. But she really can in my eyes because everyone has their own unique way of doing things.
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Jakaya
12/5/2018 06:10:25 pm
I think the title of this book really applies to the character Aza because she is one of the main characters that is suffering from a lot of things. I think the definition of this book is when you are trying to do/become something but you feel like you can't because certain things are stopping you from doing it. Which is pressuring to me because you can't do what you want because you feel like something is holding you back and you feel as if when you try something bad is always going to happen before some good does.
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12/6/2018 08:01:46 pm
Chapter 1 had me confused for a little bit. I was kind of lost because the way the author started the book bamboozled me. Usually the type of books I read don't start off like that. I was also confused about which gender the main character was, at first I though it was a male but then I found out that it was a female after she described the places where she was sweating bad at. Then after reading some more I find out that she is a germophobic person with some anxiety problems. I can tell that I will get irritated by this character because it seems like she complains about everything and I don't like people like that so I'll see how things turn out.
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Jocelyn Respeto
12/7/2018 04:07:41 pm
From what I've been reading so far it seems Daisy wrote a fan fiction that proves Aza to be mean, Aza's story about Godel has relations to her own problems, she doesn't know if it's affecting her. Aza has been deciding that therapy isn't doing her any good, she has been shutting herself away from her friends and herself personally. Daisy feels as Aza is selfish and doesn't care about anyone but herself. Aza also ends up in a crash due to her drowning in her own thoughts.
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Jocelyn Respeto
12/7/2018 04:11:58 pm
As the story came to an end I found it pretty interesting as Aza started thinking more about into her life and how it will be in the future and how she'll just have to live with the thoughts of her past which she may eventually overcome as she lives into adultery to start a family.
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Areili Rico
12/7/2018 09:49:00 pm
My favorite character is Daisy because of how fearless she is. The characters within the book are relatable. In my opinion what is happening within the first 8 chapters is interesting with specific details within each chapter.
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Arieli Rico
12/7/2018 09:54:22 pm
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Eddie Taylor
12/8/2018 10:03:42 am
First chapter he talks about his schedule when he his free time. To me it sounds like he he's a person that keeps track of time a lot. Talks about a lot of projects that he do in high school The name of his his school is Whit River High School It sounds like a school that do a lot of projects in life which also contain math. I also like to do projects as well like making a commercial.
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Lyle Gray Jr
12/10/2018 10:06:35 pm
In chapter 4 I love how the author gave the security guard the name Lyle. I love this because the author used my name and Lyle isn't a very common name so I was surprised to see it in a book. I also like how lay back and chill Lyle is, even when Daisy and Aza trespass on private property. Then when Mr.Davis asked for 3 Dr.Peppers Lyle say, "sure thing boos" which is something that I will most likely say do my boss if he/she wanted me to do something.
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Myasia Madkins
12/11/2018 10:19:21 am
I'm on chapter 6 right now. In the book the main character cooked dinner for her friend as they watch a reality show. The main character was excited to be reunited with Harold who was always pure delight.
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Jaylene
12/12/2018 01:16:26 pm
I like how the main protagonist Aza is a nervous person at the beginning. The author shows well how she self-diagnoses herself with things. The detail about her cleaning and cutting her thumb is pretty cool in my opinion. She's a relatable character and I think that's a good thing to have when writing a book.
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Arieli Rico
12/12/2018 04:18:44 pm
I like how the book mentions her feelings about how that there isn't a real way to describe what she feels. In my opinion I think we as teenagers have a lot of trouble with our feelings. We feel many emotions and experience different things. I think reading things similar to what we go through helps us cope, learn and think about how we feel. It makes us feel as if there are a lot of people that may be feeling the same emotions. It reminds me that what I go thorough and what I feel, other people my age also may be going through and feeling the same things.
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Ruben Munoz
12/14/2018 11:21:14 am
I fully agree with you on what you said about the emotions because, as we all grow and mature we start to feel more and more emotions and sometimes don't know who to let them out. And while I was reading this book I can see how she sometimes also struggles to either let out emotions or even try to explain what she is feeling. I feel like one reason I enjoyed reading this book was because she was such a relative character in my opinion she was just an interesting character to read about.
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Arieli Rico
12/12/2018 04:31:42 pm
When I first began to read the book, I found it hard to pick it up and read it. It wasn't really interesting to me at all in the beginning. I had to force myself to read it for a while until I got into the fourth or fifth chapter. I'm happy I forced myself to read it because it was a really good book.
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Kevin Sanchez
12/19/2018 09:45:21 pm
Yea I agree with you because at first I didn't really seem to like it because i don't like reading books that talk about anxiety and all those types of stuff but after I read the book I started to like it and also I liked it because it started to get romantic.
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Marco Nova
12/12/2018 07:12:58 pm
When I started reading Turtles all the way down, one of the first characters introduced, Aza, has some sort of disability or social issue. I was reading and it took me a bit to realize. But later on she talks to her best friend, I'd assume she'd be better but there wasn't much of an attitude change. She seems to show signs of a disorder for and isn't social, but this possibly is the reason she doesn't want to reach out because of these odd characteristics. She can't control her own thoughts that are rapid and when she's anxious it shows. These events involving the main character Aza hooked me into reading a couple more pages instead of closing the book.
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Marco Nova
12/12/2018 07:25:48 pm
So when I bought this book at Barnes & Noble I thought It'd be disappointing and I always pushed it away or avoided to open it. But I saw John Green and read the ratings on the back, I realized that it couldn't be that bad. It became interesting as I was reading it. Realizing how Aza has to deal with many things, especially with one of my other favorite characters, Davis. When they are struggling in a relationship when Aza needs time away from him and time for her mind. It wasn't working and she impacted the both of them. I used this part of the book as an example of what was good about it and caught my interest. John Green is a highly regarded and noted author.
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Maya Williams
12/12/2018 08:18:39 pm
After reading the first few chapters, I am perplexed at the way John Green started the book. I found it ironic that the first few chapters focused on Aza's mental disorder of anxiety with bacteria. However, I think she has an interesting personality and maybe in the end she will get over this.
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Dequawn Hayes
12/13/2018 10:51:13 am
I agree that john green brought a good description to the character of Aza and with her inside thoughts it would make the story so much better. and I think she has a intresting personality as well.
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Dequawn Hayes
12/13/2018 10:47:33 am
The first few chapters of turtles all the way down was kind of an introduction to all the characters into the story which kind of made the first few chapters less interesting to read. But it helps learn more about the narrator and her opinion about her high school
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Ruben Munoz
12/14/2018 11:14:07 am
I agree with you on the statement that you made about the first few chapters being some what of an introduction and less interesting because in my opinion I thought they were a bit boring and was meant to give us more information on the narrator and what are her opinions on some topics.
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Dequawn Hayes
12/13/2018 12:00:27 pm
Later in the story i read that as Aza goes to applebee's to do some homework she hears on the radio what her and her friend were just talking about Mr. Pickett. And that its an 100,00 dollar to who ever finds him. I haven't gotten pasted that part but i think Aza and her friend is going to try to find them.
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Ruben Munoz
12/13/2018 02:49:23 pm
When I was reading chapter one I liked the way she looked at her table when they're at lunch. I like the way that everyone had a role Mychal Turner being the "artsy." Daisy Ramirez being the best and most fearless friend since childhood. And herself (Aza Holmes) being what she refers to as the "sidekick." I feel like we have all had this type of mentality at some point. The mentality that everything is a movie and giving everyone a part or role in the movie that you are playing inside your head.
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Maya Williams
12/13/2018 06:19:31 pm
I could tell that Aza is a very curious person by the way she tries to work around Mr. Pickett's disappearance. However, Daisy seems suspicious. It seems as if she is only in for the $100,000 reward. She even urges Aza to look at Davis's private accounts while they are in Applebee's, although Aza is aware of the trouble that they could get in.
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12/13/2018 09:57:31 pm
I think that the book is pretty interesting, in the beginning of the book. There was a funny part to me when he says i'm Daisy friend or Ms.Holmes daughter, I thought that was funny. I really think that something weird is going to happen to the main character or something going to happen in the story because how it starts, sounds kinda of weird and confusing.
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gabrielle gray
12/14/2018 07:34:40 am
aza is very curious, she likes to stick her head into problems then solve them later. To be honest I can relate because I’m kinda nosy as well. I like to understand what's going on at all times and sometimes that gets me into trouble and in this, she is probably going to get in trouble for it. But maybe she won't because as we progress into the book she starts to think more about the future. Honestly, she just starts to think more in general.
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Myasia Madkins
12/14/2018 10:12:18 am
Okay I'm on chapter 8. In the story they decided to have a picnic. Also during the chapter Dr. Singh talks about dosages for C.diff which involves like bacteria in your stomach and it causes a stomachache but turns out the person didn't have C.diff. C.diff does sound really serious especially if it can kill you in 3 days
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Ruben Munoz
12/14/2018 11:02:20 am
I feel like he came up with the character Aza Holmes by some experiences that he must of felt as a child or during his teenage years. I read this on a news page, "(I have OCD and a lot of problems with anxiety.) So I’ve known that I have this mental illness for a long time, and I’ve had a lot of therapy and learned a lot of strategies for dealing with my illness. I know the benefits of exercise and meditation and medication and CBT strategies and etc." (Green). He says who he's had mental illness for a while and took medication just like Aza Holmes his character.
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Ruben Munoz
12/14/2018 11:09:06 am
When Aza is in the car with Daisy they hear on the radio about Russell Pickett and that there is a $100,000 reward information about his whereabouts. Daisy also mentions that Aza knew Russell's kid Davis. I can only infer that they will go and try to find Davis to get any type of information on the whereabouts of Russell Pickett.
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Mya Zavala
12/14/2018 11:13:26 am
My first reaction to Aza was kinda weirded out because she pays attention to every little detail. Like when she was done eating her sandwich she said " I could hear it digesting, all the bacteria chewing the slime of peanut butter." As I was reading that it felt kind of weird because that probably actually happens in our stomach. I would say Aza is smart because the way she expresses her thoughts. Along with that I like how she tries to connect her thoughts with real life things. One thing she connected was American high schools and prisons. "American high schools do rather resemble prisons."
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Jaylene Repeto
12/14/2018 11:34:50 am
I like how the two go to Applebee's and use coupons. It shows how they are financially and it's pretty funny. It kinda made me want to collect coupons for free food. I hope they can be able to pay for more food soon, or at least by the end of the book.
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Jaylene Repeto
12/14/2018 01:36:03 pm
I feel bad for the little brother, he misses his dad so much. I didn't really like how they described him as sweaty and gross. Plus, it was relatable when Aza didn't know how to comfort people. Maybe he'll feel better by the end of the book, he seems well enough to play video-games anyhow.
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Johnathan Campbell
12/14/2018 01:46:52 pm
“It’s not like you believe yourself to be normal. You know there is a problem. But you can’t figure a way through to fixing it.”
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Giselle Lopez
12/14/2018 01:50:52 pm
My thoughts on Aza are that she's a huge over thinker and worries about the smallest details. She worries about the most random things at the most random times.I know it's good to worry about your health and how you treat your body, but I think she's just over the top. I feel like this really affects her social life especially with her best friend. One example is when she gets into an "argument" with Daisy and ends up in a car accident because she was yelling at Daisy about her over thinking problem.
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Erick Hernandez
12/15/2018 05:45:25 pm
While reading the first few chapters of the book I noticed that Aza suffers from OCD and I feel bad for what she goes through in her life. I like how Daisy is always giving Aza company so that she wont feel alone and I picture that as a true friend, especially if someone suffers from a Obsessive compulsive disorder problem. Aza hates the feeling of touching anything around her and feels like shes always catching bacteria because of it. In chapter three Aza laughs loud as shes moving down the river with Daisy and she notices turtles peeking out of the water looking at her and Daisy and Aza describes the water as lousy so these turtles could be a sign of regress. Aza went through her fathers demise and it greatly effected her. As Aza laughs in chapter three she feels happiness, but the turtles that desperately plopped into the water show signs of regress so that she can move back to her previous state as being solemn or feeling despair instead of happiness.
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Johnathan Campbell
12/16/2018 10:02:58 am
Aza has a huge fear of this bacteria of what I think it called "Clostridium difficile". When I first read this, I was confused of what is this bacteria was because I never heard of this before. After I have read what it is, I can see why Aza's stomach turns when she picture the bacteria spreading.
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Maya Williams
12/16/2018 12:50:51 pm
I believe that Aza tends to get overwhelmed about this "bacteria" theory and it causes her to not live how she wants to. When Dr. Singh told her that she didn't have C. Diff, she insisted that she was lying because she wasn't a gastroenterologist. She always talks about how she sweats and how she could have a fever, but I think she is just an over-thinker.
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Maya Williams
12/16/2018 05:12:15 pm
I am surprised that Davis gave Aza the money and she accepted it. I knew she would split the money with Daisy, but I think Aza was never in for the money. I believe she was really trying to investigate Mr. Pickett's disappearance, especially for Noah. Davis doesn't seem like he cares about his dad, but Noah and Aza seem to relate because they both miss their father figure.
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Nicole Styskun
12/16/2018 08:25:47 pm
How does Davis know that Aza took/has the photo from one of the cameras? Also why doesn't he trust her to keep it a secret form the cop? They somewhat know each other there should be some kind of trust. I know that they haven't spoken to each other in a long time but there seems to be a bond between them. That bond should meaning something, not just pay a person off to not say anything.
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Anh Nguyen
12/16/2018 10:26:26 pm
In this book. Aza impresses me a lot as I find a part of her in me. She hates bacteria and always maintain extreme state of hygiene. She has ridiculous ways of thinking about her relationship with Davis which I found kinda funny. I feel disappointed as they end up falling apart from each others. It might be a good but also a bad ending as I expected that they would be together forever.
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Erick Hernandez
12/17/2018 12:33:51 am
When reading more into the book I like how Aza and Daisy go to Applebee's to set up for a studying place for themselves. I like how the author in this story gives out so many hints to us so that we can share and give out our connections relating to ones persons life in a book. Aza's illness gets quite out of hand and she has a fear in bacteria so she goes far by drinking hand sanitizer. Its quite interesting how authors in a book can sometimes describe how people feel in their lives better than we can ourselves in our own. The author tries to give out his first theme in the story which applies to those with problems, and its learning how to live with mental illness, just like Aza finds herself in the midst of it.
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Jason Mena
12/17/2018 07:30:02 am
The book starts of with Aza saying how she has no control over her thoughts/feelings. Aza has voice inside her head that feeds her thoughts. Aza sees the world as controlling her rather than she controlling the world. The other character that I think is very interesting is daisy. She doses not care about anything and she is very fearless. All characters are cool and unique and would like to read more about them as I continue reading on.
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Johnathan Campbell
12/17/2018 08:31:19 am
Green mentioned that Aza cleans a scar or cut on her finger. To me that's just weird especially a cut from when you was a kid, I know she has problems, but it's like what in the world. Also the craziest thing is that she drink hand sanitizer, that is just totally nuts. All she doing is drinking chemicals.
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Jasmine George
12/17/2018 09:15:27 am
In the book I realized that Aza has anxiety problems because she can barley hold a conversation with her best friend Daisy. She also has many insecurities about herself which makes her a relatable character to most people. Also she is facing many challenges in this book that most people face on a daily basis. Although we see all these things happening in her life I think the main problem is Aza's inner struggle. Like the whole thing with her and Daisy in the cafeteria happened because she was having a thought spiral which means she couldn't focus on their conversation.
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Jasmine George
12/17/2018 09:21:45 am
I personally think that Aza has to learn to accept herself outside of her thoughts and actions. I feel like she'll never grow or be able to do anything if she lets her thoughts hold her back. It's like she's in a constant battle with her self and she's loosing. She needs to not let her thoughts get the best of her because she's better than she think she is.
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Paris Dority
12/19/2018 07:23:09 pm
I also think Aza should accept who she is because she is a human but, her OCD is holding her back from seeing that. It's a good idea that her psychiatrist is making her write down her story so that she can see she is loved and is human.
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Myasia Madkins
12/17/2018 09:39:56 am
I'm on chapter 11 right now. Anz and her friends find some money and decided to become rich with it. So far I still gotta few more chapters left of the book. Hopefully to finish it over break
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Lesly Gonzalez
12/17/2018 09:42:26 am
Aza is a unique person and others may even call her weird. She's just simply different and has a complex mind and I find that interesting. She clearly struggles with mental health issues. She has anxiety and takes meds. Aza is simply trying to live and survive with all her struggles.
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Lesly Gonzalez
12/18/2018 05:57:06 pm
She has a voice inside her head feeding her anxious thoughts. She worries a lot and she's trap in between her fears and worries that go inside her mind and the one's in the real world. I think this leads to her feeling like she's not in control.
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Dequawn Hayes
12/17/2018 10:12:36 am
I'm on the part of the book where they were planning on breaking into the property of Mr.Pickett.But what im trying to see if people think that the cameras caputred caught him leaving then why wouldn't be there first choice so i think that he hiding and don't wanna be found
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Lesly Gonzalez
12/17/2018 10:16:22 am
I admire the way Aza process things. Even the simplest things she has something meaningful to say about them. The way she talks is really intelligent. The fact that she struggles with her mind and thoughts yet they're smart is very compelling.
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Lesly Gonzalez
12/18/2018 06:13:22 pm
A quote that really caught my attention was "I don't like to throw the L-word around; it's too good and rare a feeling to cheapen with overuse." I see this as one of Aza's smart thoughts because its very true. Although this may not be anything new to some people, I like the way she worded this.
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Dequawn Hayes
12/17/2018 10:18:56 am
After all of this trying to find Mr. Picket he's found in the Pouges run tunnel which they found out on TV. I wonder how the group of individuals feel or even the son Davis feels about knowing that his father is dead.
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Matthew Gordon
12/17/2018 10:47:07 am
I just started reading the book. I'm not interested on how the book starts out. I'm also not interested the first chapter is going.
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Matthew Gordon
12/17/2018 10:53:22 am
It says on page 3 and 4 that someone is about to be arrested for bribery. I'm confused on what bribery means and how that person committed it.
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Alexandra Garcia
12/17/2018 10:55:31 am
So far I am enjoying the book.The way the narrator talks keeps me interested and focused. Nothing interesting has happened in the story yet. I am guessing once you keep reading, there will be more of a point in the story.
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Lesly Gonzalez
12/17/2018 11:04:35 am
Aza mentions that she opens up a crack in her finger, drains it, and re bandages it. She fears its infected and although that's reasonable, opening it up and doing that sounds gross to me. Also kinda scary, just thinking about someone opening up a wound and draining is so disgusting.
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Lesly Gonzalez
12/18/2018 06:08:32 pm
I think that the true reason for her doing this is to take some type of control. Her mind can be chaotic sometimes and repeating obsessive rituals like opening up her cut helps her gain control. Aza knows that she can rely on that because the cut will always be there for to open it up.
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Mya Zavala
12/17/2018 11:06:39 am
"You can never live a good life without ever knowing real love, of the Corinthians variety,but I was fortunate to have found it with Harold." I like how she actually named her car also how she only trust one person with a key to Harold which was like her best friend Daisy. She really liked how Aza saved a lot of her money she got over the years so she would be able to fix Harold ( her car ). I honestly wouldn't of been able to save my money for that long. I really like how to goes into detail while she's explaining her car radio.
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Matthew Gordon
12/17/2018 11:11:52 am
On page 12 it says that, prisons have power-thirsty, corrupt guards. What do they mean by power-thirsty and corrupt.
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Guadalupe Lopez
12/17/2018 11:14:35 am
I feel i am making a connection with Aza because Aza's anxiety is just like mine. Aza can barely holds a conversation with daisy and I can't even talk to new people that I meet. How bad is Aza's anxiety?
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12/17/2018 12:32:13 pm
This book is kinda getting interesting to me now, after reading the first chapter because it seems funny to me. When Homlesy says he fells like he about to throw up and the way he was describing was funny to me. I really think that Daisy is the smart person out of the group and I think that someone out of the group might like some out of the group.
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Jaylene Respeto
12/17/2018 01:35:05 pm
I like how the story gives you curve balls. You're never really sure how the dad went missing. You're kept wondering and wondering. I also like how the boy tried to out pay the cops for the info.
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Giselle Lopez
12/17/2018 01:37:21 pm
I think this novel is very interesting and really grabs your attention in the beginning. I like how it started off with Aza at lunch with her friends and she's just freaking out over getting the bacterium C.diff. My first thought was that she might have OCD because of how much she over thinks about almost everything. I also thought that she might have some form of anxiety because of how much she worries about every little thing. I think this novel does a really good job of showing how someone with these disorders faces their day to day life.
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Janae Landecho
12/19/2018 12:48:59 pm
I agree with what your saying. When I first started reading this book it really caught my eye and I wanted to learn more about Ava and the way that her mind thinks. The way she described the way she feels when she eats was really interesting, I could tell that she feels like she’s not in control of her life, which is sad.
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Jorge Trejo
12/17/2018 01:46:25 pm
I think the mentions of bacteria are very odd. It's weird to me how Aza thinks. I don't know why she mentions it so much. I think she has Hypochondria. That's when you have the constant thought of having an illness or something wrong with you.
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Jorge Trejo
12/17/2018 01:54:57 pm
It might seem like I'm obsessed with Aza at this point but she's just interesting. I can tell that she's very intelligent. And even though it's blatant that something is a little wrong with her mentally, she's still a very deep thinker. It shook me when she said that line about life is a story about you, not you telling the story. It made me think a lot. It's a great/interesting way to look on life.
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Giselle Lopez
12/17/2018 01:57:13 pm
I also like how this novel gives you different things to think about through the novel. One of those things is the disappearance of Noah & Davis’s dad. Through the novel, I constantly thought about where he could be and what his intentions were for leaving. Whenever they mentioned something about his disappearance(a clue/hint) I would try to think about where he could’ve gone. I personally like the fact that they give you things to think about because you can annotate while you read.
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Jorge Trejo
12/17/2018 02:03:17 pm
Daisy seems to be "obsessed" with Aza to me. She goes as far to write a story type thing about her. But it's not a good type of "obsessed". She seems like she hates Aza. Daisy repeatedly calls Aza selfish. I don't think that it's right for Daisy to blame everything on Aza due to her illness. But Daisy never thinks of it like that.
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Maya Williams
12/17/2018 07:37:32 pm
The book ended leaving Aza very unfortunate. She got into a accident and completely destroyed her car. In addition, she also began to drink hand sanitizer while at the hospital due to being "sweaty". Aza was a very interesting character and it seems as if her anxiety pushed her away from the people/things that she needed the most. I also wonder will she ever see Davis and Daisy again.
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Bradley Jordan
12/17/2018 07:46:01 pm
Aza is a observant person and also the main character. She has a friend named Daisy who sticks by her. I like how the book is set up. They find an important problem and set out to solve it. Normal events that a lot of books have but delivered in a way that was unforgettable.
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Bradley Jordan
12/17/2018 07:55:48 pm
I like how the book kept the main plot in mind while going in to another. They have a different situation. But they don't get distracted from the important part. It doesn't go another route and focus on one thing that chapter.It is just a minor detail I like.
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Bradley Jordan
12/17/2018 08:08:35 pm
I don't get why why at the beginning It take about the human body. She say that the body is made up of 1/2 of Bactria. I will get this if she just learned it in class. But it is also a strange topic to talk about when eating. Or she just enjoys talking about the human body or likes to state facts.
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Jessica Gibson
12/17/2018 08:36:59 pm
"Anybody can look look at you. It's quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see". This quote touched my soul because I feel like anyone in this society can look at a person but they do not know what they going through. I feel like this quote was towards me referring to anyone I converse with because I can always look at a person and have my own opinion but I personally do not know what they see everyday, hear everyday, and do what they need to do to keep a smile on they face on a daily basis.
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Anh Nguyen
12/17/2018 10:32:59 pm
I like and don't like"Turtles all the way down" at the same time. I'm always impressed by the love story between a rich boy and poor girl ( even Aza is not really poor), because I think Davis can take care and love Aza in his whole life. I awaited their happy ending when I was reading some first chapters. Even I like Aza as she has some common character with me, her overwhelming stressed thoughts about C Diff makes me feel uncomfortable. It's kind of weird that whenever she does something, she would think about microbe.
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Anh Nguyen
12/17/2018 10:50:13 pm
When I read this book, I wondered a lot of questions, such as why Davis' father left all his property for the tuatara and nothing to his children, why didn't Davis' father just go to the jail for some years instead of escaping and died. There are some unclear details which the author does not explain. Mr. Pickette's death is inexplicit. The reason why he escaped the jail is not clear. Moreover, the title of the book is "Turtles all the way down", the author does not mention a lot about it. The title is just explained in a short conversation which does not clarify me why the book named "turtles all the way down".
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Erick Hernandez
12/17/2018 11:17:19 pm
As I got further into the book Aza gets appointments from her psychiatrist and she tells Aza to take some medication pills so that she'll feel better from her illness. Aza feels hopeless and portrays her ongoing frustration, It’s not like you believe yourself to be normal. You know there is a problem. But you can’t figure a way through to fixing it. This is a problem Aza is facing in her life and I like how Daisy is always there for her, I like how they both bond in a fun way and play detective to solve an important case with each other. Aza goes to bed at night thinking about her father and Davis father and thinks about what Davis said, when you lose one person, you lose everyone eventually.
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Erick Hernandez
12/18/2018 12:50:47 am
Aza believes that there's two parts of her and even in her conscience she feels the same way. She often tries to understand her experience through metaphors, just like she describes herself like if a demon were inside of her conscience or a spiral feeling that she has and cant handle. Aza feels like there's living things inside of her and she believes that she seems like them in a way and she hates the teeming blob of bacteria when shes at the cafeteria. Aza enjoys laying under the stars at night with Davis because it keeps her mind calm and relief from the things she goes through.
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Giselle Lopez
12/18/2018 08:56:50 am
Towards the ending of the novel, Aza & Daisy get into an unfortunate car accident which leads to Aza having a lacerated liver. Aza wakes up in a hospital bed in the middle of the night & starts having her recurring thoughts about having C.diff. Her mind keeps telling her to drink some of the hand sanitizer from the hospital room to make sure she doesn’t get C.diff. She ends up getting out of bed & drinking it, but her mom catches her which leads to the hospital staff coming into the room to save her. I think this moment in the story shows just how much somebody’s mind/thoughts can overtake them.
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Julio Trevino
12/18/2018 07:52:34 pm
I like how she feels there isn't no real way to describe what she feels. I feel that in our teenage years especially, we have a lot of trouble with that. Where we feel all these emotions and go through different things at different times. It can be hard to just talk about what your going through and i think it helps to read this character. It almost makes me feel like im not alone and im sure im not the only one who feels that way.
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Isabella Flores
12/18/2018 10:20:07 am
When Aza was searching up C.diff infections, it really reminded me of when you are really sick and you search up all of these diseases thinking you have them. I feel like I can relate to that because I've been sick a lot and I search up my symptoms. Then, just like Aza, I start worrying and my anxiety would start to kick in. Although, I don't understand why she would want to search her symptoms up? That would only cause her to worry more because some results for the diseases say it's death.
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Evalyse Teruel
12/18/2018 10:22:38 am
I personally enjoy how the book is through Aza’s point of view, but in a different way than other books. This book shows what’s going on in her head and can educate people on just how much mental illnesses can affect people. From what I’ve heard many think that Aza is isolated and doesn’t pay attention to the outside world, but I personally think that she is more observant and sees the world in more detail than most. While others call her weird I believe she shows strength, she struggles with many things in the world (Like communication with herself and others) yet continues to stay strong and is trying to survive in a cruel world.
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Isabella Flores
12/18/2018 10:27:14 am
"Partly, I kept forgetting, but also there was something else I couldn't identify, some way-down fear that taking a pill to become myself was wrong." When Aza's mother was asking her about how she felt about the medication she had said that quote. I can relate to it because I also take medication and it just feels strange. I can really relate to Aza on the subject of anxiety. I mean the thought of taking a pill just to feel better and become a better version of myself seems odd. Aza feels the same way and I am glad she said that in the book.
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Evalyse Teruel
12/18/2018 10:42:02 am
I didn’t like that she continuously reopened the wound in her finger, thinking about it was gross and it was very visual which made me feel the same pain. I understand why she did, but it was still painful to read. When she ending up in the hospital and was drinking hand sanitizer to keep herself from getting the same “infection” from her finger, into her stomach was just as bad (visualizing wise). It made me wish she could just pull through and not let the thoughts in her mind completely take over her.
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Evalyse Teruel
12/18/2018 10:54:28 am
I mentioned in my last post how she struggles to communicate with others and even herself as well. From what I read, I think she likes to be “on the outside looking in on the rest of the world”, she’s just very observant that way. And though she has an illness that often takes control over her this makes her far from dumb. Her other abilities, like seeing the world in depth and paying more attention to detail is an advantage of hers. She is very intelligent and the way she processes things is very unique to others.
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Jorge Trejo
12/18/2018 12:22:46 pm
I wish Davis and Aza's relationship was more of a thing in the book I guess. There wasn't any scene with them two that stood out. In the end where they were holding hands in the grass, it felt sweet, but I wanted more. It's like I know it's not a romance novel I guess but still, I wish it could include more romantic factors. I guess I wish it was more graphic when it came to their romance.
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Jorge Trejo
12/18/2018 12:26:37 pm
Does Aza know she has a mom. I don't think she does cause she doesn't ever acknowledge her. Maybe she doesn't think of her as one? I don't know, I think it's strange how she says that both of her parents are dead. I also think it's weird that she calls herself an orphan.
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Mya Zavala
12/18/2018 04:19:11 pm
At times I feel bad for Aza because she suffers from anxiety and an illness. I think that's what is keeping her away from a lot of things. Even though she has a illness she observes a lot of things and expresses how she feel about it in a unique way. I also wonder if she is the only one in her family like this?
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Mya Zavala
12/18/2018 04:41:51 pm
As I kept reading, I liked how Aza's mom was concerned about Davis. "Aza, you should reach out to Davis. This is going to be a very hard day for him." Her mom probably also said that because she probably also noticed that Aza was upset. I'm also glad that towards the end Aza and Daisy didn't say anything to the police about Davis.
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Mya Zavala
12/18/2018 05:10:09 pm
I liked "Turtles All The Way Down." The way the author kept you wondering about a lot of different parts. I also liked how she kept the main idea in mind. The ending left Aza in a sad position because of the car accident.
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Desinae Williams
12/19/2018 06:57:30 am
Anxiety. I can relate because before test I study way too much and my brain gets tired then I fall asleep and when I wake up I forget half of what I crammed into my brain. Or it's that he/she is probably going to have this on the test or she is going to have this on the test. Anxiety is a big problem in this world we need to talk about it more..
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Evalyse Teruel
12/18/2018 05:19:15 pm
My favorite quote from the book would probably be “Anybody can look at you. It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see”. This quote was just very touching. People can see someone on the outside, and that same person can be completely different on the inside. You never truly know what’s going on with people and you can’t just assume because of what they look like. Many people, like Aza, hide behind a smile and pretend as if everything is alright, while behind that smile it’s far from so.
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Evalyse Teruel
12/18/2018 05:35:35 pm
While Daisy was good company for Aza, I don't think she was necessarily the best kind of company. I feel like Daisy subtlely made Aza feel worse. I wish she tried to see or understand what Aza was and is going through. I also think she was too caught up in getting the money to even think about other problems. In a way Daisy kind of used Aza to get the reward, she also kind of seemed a bit jealous of Aza.
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Desinae Williams
12/19/2018 06:51:36 am
I completely agree with you that Daisy is way to caught up in getting the reward. If Daisy was Aza's friend since grade school then she should know something is up with her. Another thing I agree with is that Daisy is was using Aza. She kept pushing Aza to go and look for the missing person just so she can brag and say I helped I get half.
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Frank Alvarado
12/18/2018 05:37:32 pm
At the start of the book, it was very different than any other book I have read so far. The story was weird because she acts towards others around her and herself. But so far I was interested in the book. Mostly because it is the start.
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Desinae Williams
12/18/2018 05:40:21 pm
I really like how Aza really thinks about anything that is around her or even if she hears anything. When she was in the cafeteria she listen to the conversations. I feel like Aza brain can sense everything to a certain noise or description. Another example, when she eating that sandwich she said she can hear the noise of the bacteria in her stomach. Most writers would put that she feels like she going to throw up.
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Janae landecho
12/19/2018 07:22:32 am
I understand what your saying, I like the fact that Ava is able to analyze certain situations in her own way. We get to see how her mind really works in situations that are handed to her. she doesn’t seem to be involved with the real world, and gets into real deep thinking into emotions and other things that she can not control.
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Frank Alvarado
12/18/2018 05:43:36 pm
When I continue reading the book I soon realize that Aza has OCD and because I notice she talk about everything around her. She has trouble with getting an infection and this book was getting strange to me when I kept reading.
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Desinae Williams
12/18/2018 05:48:29 pm
Some honestly might say that Aza is weird. She is not weird she just thinks way more or deeper than a regular human being would..Sure she pays attention ( a little bit more than attention ) to every detail but it doesn't mean she is weird. Sure she is more internal than external and that completely fine. People should be more open instead of be judgemental...
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Alexandra Garcia
12/18/2018 06:52:54 pm
I agree with you because there are people who think of Aza as weird. When in reality, she is just the same as others, she just thinks of somethings on a deeper level.
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Frank Alvarado
12/18/2018 05:48:39 pm
When I read that Aza and her friend Daisy, I feel like they are two opposite people who Daisy is about excitement and Aza is not the type to same as Daisy who would prefer to not do much.
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Rachel Asante
12/18/2018 06:24:37 pm
I agree with your statement. In the novel Aza and Daisy come into a dispute about money. since Daisy have gotten her self and new laptop or computer, Daisy does not know that Aza can not get those things because they different life advantages. Aza is probably jealous which is understandable but at the same time she can go and get one if she works for it.
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Yarile Ortiz
12/18/2018 05:53:17 pm
I really enjoy John Greens writing. In the book he wrote many lines in which stood out to me but for some reason there was one line in which stood out to me the most.
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Rachel Asante
12/18/2018 06:07:52 pm
Aza the main character has a unique characteristic. She thinks beyond others even though she can sometimes be a bit distracted I found her personality very interesting. in the book it details things that show she probably has a mental disorder. But that does not keep her from finding what happened to Mr. Pickett, she and Daisy her closes friend. This book kind of reminds me of the summer reading called the curious incident. Both characters act in a way that is strange but also enjoy solving mysteries and wont stop until it is solved.
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Ashley Walton
12/18/2018 07:49:47 pm
I honestly think that Aza has OCD. This is because she repeats every step when treating her calluses finger. Also, I suspected she had OCD when she got scared when she had to put her calluses finger in a dirty surface. I am also surprised by the fact that she worries. I think she is really teaching us a life lesson. It can be reasonably inferred that she is teaching us to be mentally and physically prepared for disasters in our lives.
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Janae Landecho
12/19/2018 06:32:38 am
I thought the same thing, this book definitely resembles close to the summer reading “the curious incident”. We can see that both Christopher and Ava struggle with some sort of mental illness throughout the story, but yet they both seem to turn thier metal illnesses into something positive and overcome certain obstacles that come in thier way. And I really enjoy how both authors show us that.
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Frank Alvarado
12/18/2018 06:08:02 pm
At the end of the book, Aza change a lot and she has got a lot closer together with Davis. She has changed a lot and I was enjoying. It got very different from the beginning.
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Anh Le
12/18/2018 08:16:32 pm
True! I like the ending of this book a lot. I like how difference she is at the end and the beginning. Her disorder seems gone pretty positive and love to see her open herself more, especially with Davis.
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Frank Alvarado
12/18/2018 06:10:39 pm
So far I really enjoy the book now because of at the start of the book it boring and weird. But soon later interesting how she and her Daisy, and how she met Davis. I really like the book of she change.
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Rachel Asante
12/18/2018 06:13:32 pm
Mr. Picketts son Davis seem to suspicious to me. If i was did not know where my parents were at i would not stay quite unless i knew what had happen, to feel like the only person that could be a suspect in the situation of Mr. Picketts disappearance would probably be his own son. Yes he stop making videos every since his dad went missing but we go to look into it deeper. If /mr. Picketts disappeared for doing something bad wouldn't he have token his son to?
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Rachel Asante
12/18/2018 06:18:28 pm
Having a friend to help you solve a mystery that his worth lots of money can either go well or not so well. At the end of it one would say they did more to find the answer. That is where Aza mom comes in to tell her daughter to be careful of who she choses to go on that mystery search with because you never know something can always end up getting worst and next you know you will be the next one in trouble. But to me i feel like Daisy is a loyal friend I do not think she would every try to overuse Aza.
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Amanda Jones
12/19/2018 07:11:27 pm
I understand where you’re coming from about the part where you said Ava’s mother was telling her to be careful with Daisy but I also understand why her mom would say that because I wouldn’t ever want anybody taking all the credit for something that I’ve done but then again Daisy probably isn’t the person Ava’s mother think she is. Ava’s mom was just looking out for her.
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Yarile Ortiz
12/18/2018 06:21:42 pm
I really enjoyed this book. An aspect that I appreciated of the book was of Aza. Aza has OCD and anxiety, which are both mental illnesses. I feel as if a lot of books don't shed light on the struggle of anxiety or OCD . In the book it mentioned her mindset as a child if she was real or a fictional, to me this was interesting to read about the protagonist and her struggles with this.
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Alexandra Garcia
12/18/2018 06:55:53 pm
I agree with you, there are some books out there that hide the realness in life, and the struggles of others. This book is going well so far for me.
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Desinae Williams
12/19/2018 06:43:29 am
It is true that some authors try to hide the real in life. Some of those authors may think the issue is way too sensitive for readers. In fact it's insensitive for people to just keep their mouth shut instead of speaking up.
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Erick Hernandez
12/18/2018 06:32:03 pm
Near the end of the book Aza lays under the stars with Davis for for the last time and she thinks about love and how it'll give an impact in life. Aza remembers that right after her dad died, she could still think of him as though he were real. Aza thinks that her dad is still dying in her memory and in the end Aza tells Davis about his father and at some point Davis gets emotional. Davis emotions show that hes also just a kid who needs a parent and Davis tries to assume that hes the identity of a responsible adult. I feel like we all need at least a single parent in our life , even when we grow up we should spend as much time with them as we can because you never know when they'll be gone. soon enough, Aza realizes that she must accept herself and learn to see herself outside of her thought and actions because it will never be easy . Its not just a struggle for those with mental illness, but a universal, human struggle. I feel like this is a lesson that we should learn if were ever having difficulties in our own life.
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Alexandra Garcia
12/18/2018 06:36:39 pm
On page 30 of the book, they get caught by the security. If I was in their position I would have not had the guts to talk to the security. I would have literally ran out of there as fast as possible.
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Alexandra Garcia
12/18/2018 06:44:36 pm
I like the way Aza and Daisy work together throughout some of the chapters I have read.
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Evan Murillo
12/18/2018 06:57:28 pm
I agree with you because they stick together no matter what.
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Desinae Williams
12/18/2018 07:02:45 pm
When Aza said she was afraid that there had been an infection on her finger and the that she had to reopen it, it made me shiver inside. I could really imagine in my brain that when she reopens the wound I can see blood gushing out. Her thoughts make me questions my thoughts. Aza is so different! I love it!
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Yarile Ortiz
12/18/2018 07:04:18 pm
An aspect of that although I haven't experienced but touched my heart was the father.In the book Aza's father died when she was younger. The father and her remorse of his loss was brought up through out the book. There's one paragraph that made me feel bad for her in the story.
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Jonathan
12/18/2018 07:10:58 pm
A question I was wondering is does Aza know she has a mom because I feel like she doesn't and doesn't acknowledge her
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Jonathan Lynn Gomez
12/18/2018 07:11:53 pm
I forgot last name
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Jonathan Lynn Gomez
12/18/2018 07:16:21 pm
A theme I see through the book is self identity because of her disorder I feel like she cant recognize who she is
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Jonathan Lynn-Gomez
12/18/2018 07:21:19 pm
What I like about the book is the authors ability to touch your heart with his writing..
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Jonathan Lynn Gomez
12/18/2018 07:24:22 pm
What I dislike about the book in my opinion is how slow it is to me... For me it takes a while to build up the story and get me interested into but then again I dont read alot of books like these.
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Jonathan Lynn-Gomez
12/18/2018 07:27:13 pm
I feel like he could've made the story a little better by making the story start and get into rhythm a little more
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Yarile Ortiz
12/18/2018 07:31:24 pm
pg;277- " I get that nothing lasts. But why do I have to miss everybody so much?"
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Julio Trevino
12/18/2018 07:46:33 pm
While I was reading I could see that this book had connections to the Curious Incident. Just like in the book “The curious incident of the dog in the night time”, Christopher and Aza have a lot in common by the way their minds think. With Christopher having his disorder and Aza having anxiety, it’s makes them who they are and it’s not in a bad way. Even though Aza and Chris are anti-social they both are very intelligent and aren’t fools like people treat them. I can agree that they’re reasoning for having social problems is because the both can relate to growing up without parents or living with just one parent. Also, overthinking is not always a bad thing, it’s helps them in the future just like Chris’s overthinking helped him solving the murder, it will help Aza with solving the mystery of Russell.
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Ashley Walton
12/18/2018 07:55:21 pm
I can totally see how Aza and Christopher are much alike. Like you’ve mentioned, both really like to go into details about certain things and they analyze how great of an affect it will have on them. They both like to think about things that are not necessary to survive, but seem extremely important to them. Maybe autism and anxiety and anti-social behavior go hand in hand in a way? That’s probably why both characters act almost the exact same. The symptoms for the diagnosis may be alike.
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Anh Le
12/18/2018 08:10:57 pm
Same here! It's interesting because most people thinks that people who has mental disorder are not normal. After reading these 2 books, the books actually change others' view. As same as the normal ones, people who suffering the illness are smart and thoughtful. They just have difficulties to express their thoughts.
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Thammakorn J
12/18/2018 08:43:23 pm
Good to know and that is a good connection! I like how you connect the two books since both have mental disorders but they're all smart or even extraordinary. Before, I was curious what other people thinks or mental people's thought are even more interesting. And in fact, IT IS interesting, to be honest.
Amanda Jones
12/19/2018 07:02:10 pm
I really like way you compared both books together. Both books have good similarities and some differences and I also agree with what you said about them having social issues because of them growing up with one parent which can cause them to overthink like you said which would help them get through things in the long run.
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Anh Le
12/18/2018 07:50:35 pm
Turtle all the way down is a special book that has unique name. It made me curious at first. I started reading it and I LOVE to know more about disorders and what are the behaviors of the patient. Aza makes me excited when she scared of infection and has to drain her finger over and over. It is creepy but really cool at the same time.
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Thammakorn J
12/18/2018 08:24:48 pm
I got excited too because the way Green's describe it really detail on what she's thinking. Personally, I'm a very clean person and always scared of germs and after reading this book, maybe I'm having a kind of OCD too! Just kidding...
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Yarile Ortiz
12/18/2018 07:59:55 pm
I feel as if some perspectives of the book were kind of sad like her struggles with her mental illness.To read about a teen/child having to struggle with something like that is heartbreaking to me personally. Also the mention of her fathers passing and how she got when the accident in the car happened and she was worried about her fathers phone. What I liked though about the book is the love interest in which was added with Davis to slightly lighten the book even though he left.
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Ashley Walton
12/18/2018 08:02:12 pm
After reading chapters 8-16 I feel even more sad towards Aza especially when it comes to her friendship with Daisy. It must be a bad feeling to find out that your best friend thinks you’re useless through fan fiction. I wonder if this will have an impact on their friendship.
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Julio Trevino
12/18/2018 08:05:06 pm
I wonder if this will have an impact on their friendship, finding out what happend to Aza’s Dad clears up why the car is named Harold and why she doesn’t want to get rid of that or his phone even though they’re both old. Their friendship and the dad think Aza and Davis compliment each other well. Both of them have lost a parent that they really care about and they can relate to each other.
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Ashley Walton
12/18/2018 08:06:36 pm
Aza also is noticeably different around Davis. With her mom or Daisy the conversation is usually no more than a couple of words but with Davis she can have an actual conversation. Something I don’t understand is why Davis thinks his dad left $100,000 for someone not to share a picture of him. It makes me wonder if his dad knew about the night vision camera or knew that someone was bound to have informs to help the police?
Anh Le
12/18/2018 08:04:07 pm
Are we supposed to dislike Daisy at first? Even though Aza and Daisy are best friend but they are too different to begin with. Plus, Daisy is always busy of talking about herself and thinking of her own problems, leaves Aza alone with her poor explanation about her illness. Caring about her business is not a bad thing but she thinks that hers are inherently more important than anyone else's.
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Julio Trevino
12/18/2018 08:09:44 pm
Well, I don't always like my homies but they'll forever be my boys but I see what you're saying Anh.
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Thammakorn J
12/18/2018 08:20:43 pm
We are not supposed to and I think it depends on how a person looks at the friendship of Aza and Daisy. Maybe Daisy talks and cares too much about herself and seems like a opposite person, contrast to Aza but they are maybe complementary for each other. If you look at different angle.
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Damien Aguirre
12/18/2018 11:13:17 pm
In Daisy's defense Aza had never knew about her situation with her parents and how broke she was. Remember Daisy wanted the money to be well- balanced with money she could never buy a car or computer with the money they had. Aza never knew about this situation until Daisy brought it up and they have been friends for years
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Thammakorn J
12/18/2018 08:37:57 pm
As I read Turtle all the way down,one of the thing that hard to believe which is the love story between Aza and Davis. It just in the novel and of course, in real life, there will be no happy ending. Why I said that, the difference between a wealthy family and a middle class family is complicated because the 2 worlds are different. But anyhow, novel is just a novel.
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Thammakorn J
12/18/2018 08:46:50 pm
It is satisfy to see how Aza changed at the end. Her transformation is a good sign for the OCD and it makes everyone thinks she gonna get rid of it or at least care more about Davis and forgot about her disorder, just like with the finger.
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Isabella Flores
12/18/2018 09:08:59 pm
Honestly, Daisy really upsets me. She just tells Aza that she's going on a double date with her. Also, the fact that Daisy was judging Mychal based on his appearance but at the end of the date she ends up making out with him? Then all of a sudden she changed her mind? Then the next day Aza calls Daisy to tell her "big news" and Daisy just keeps interrupting her by talking about Mychal. Saying that he is sexually open and comfortable, which is just overall strange.
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Lesly Gonzalez
12/18/2018 09:17:34 pm
The author subtly tells me that Dasiy and Ava's families are different when it comes to money. Daisy clearly wants the reward money but Aza doesn't really seem that interested. I like how Aza and Daisy used songs to communicate though. I found it cute and cool how they used art to express each other indirectly. It manged to convince Aza. I wonder where this will take them further on in the story. I find the dynamic between them interesting. When Daisy sensed that Aza was nervous she quickly moved her out of the situation when Aza couldn't do it herself.
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Isabella Flores
12/18/2018 09:21:31 pm
The thing between Davis and Aza breaks my heart. He seems to really like her and its not that she doesn't like him but she's scared. She is scared because of all the bacteria she's thinking she can get from him. For example, the first time they were kissing she worried that his bacteria would be in her mouth forever. Aza even searched it up on google and got worried. Then when she sees him she worries and about him kissing her. She then tells him that she can't keep doing this because she doesn't feel like she is getting any better. The whole thing is just upsetting.
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Lesly Gonzalez
12/18/2018 09:26:50 pm
I'm not sure what to think of Daisy. She's sometimes a good friend but other times she isn't the best. I also keeping going back to Aza's cut and what it symbolizes. I feel like its a constant and indelible part of her. It's something people notice and she's obviously not pleasant about it. When David asked about it she says its irrelevant. Aza wants to keep that part of herself private but its difficult for her to do so since its very visible on her finger.
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Isabella Flores
12/18/2018 09:41:04 pm
Okay, now I really dislike Daisy. She's is practically saying how annoying and selfish Aza is because of her mental illnesses. It is not Aza's fault she can't control it. She literally feels so horrible every day because of all the thoughts of getting sick from bacteria are stuck in her head. When Aza said that Daisy never shuts up. It's so true, she would always interrupt Aza. For example, in one of my posts, I mentioned that Aza was trying to say some "big news" but Daisy kept interrupting. What's worse is that Aza was driving and the conversation caused her to lose focus. Which of course had led to the car crash.
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Rachel Asante
12/18/2018 09:53:37 pm
I find Aza and Davis friendship really sweet and interesting. Davis does not judge her the way other people have. For example when Aza read her best friends Daisy story she realized that one of the character were her and felt some type of way toward it but Davis also read it and even told her that he did not have bad thought about the character that was supposed to Aza in fact that probably became his favorite character in Daisy story. The admiration that one another gives is so sweet that it changes her mind about him.
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kera wright
12/20/2018 04:21:35 pm
I agree because I thought it was sweet too. he didn't try to judge her. they are very supportive of one another.
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Sofia Quinones
12/18/2018 09:57:44 pm
When I read the first few chapters I thought Aza was kind of weird cause she would dig into her skin. When I found out that she has anxiety and trouble with digging into her skin, I thought maybe she isn't that weird cause she has the same problems as everyone else.
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Damien Aguirre
12/18/2018 09:59:27 pm
Aza has a very weird way of viewing things. For instance she pushed her nail up against a something and had made her nail bleed. She now cleans her nail constantly with alcohol to get rid of the germs because she has anxiety of dying from the germs. Which shows a lot about her character so far.
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Sofia Quinones
12/18/2018 10:03:56 pm
When Aza would dig into her hand, I could imagine the pain and visualize how she put the band-aid under the table. I could imagine her hand to have so many cuts and how broken her skin is.
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Sofia Quinones
12/18/2018 10:18:42 pm
I don't really like how Davis's father just got up and left cause he didn't even tell anyone that he was leaving. At the same time even if he did tell someone I think he would of left anyways.
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Sofia Quinones
12/18/2018 10:36:48 pm
I really like Daisy because I like how her and Aza work together when they were trying to get into Davis Pickett's house. Also when Davis came out of his house and saw Aza and Daisy. I think Daisy knew that Aza secretly likes Davis cause Daisy kept away from them when they were talking.
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Sofia Quinones
12/18/2018 10:46:39 pm
Another character I like is Davis because I like how he secretly liked Aza and how their friendship is. Also I like how Davis and Aza's relationship cause they were friends when they were little and then they stopped talking. Then they started talking again like they didn't take a break from talking and they aren't nervous with each other.
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12/18/2018 10:52:31 pm
I think that the main character isn't really going to get into conflict with nobody in this story and why I say this is because how it starts off in chapter one, it's peaceful, nothing bad happen to nobody and everybody safe out of all the other books we read. I think this might be a peaceful book or something might happen unexpectedly.
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Damien Aguirre
12/18/2018 11:04:10 pm
Another way Aza shows that she has her anxiety most when she kisses Davis. Then puts hand sanitize in her mouth because she believes she will get germs and a disease from one kiss. She never wanted to touch him but then again she wanted to be a regular teenager. This has a lot to do with her social anxiety where she feels as if she'll mess things up.
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Damien Aguirre
12/18/2018 11:42:25 pm
Overall Aza is a very complex character with her social problems and her worries about dying do to germs. The book is very interesting. Aza tries to solve the mystery and we see a side of her where her mental health does kinda help her catch the guy. As for her best friend, this is where we get to see the average teenager but Daisy also wants to help Aza but then doesn't.
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Anh Nguyen
12/19/2018 12:05:12 am
I feel like the way Davis treats Aza is really nice. Especially when Aza tells Davis that she cannot have a relationship with anyone, as she can not kiss or do stuffs like a normal person. And Davis comforts her by saying that he loves the way she is. However, Aza is not nice to Davis. She knows that she can not kiss him. Because every time she does, she thinks about the bacterial exchange. But she still does it, and then say the things which makes Davis feel sad and worry about her.
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Anh Nguyen
12/19/2018 12:16:51 am
In my opinion, the book is not too good but not too bad. There are two circumstances which make me feel extremely sad. The first one is when the Aza watches the news about Mr. Pickett's death. I feel sorry for Noah and Davis, as they are too young to take care of themselves. Children need parents. And the reason why Mr. Pickett is unclear, so I feel more disappointed. The second one is the ending of the book. I like the quote" No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again". Anyway, it's not a perfect ending for me.
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Janae Landecho
12/19/2018 06:37:15 am
when I first read the beginning of this book, it really caught my eye because we can see that Ava really struggles with her identity and her mental illness. It seems as if she doesn’t think that she’s in control of her own life, which is sad. She doesn’t seem to be involved that much in her surroundings, it’s as if she’s there but not really there. Reading about this really had me intrigued and encouraged me to keep reading and analyzing everything.
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Amanda Jones
12/19/2018 06:51:27 pm
I agree with you about the entire post because it shows how much the mental illness took over her body and mind making her feel the way that she is feeling.
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Janae Landecho
12/19/2018 06:59:25 am
I really enjoy the fact that the author shows us how Ava thinks about certain things and let’s us get into a deeper level of her mind. Not many athours wrote about mental illnesses and fit it into an actual story. I liked that he decides to shows us just how much a disorder can affect someone’s life and the way that thier mind thinks about certain situations and choices in thier life, as they showed us with Ava.
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Christina Gallardo
12/19/2018 06:27:54 pm
I as well liked how the author explains to us how Aza thinks about certain things that go on around her. We got to have a better understanding of who Aza was. It was nice to get a better understanding of Aza as a character, and how her mental disorder had affect her daily life. And I agree with you 100% that not all authors write about mental illnesses and fit it into an actual story perfectly. I really enjoyed this book because of all the little details the author had put into this book.
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Amanda Jones
12/19/2018 06:41:05 pm
I agree with you about what you said about how the author lets us understand the mind of Ava because we may never know what is going on inside a persons head with a disorder.
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Alexander Santos
12/19/2018 07:27:31 am
I really like turtles all the way down because it talks about metal illness. I like it because their isn't many books that talk about that. I only know like one kinda its called wonder.
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Kevin Sanchez
12/19/2018 09:37:49 pm
I agree with you because I didnt like reading books that talk about those kinds of stuff because it made me sad to think that certain things can affect people dramatically.
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Alexander Santos
12/19/2018 07:31:42 am
I also like that the book is about friendship too. Like for example Aza and daisy they are really good friends but they. But some times it feels like Aza dosen' t like daisy. It kinda feels like she takes advantage of her.
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12/19/2018 07:41:13 am
I never expect A kid to have a mom at school with you and that would be very useful though for a kid in high school, I wonder if the Mom would help the kid a lot more at school. I think that the kid mom might have another job again like she did before when she work at Chuck e Cheese.
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Nicole Styskun
12/19/2018 08:40:57 am
I find it cool that both Davis and Daisy like Star Wars and were able to talk about it at dinner. Aza was doing her own thing and just letting her mind take over which i can really relate to. Like Some of my friend will be taking about Star Wars and I'll just be exploring what my mind is think. Then just like in the book someone brings me out of my thought.
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Giselle Lopez
12/19/2018 09:17:49 am
When reading the end of the novel, I didn’t think it would end off with Russell Pickett being found dead. When Aza told Davis that his & Noah’s dad might be dead somewhere, I got hopeful that it might not be him. But when Davis & Noah decided to tell police about him being down there in Pogue’s Run and it was him, I got a bit upset. I felt really bad for Davis & Noah because they lost their father & I know Noah was especially hopeful that he might come home. I’d say that the ending of this novel was overall very sad and heartbreaking to read.
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Jalen Gonzalez
12/19/2018 10:06:32 am
Aza addresses the reader and says she first realized she might be fictional when she was in high school. She considers that there are forces much larger than herself at work that decide when her lunch period is and considers that if those forces had assigned her a different schedule, her story would've turned out differently. Why does she think like this?
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Jalen Gonzalez
12/19/2018 10:09:37 am
describes sitting in the cafeteria and listening to the din of the many loud conversations going on around her. As she sits, she thinks that everyone thinks that they're all heroes in their own personal epics when in reality, they're all the same. Aza thinks about everyone sharing one mind. That's why she says that they are all the same. It's almost as if she thinks she's like the smartest and knows everything
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Jalen Gonzalez
12/19/2018 10:14:25 am
interrupts Aza's reverie by asking if she went to camp with Davis Pickett. Aza assures Daisy she's been listening to the conversation, but instead thinks only about the sounds of the bacteria inside her. She explains that humans are made up of about 50% bacteria. Aza's palms start sweating. She tells the reader that she struggles with anxiety, but feels that being anxious about bacteria isn't at all irrational. Why does Aza think like this. She focuses on thinking to much, trying to make herself uncomfortable. It's like she try's to be comfortable with herself but fails every time
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Bradley Jordan
12/19/2018 10:35:48 am
The book is overall good. It gives good dialogue. It has great characters. But it is some thing about that I don't like about it. I really don't like the delivery of the last part for some reason.
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Bradley Jordan
12/19/2018 10:40:07 am
The ending was surprising. Seeing that this book is non-fiction really just surprised me. I should have known that this was non-fiction when she first spoke to the reader. When she spoke to the reader at first I thought she was talk to another person and that was part of the book. Reading it over a 2nd time I found out that was the case.
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Kristaylene Martinez
12/19/2018 01:24:54 pm
The book it self was very inter string i like how the book was mysterious and also romantic it surprised me when the story started to get romantic because my thought when i was reading the book i though it was going to be very mysterious.
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Kristaylene Martinez
12/19/2018 01:41:39 pm
The I like all the charters of the story the reason why is because each of them have their story and also interesting things about them self. I like how Aza and her friend have a bond in the being of the story.
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Guadalupe Lopez
12/19/2018 02:19:57 pm
Does Aza have a way of controlling her anxiety?
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Guadalupe Lopez
12/19/2018 02:24:58 pm
I Dislike this book because it talks about Aza's mental illness and and how bad her anxiety is. Like how scared she is to die do to germs.
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Guadalupe Lopez
12/19/2018 02:29:24 pm
I also didn't like the fact that she reopened her wound on her fingerprint I mean for me I think that is sooo gross and I know there is other people who do it. If i ever see someone do that i would just look away
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eddie taylor
12/19/2018 02:41:25 pm
I didn't like when he couldn't get off his phone on his way to his history class. He is very careful about hings just like his car. He only want non-liquid water. Things that do not get sticky to the car.
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Kristaylene Martinez
12/19/2018 02:52:40 pm
I was in surprised that Davis gave the amount of money that they would get if they would tell the police where his dad was. When Aza told him that she won't say any thing to the police.
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Anahi Perez
12/19/2018 03:13:31 pm
Aza Holmes is the main character of the story who has OCD which is excessive thoughts that lead to repetitive behaviors. She is constantly battling herself/inner thoughts throughout the book. She said “It’s so weird, to know you’re crazy and not be able to do anything about it, you know? It's not like you believe yourself to be normal. You know there's a problem . But you can't figure out a way through to fix it. Because you can't be sure. You know?" Aza tries to solve her illness with medication and visit her psychiatrist ti get better but it's not helping her get better.
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Nicole Styskun
12/19/2018 03:22:36 pm
I understand why Daisy would want to buy a new car but she should of waited a bit. People are going to wonder where she got the money form. Also buying a new laptop, saving the money is a better thing to do. What if you need it later on in life, all your going to have a these materialistic objects that do not really help you out in the end.
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Akeem Johnson
12/19/2018 05:04:57 pm
I agree with you, when she got the car Daisy and Aza got into (argument) about money. Something is not adding up with this car and Daisy having money all of a sudden. I just hope what I am thinking I not what actually happened.
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Kevin Sanchez
12/19/2018 09:42:37 pm
I also agree with you because shes going to look very suspicious with the car because they're going to be wondering where she got a lot of money from.
Kristaylene Martinez
12/19/2018 03:47:53 pm
When Aza went to the party with her friend daisy to celebrate her boyfriends art work i thought that the tunnel art work was sketchy. At first when they were at the party they did not know where they were going so that was sketchy.
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Nicole styskun
12/19/2018 03:52:47 pm
I can admire Davis dad wanting to "cure death" be was that his actual plan or was he trying to be selfish and make himself live longer? I also think that there little date was cute. Even though they did not want to eat the food it and could not see the meteor shower it was still nice. I also liked how they talked about poetry and that Davis share a poem with Aza.
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Kristaylene Martinez
12/19/2018 04:06:18 pm
At the end of the book turtles all the way down it surprised when David told the police where his father was. I wonder if they would have a second book and why he actually told the police where his dad was?
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Akeem Johnson
12/19/2018 04:40:31 pm
While reading turtles all the way down I find the main character Aza to have similar characteristic as Christopher from the book the curious incident. In the novel it tells use that there is something wrong with her mentally, as if she mental illness just like Christopher. Also another similarity of the two is that the love to explore mystery problems.
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Thomas Cheng
12/19/2018 04:43:58 pm
Aza is a person who pays attention to details, she cares the way she eats, the sound that her stomach makes, the surrounding environment of her. Every small details have huge meaning to her, she would lost her focus on other things when these details are changing. I have the same issue, just not as serious as her. When there are small things happening, it would quickly take my attention away from classes, conversations or reading. It bothers me a lot during the volleyball game because I cannot focus and do what I am suppose to do. But I am glad she can find a way to work out, and try to see things differently.
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Christina Gallardo
12/19/2018 05:59:54 pm
Yes I agree with you that Aza pays attention about the little things about herself, and the little things that are around her. She does seem to lose her focus when something minor happens. I am also the same way like Aza. I pay attention to everything that happens, and goes on around me, and I sometimes seem to lose my focus as well. But like you said when Aza notices these little things it’s alot more serious than when I notice things that happen around me.
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Akeem Johnson
12/19/2018 04:52:48 pm
What could have happened to Mr. Picketts, I have a few theories on that situations. I think someone is hiding the man, if you think about it someone who is trying to get away from going prison would try to hide in someone house or try to get out the country. Another theory I have is that someone had killed him. probably due to the fact that he was committing a crime for someone so the person he was doing the crime for did not want any lead to them.
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Akeem Johnson
12/19/2018 04:59:57 pm
At first i thought that Aza was going to use Davis, Mr. Picketts son, to get to him and get the $100,000 award. But I was wrong in fact they both got close to each other and a connection. Aza liked and Davis like her. He did not see her as a strange person in fact he like that about her.
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kera wright
12/19/2018 05:07:19 pm
i actually like aza character. she has a disorder that makes herself different from other people. she puts too much thought in anything before she makes a decision. the relationship with her friends show that in the book. this book is like the curious incident which i also like too. aza stills have some growing up to do. aza struggles with her family and her mental illness
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Christina Gallardo
12/19/2018 06:14:54 pm
I as well like Aza as a character. She did stand out from others, but that is what made her unique. She notices a lot of more little details than others would probably pay attention to, or notice. It’s sad how Aza struggle with her family, and mental illness but that helped her become a more stronger person. I do notice the similarities between this book, and the curious incident. I enjoyed the book the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime, and I also enjoyed this book a lot as well.
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Amanda Jones
12/19/2018 07:23:26 pm
I agree with you, but maybe putting a lot of thought into something is better than just going right in without a thought and not knowing what the outcome may be.
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Andres Saucedo
12/19/2018 08:14:00 pm
I actually like Aza's character too. I agree that her disorder makes her different because her disorder makes her think a lot more through what she does. I think it's good that she thinks through what she does just to be sure that's what she wants to do. Aza does have a lot of growing to do as she is still afraid of C.Diff. She also needs help managing her mental illness and being with her family.
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Ho Kwan Cheng
12/19/2018 05:08:38 pm
This is a great book and I would like to recommend it to everyone because it Aza is always being distracted by small details around her, but she finds a way to make it through. The story also has a great connection between the siblings relationship, which I wish it would be something I have. I don't get along with my sister since we were born, and we were always fighting. She was a bully and I couldn't fight back because she was 5 years older than me. But as time goes by, we know that family is important, so we are trying to improve the relationship, at least we won't be fighting or arguing everyday.
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Marco T.
12/19/2018 05:10:49 pm
the book for me was slow in the beginning. i know they where introducing characters, but it dragged for me. I've read john green before and this is one of the things i don't like. his books are book but they take too long to get to the actual point of the story.and i got confused at some parts of the story.
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kera wright
12/19/2018 05:19:51 pm
i dont think it is a good idea for aza to get into a relationship. she needs to know everything first and try. she needs to learn about herself. aza needs to be careful for who she trust and where she goes. i think it was a bad idea to do the art work and the mystery. she has to find out her own way. i like the message in the book.
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Andres Saucedo [email protected]
12/19/2018 08:18:25 pm
I agree that it's a bad idea for her to get into relationship. She constantly doubts herself and doesn't really have any management around her mental illness. I agree that she needs to think things through to be sure it's what she wants. She does need to be careful with who she's wit because you can never know if someone is dangerous. I believe throughout the book she is finding her own way of doing things and sometimes that may turn out bad.
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Jasmine George
12/19/2018 05:20:02 pm
I like this book because Aza is a character that can relate to teens today. I say this because she faces problems in her teenage life that other teenagers can relate to. For example anxiety is something that most teenagers face on a daily basis. So I feel like Aza is showing us how she deals with it and how she feels when it happens. This story also shows how she tries to not let the anxiety get to her.
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Marco T.
12/19/2018 05:21:52 pm
one way i was confused was about the story was the money. it wasn't confusing how they got it but the fact i think they were restless. they really could've used it but a bit more discreetly. they went to go get a car but they don't even wait. they could've been patient.
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Marco T.
12/19/2018 05:31:21 pm
but on one note i liked the nook because it shows it's OK to be different. she isn't the most popular person. aza kind of keeps to herself she doesn't have many friends, but that doesn't matter. she knows she is different and it makes her have doubts but in the end she is a stronger person overall.
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Marco T.
12/19/2018 05:44:08 pm
one other thing i didn't like was how fast the characters want things to happen. they seem to be in a rush for some reason. the book itself was a good story line but that was a major problem for me.
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kera wright
12/19/2018 05:45:12 pm
i think aza relationship with davis will eventually grow and things will get better. i also think that daisy was a good friend and was there for here. they made some bad decisions throughout the book which leaves a mystery. aza should be aware of her surroundings and be careful. she needs to be true to herself. her mom should trust and watch out for her too. i like books that are like this!
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Marco T.
12/19/2018 05:49:38 pm
this book does show struggles many teens show. i feel john green definitely remembers what it is like to be a teen and how there is no "normal" life for anyone.
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kera wright
12/19/2018 06:00:52 pm
i really like this book and will reccomend it to someone else. i like all the characters and the plot of the book. aza character stops her from doing a lot of things that are normal. she has anxiety which makes things worse for her. it talks about her daily struggles and how she is scared to kiss davis. i will want read another book like this one.
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Christina gallardo
12/19/2018 07:14:31 pm
I agree, I thought this book was really well thought out and l enjoyed the fact that it focuses on real issues. We get a insight on what it’s like in azas mind and how she reacts to certain situations in her life. I think it’s a good book that some teenagers can relate to.
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Niyah Williams
12/19/2018 06:02:13 pm
I felt that this book was more romantic than anything. However, Aza and Davis complicated relationship which turned out well as the book went on was fun to read about.
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Niyah Williams
12/19/2018 06:03:15 pm
The first few chapters of the book was great. Then after a while it got boring. Overall I enjoyed the book and the main character Aza. Her curiosity of the body bacteria was weird but interesting to read. Sometimes I felt that she was too germaphobic and it could get irritating.
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Niyah Williams
12/19/2018 06:04:12 pm
Aza anxiety was a big part of the book. It hindered some of the relationships with people in the book. I feel like if she didn’t have anxiety but was still germaphobic in a way the book would be different.
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Christina Gallardo
12/19/2018 07:52:52 pm
I think that aza having anxiety and ocd, really puts a perspective on the book. We get to see the way she handles things and how she feels about situations. We can tell that aza also doesn’t feel as if she has complete control over her own life. I’m glad that the author focuses on these types of things because I feel that some may relate to it more then others.
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Niyah Williams
12/19/2018 06:05:25 pm
I liked that Aza’s mom and best friend Daisy were important people. I liked how Daisy never made her feel alone and always kept her company. Her mom was also encouraging to her always. I don’t know how it feels but it had to be hard raising Aza without her father especially because she had anxiety.
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Niyah Williams
12/19/2018 06:06:09 pm
I’m not going to lie, I didn’t like the ending of the book. When Davis told Aza he was leaving for Colorado for a good reason. I’m not going to say I expected the ending to happen but it was predictable. I didn’t enjoy the ending because it just wasn’t what I was looking for. I wonder did she see Davis and Daisy again.
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kera wright
12/19/2018 06:23:42 pm
i think aza mom was a bit overprotective but most moms are. her condition is what makes her interesting. she only wants the best for her daughter and is trying to help. i think aza relationship will grow and everything will be fine. daisy had her own problems to worry about which made her distracted. i dont think she is a bad person either.
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Ritley Vasquez
12/19/2018 08:08:08 pm
I agree that her mom is a little overprotective of her, but it's understanding considering she is an only child. I think it's nice that she has a teacher as a mom because her mom can actually help her think about college and address those issues. I can also agree that Aza's mindset is very interesting. Considering her anxiety, she thinks about things no one really ever does. I can disagree that Daisy is not a bad person because she eventually tells Aza she is selfish for having a disorder.
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Anahi Perez
12/19/2018 06:38:03 pm
When I realized Aza had a disorder the first thing that came into my head was that she was going to have trouble with it throughout the novel. She had anxiety that led her drink a bottle of hand sanitize which was not good her. Her disorder caused to have fear. As I was reading the novel I was able to understand how people with this type of disorder feel like on the inside and how hard they try to forget about, but they can't. She was having a really tough time having this second voice in her that didn't let her be her own self.
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Jasmine George
12/19/2018 06:47:19 pm
Overall I did like the book. It caught my attention and it was relatable to me a little bit. It showed a good representation of trying to juggle multiple things at once. Like she's doing the best she can to be a good friend, daughter, and detective but her thoughts are getting the best of her. She is letting her thoughts distract from her being the good person that she wants to be.
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Anahi Perez
12/19/2018 06:47:29 pm
Turtles all the way down was almost like The Curious incident of the dog in the night-time because Christoper and Aza are both the same in some ways. They both have disorders, but that doesn't stop them from doing what they want to achieve.At at the same time they tend to worry about their surroundings and what's going to happen next.They both try solving a problem that happens in their own novel even having disorders that are in some way on their way because they also have to face it throughout the novel.
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Ho kwan Cheng
12/19/2018 07:17:31 pm
Turtles all the way down talks about how Aza acts and how she reacts, this book reveals the world of the people with special diseases. It's hard to understand their world because it could be a totally different from ours, they would focus on small details, or hard for them to concentrate, sometimes doesn't want to have conversations. However, since we are all humans and we all have equal rights, it is important to understand their needs and how they think either.
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Alexander Santos
12/19/2018 07:20:28 pm
At this point of the book Aza is going through a tough time. She is thinking why she exists. If she even exists in the world and does she even have control over things she does.
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Ritley Vasquez
12/19/2018 07:21:11 pm
When reading the first three chapters I realized that Aza is actually a very anxious high schooler. She doesn't get anxious when others do, but rather of other things that many people tend to not think about. She feels fictional and it's simply because her life is set up in such a timely manner. I can understand why she may feel fictional, as we all tend to have our own lives set up in a timely manner and we never realize it until we think about it. She also doesn't really feel like she fits In at all with people her own age. Aza believes she is better off as a child than as an adult simply because she feels she could do better as a child than an adult
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Preleah Campbell
12/19/2018 07:22:31 pm
When I first started reading this book no lie, I was very confused. I just finished and It was very interesting. I say that because a lot happened and I still have many questions about some of it. I've never read any books that were like this, this one was the first. And it really leaves you wondering some stuff.
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Anahi Perez
12/19/2018 07:23:03 pm
Davis and Aza are friends who see their thoughts being out of control and not being able to control them. They both notice that they have this type of issue and try get close between both of them in Aza's mind. Aza's mental disorder was starting to get out of control, I think that if she was brave enough to fight the person/2nd Aza in her mind it would of prevented her illness to take over and that way she would of start living a peaceful life rather than with fear/anxiety.
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Ritley Vasquez
12/19/2018 08:02:51 pm
I think it's nice that they both know they have something in common. It may not bee something light, but it is something they can help each other with. I think it's nice that they have each other as a support system. I disagree with you that if she were brave enough to fight her mindset she'd live peacefully. It's a bit harder than just fighting your own mindset and doing it yourself, but rather you need more r less a support system for that. She can't just escape something because she doesn't want to, but because it's more difficult than just fighting against it.
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Alexander Santos
12/19/2018 07:23:31 pm
The thing that i like about this book is that Aza illness doesn't stop her most of the time. She likes being in tough situations. I think she likes doing that because maybe she think. That she can still be smart with the illness.
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Alexander Santos
12/19/2018 07:26:15 pm
I also like this book because their are many characters from many background. Like Davis's he is really rich and Ava is is middle class. Davis family buys art and Ava mother is a high school teacher.
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Alexander Santos
12/19/2018 07:27:39 pm
I would recommend this book to any one. This a such a good book it will get you all in your feeling and every single feeling you have. But over all this is a wonderful book.
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Ritley Vasquez
12/19/2018 07:29:28 pm
Aza is more anxious than actually meets the eye. After reading a numerous amount of chapter it is obvious that Aza does have a lot of anxiety as a person. She has so much that when she was on the way to the bank, her friend Daisy was worried for her. Aza actually got an anxiety attack in the car on the way to the bank and couldn't stop asking so many questions as her mind constantly kept wondering. Aza continued applying hand sanitizer to her hand as they kept driving attempting to make herself feel better. Aza is terribly afraid of C.Diff which is actually odd because again, she tends to worry about things not many people do. She also tends to get uneasy around other people, such as Davis. She doesn't really seem to know what to do with herself because she knows she's very anxious. I think she has a very interesting mindset on how she looks and thinks of thing and how she reacts to them.
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Andres Saucedo
12/19/2018 08:23:21 pm
I agree that Aza is a very anxious person. I think it was interesting to see Daisy worry about her in the beginning. Later on in the book she then tells her she is selfish for having the disorder which was an interesting switch. It was sad to see her digress so much that she got to the point of drinking hand sanitizer eventually. It's also interesting to see that she is somewhat still a typical teenager as she is still shy around other people.
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But Tran
12/19/2018 07:34:41 pm
I personally think this book is really interesting, I like how John Green creates his characters, Aza, David and Daisy. They are not perfect, they do not emphasize the modern standards of beauty and characteristics, they have flaws and weaknesses. Like Aza who is not a popular girl at school, but she has a happy and cozy home with his mother, but she lost her dad, and she suffers extreme anxiety. She is not perfect and so are the others. I love how he build up the background and it takes huge parts in making such a beautiful story.
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RItley Vasquez
12/19/2018 07:53:17 pm
I agree with you completely with John Greene's characters. I believe John Greene has an interesting way of writing his characters in all of his books overall. He creates his characters in a way we can all relate to in the story. But I thought this actually was an interesting book. I thought it was interesting to be in the mindset of someone with such a vivid mindset of anxiety.
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Ritley Vasquez
12/19/2018 07:36:18 pm
Towards the end of the book it was really sad to see everything that happened with Aza. I believe Aza is a very strong character as she went through so many things most people couldn't bare. She gets into an argument with her best friend and a car crash. She then went downhill as she had a mental breakdown in the hospital issuing she would get C. Diff in there. Overall, Aza has a very powerful mindset, but sometimes she unfortunately lets her mind overpower her as well. By her overthinking too much, she eventually just caused herself harm. I feel that sometimes she just needed to stop herself from thinking, and searching, and just doing so much that wasn't really her job of doing.
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Aiden Gomez
12/19/2018 07:38:14 pm
I feel like we can all relate to this book somehow because what Aza has gone threw we've all felt it. I think that Aza is a very strong person even with the illness she has. I like that we can all learn a lesson in this book, and we should never give up just like Aza didn't.
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Jason Mena
12/19/2018 07:43:56 pm
I agree with you yes she is a huge part of the book so the author with righting Aza. Yes we can all agree with her with her going trough so much.
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Kevin Sanchez
12/19/2018 09:50:31 pm
I think we all felt this because shes is struggling so much with her mental illness and also because she is way different than everyone else. people may look at her in a weird way but deep inside shes very unique and intelligent. 12/19/2018 07:40:15 pm
When reading the first three chapters you can automatically tell that Aza has a lot on her mind and she worries a lot. She gets anxious of things that many people tend to not think about. She also doesn't really feel like she fits In at all with people her own age. Aza believes she is better off as a child than as an adult simply because she feels she could do better as a child than an adult. I feel that every teenager has a moment in their life where they do desire to be a child again. Of course teenagers aren't the only ones who do this, and actually some adults tend to do it more frequently than others.
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Aiden Gomez
12/19/2018 07:45:25 pm
For my first time reading a John Green book I actually liked it. I feel like he tried to relate this book with maybe problems he's seen in his life. I feel like people should care about other people that have a medical illness like Aza. Even if we don't get money or nothing out of it we should at ;least try because there's nothing wrong. we should also never make fun or bully someone because they have a illness because the person never did anything to you so you could treat them that way. Aza was a good person and should've gotten treated better.
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Andres Saucedo
12/19/2018 07:47:03 pm
After reading a couple chapters it's obvious that Aza does have a lot of anxiety than she actually showed in the beginning.Her own friend Daisy even began to worry about her and her getting anxiety. She continuously harms herself as she continues to put hand sanitizer in a wound she won't let close. She also tends to get uneasy around other people, such as Davis. She doesn't really seem to know what to do because she knows she's very anxious. She knows she's different, but finds an attraction to him but always wonders what to do. Every teenager tends to go through a stage of self doubt in their life and it's a matter of whether or not we have that support we need.
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Preleah Campbell
12/19/2018 07:47:41 pm
Trough out the entire book I just wondered one thing. Why did aza always get so anxious and didn't think before she did things. I am aware she was probably sick and and had a mental disorder but she would drink hand sanitizer and hurt herself without even thinking. Thinking back on it I kind of feel sorry for her that she had to go through that.
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Paris Dority
12/19/2018 07:49:22 pm
I like this book because it's interesting that the main character doesn't think she's human just because she has ocd. The part of the book I didn't care for is when she drank hand sanitizer because she kissed Davis and when she constantly reopens her wounds and cleans it. It's weird and unusual.
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Andres Saucedo
12/19/2018 07:58:17 pm
Towards the end of the book it was sad to see everything that happened to Aza. Aza was a very strong character as she went through so many things. Aza unfortunately lets her mind control her life. By her thinking too much, she eventually just caused herself harm. She just needed to take a breather every now and then as does every teenager. Every teenager has so much on them that sometimes they don't realize it. Some things we may know about as others we don't, but regardless we need to be able to manage ourselves and learn when to take a step back.
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Jason Mena
12/19/2018 07:58:50 pm
I think Aza is a really good character in the book. She try so hard to be as normal with her Friend and with Davis.She She always has thoughts when she with Davis. She really like Davis but i feel like something is not going to go right because she can't be herself because of the thing she has.
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Aiden Gomez
12/19/2018 08:17:53 pm
Jason I agree with you on this because I feel like Aza was a really good charcter in the book. I say this because even if she has ocd s he still tried her best to get along with everyone. I feel like Davis should've been a little nicer to her and maybe give her a chance.
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Preleah Campbell
12/19/2018 07:59:42 pm
Aza and Davids "relationship" was also weird to me. Its almost like she wanted to be with him but her anxiety and fear of germs got in the way. It was clear he wanted to be with her but, she just made it difficult. It was also nice how she tried to help him find his father cause he was really worried about him. I feel like if she wasn't so afraid of germs they would actually have a good relationship together.
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Aiden Gomez
12/19/2018 08:03:12 pm
The last couple of chapters in the book kind of hit me. I say this because Aza went threw so much at the end of the book that she started to overthink to much and it made her harm herself when she really shouldn't of. I feel like Aza was a very strong person because she overcame so many things even with her illness. Anxiety is a very dangerous thing and I feel like if you ever get it you should go talk to someone so they can help you.
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Cristian Casimiro
12/19/2018 08:09:25 pm
"Turtles all the way down" was an interesting book, frankly i would have never read a book on a mental illness because i can't relate to that and i read what i am interested in but after reading this novel i can say that i could somehow relate now to these problems mentioned in the book not in a serious way but minor. A scene when Aza found out that Daisy was writing about her in her fan fiction in a bad way made me realize that in this world we all suffer from something, just how Daisy back stabbed Aza shows how Daisy has a problem too. This book also shows that Love is eternal and i think that was really powerful because in this world you can loose everything, you can loose money, power, friends, but true Love is eternal even if you loose the person. At the end of the book the author showed how leaving something behind is sometimes for the best, feelings might fade but the memories will never fade. After reading the book i can understand the seriousness of mental issues and how it can ruin a person's life as how Aza drank the hand sanitizer because she felt sick. I learned that we all have problems in our lives but it's our choice to decide if we take over our problems or our problems take over our us.
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Jason Mena
12/19/2018 08:10:38 pm
I like the book how it ended i like how they said she going to move one with her life. Aza and daisy are still going to be friends. I don't like how The do he saying goodbye to Davis. Is she not going to be friends with him no more are they not going to see each other no more. That the only Part I did not like about the ending.
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Preleah Campbell
12/19/2018 08:11:22 pm
I feel like aza's friendship with daisy was good for her. Why is because by reading the book daisy was a good friend to her. She knew what aza went through and how aza suffered but she still stood by her. There was a time in the story it was a conflict between them and aza didn't really like that. But they still were friends and I can connect because I have one friend that she knows I can be a handful and sometimes we might not get along but we still are friends and we don't look at each other any different. Just like daisy and aza I feel like they were good for each other.
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But Tran
12/19/2018 08:18:17 pm
In the book, Aza has a best friend called Daisy and the book starts in a high school cafeteria where Aza is experiencing a “thought spiral” as she calls it. Life is going on in the cafeteria as her friends try to engage in conversation, but Aza is trapped in her own thoughts. Daisy is a complete contrast to Aza, as we see john Green building the tension between them.
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Jasmine George
12/19/2018 08:21:03 pm
I feel like the weirdest part of this book was the fact that Aza keeps opening her wounds to clean it. I understand that she is OCD but I've never heard of anybody doing that. Also when she drank hand sanitizer that was weird to me because once again I've never heard of anybody do that. I thinks that was dangerous for her to do because she could've died from that or have gotten sick.
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Ganhui Zhang
12/19/2018 08:26:47 pm
I like how Green made it clear that even Aza's best friends had a tough time with her illness. She couldn't fully explain it even to them. It hurt the people she loved-- but SHE didn't hurt the people she loved and they understood this. And Aza came to understand it.
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Ganhui
12/19/2018 08:23:12 pm
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green opens with Aza as she struggles with self-confidence and feeling like she never belongs. Her best friend and support is Daisy and the two of them set out to earn a reward for finding a missing billionaire. This mystery brings more interest to the story and the dynamic characters are fun, humorous and entertaining as well deep thinking. The three main characters, Aza, Daisy and Davis all bring a lot of interest to the story plus the side characters add an extra depth. I appreciate how John Green portrays mental illness with realism and deeply detailed prose. The author’s note at the end offers insight into his own personal struggles and also help and hotline information.
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Ganhui
12/19/2018 08:27:40 pm
I cannot imagine living in a world like Aza. Just reading about her thoughts were tiring but to live that everyday. John Green handled it so wonderfully and so gently without making it seem easy or cute. My heart ached for her. It was an eye-opening look into mental illness. The book does have his way with humor between the kids and also his way of making you cry.
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Ganhui Zhang
12/19/2018 08:25:26 pm
This book is so wonderfully John Green. Fun and witty trains of thought about interesting things. Lots of random new facts and trivia to put in my head. Engaging characters. And it helps us learn about mental illness. I am so thankful for books like these. Sometimes books about mental illness can be a struggle to read because they hurt, but the point is to help us attempt to understand and empathize with that hurt.
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Ganhui Zhang
12/19/2018 08:29:02 pm
As someone who personally suffers from mental illness, this book was wonderful. I loved how he was able to capture the feeling of thought spirals and you not being able to get out of them.
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Preleah Campbell
12/19/2018 08:33:47 pm
Overall the book was good. I have to say that I have never read anything like it and it is different from all the other books I have read. The plot of the story was interesting and the characters and the way they all corresponded was also interesting. You came to learn a lot about the characters and that's what made it really interesting in my opinion. I still have some questions about certain things in the book but overall it was good. I would most definitely recommend to a friend.
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Aiden Gomez
12/19/2018 08:34:37 pm
Overall the book was really goof and I would recommend this book to people who wanna learn lessons on life. Also this book is a good example if you have any illnesses you can overcome anything if you try your best. This book reminds me of people who struggle in school, but I feel like people that struggle get some actually help so you won't harm yourself or do anything stupid.
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But Tran
12/19/2018 08:37:41 pm
I like the way Aza and Davis "unofficially dating". They share the same problem, both of them lost a parents and Davis was about to lost another one, so they soon discover out that they would fit together. The only problem is that Aza keep thinking about "David's bacteria" in her mouth so she broke up with him. I feel like the story should not turn out like this, because if they came to each other, it would be a nice ending.
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Paris Dority
12/19/2018 08:47:29 pm
A theme for this book could be don't let your thoughts get the best of you because Aza's ocd and the demon in her head was getting the best of her.
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Kimberly Fajardo
12/19/2018 08:51:09 pm
As I read the first couple of pages, Aza reminded me of Christopher from The curious incident of the dog in the night time. Aza and Christopher make descriptive explanations on what they see or how they are feeling. Both of them focus on stuff they are interested in. Another way in how they are similar is that they both have disorders, which causes them to worry more than they should.
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But Tran
12/19/2018 08:51:28 pm
the story end when David give Aza a painting that she admired from his mansion. David and his's brother move away from his house because it held up too many bad memories of their parents. Aza has some effected too because she is the one who found out David's father body.
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Kimberly Fajardo
12/19/2018 08:54:31 pm
Apart from her disorders, Aza has an anxiety disorder which causes her to do things, she can’t control. An example, would be when Aza drank a bottle of hand sanitizer. I feel like many people can relate to Aza because of her anxiety. This book also shows how people with a disorder go through.
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Kimberly Fajardo
12/19/2018 08:56:04 pm
Aza’s disorder stops her from being able to be with her friends.Aza mostly talks about herself and how she’s feeling. I think this is, because she feels like she has no one to talk to. She doesn’t want people to worry her because I think she doesn’t like the center of attention. Aza chooses not to tell her mother because she doesn't want to worry her. She felt alone with her disorder because no one understands her, but that is something that people with anxiety goes through daily.
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But Tran
12/19/2018 08:57:51 pm
in the end, Aza wrote this story to the psychologist to show him that how this story has affect her life and also her disorder. She learned through writing that she would always go on as a singular being, and no one could help her with that. Also the struggle that she is suffering is not only the illness, but also a human struggle.
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Paris Dority
12/19/2018 09:10:16 pm
"When I was little, I knew monsters weren't, like, real. But I also knew I could be hurt by things that weren't real. I knew that made-up things mattered, and could kill you". Aza knows that monsters aren't real so I'm not sure why she thinks there is a demon in her head and she's hearing voices.When things aren't real like rumors can hurt and monsters aren't real but, it still hurts Aza.
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Anahi Perez
12/19/2018 09:14:36 pm
“Back then, all emotions felt like play, like I was experimenting with feeling rather than stuck with it. True terror isn’t being scared; it’s not having a choice in the matter.” Aza it's stuck with the idea that she doesn't have a choice but to just live that way with this mental illness that is affecting her. When she was younger she didn't had to deal with this voice inside her head that interrupts her everyday. Aza use to have this feeling for just a moment and not contently in her head that never left her head and. She use to live normal like other people now she has to face this mental illness and anxiety every single day that affects her and causes her to hurt herself.
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Kimberly Fajardo
12/19/2018 09:15:12 pm
This novel was very interesting; I enjoyed it. This was the second book I read that helped me understand how people with certain disorders live throughout their lives and the difficult situations they have to face. The ending surprised me because I thought that Aza and Davis would end up together. I think it was for the best. Now that they split up they could focus on themselves and find out what they really want and try to overcome what they went through. Something positive that happened at they end was Aza let others help her, which is very good and helpful for her.
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Paris Dority
12/19/2018 09:15:56 pm
"It was saying that my bacteria were affecting my thinking--maybe not directly, but through the information they told my gut to send to my brain. Maybe you're not even thinking this thought. Maybe your thinking's infected." Since Aza has ocd and can't stand bacteria or any type of dirtiness she believes that it's the cause for the way she thinks and that's not true. I think it's her low self esteem and insecurities.
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ChenXu Liu
12/19/2018 09:16:33 pm
From what I understand, John Green suffers from OCD, which makes a ton of sense because he writes OCD exceptionally well. Like it was almost triggering how accurate Aza's thoughts were. Before I went on medication (s/o to sertraline!) I used to have the same thought spirals. The same obsessions. The same compulsions. I cannot overstate how important this book is for people who have OCD.
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Chenxu Liu
12/19/2018 09:17:15 pm
John writes this from the first person perspective of a 16 or 17 year old female struggling with intense, post-traumatic anxiety. Because John Green has never been a 16 or 17 year old female, he has missed so many opportunities where her anxiety would have surfaced in other ways, particularly as she is having her first romantic relationship.
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Kimberly Fajardo
12/19/2018 09:17:52 pm
Davis offered Aza $100,000 inorder for her to keep silence. What surprised me was that Ava accepted the money but she did feel guilty. I understand why Davis didn’t want Aza to report to the police. It’s his dad, their family and he cares about him. I think that his father should’ve stayed and face his problems to set an example to his sons, and to show that he actually cares for him like Davis does towards him.
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Chenxu Liu
12/19/2018 09:18:00 pm
Aza, the main character, is an average teenager doing average teenager things while also suffering from anxiety. As someone who struggles with anxiety myself, I found the depiction of her disease incredibly accurate and arresting. I recognized some of my own thoughts and behaviors similar to hers, and it was refreshing to see these on a page, seeing them both for how real and rediculous they are. Green never shames mental illness, but he doesn’t sugarcoat it either. Anxiety is disgusting and insidious, but the sufferers are not. There is hope. This balanced treatment of the issue is incredibly needed in modern society.
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Carolina Hernandez
12/19/2018 09:18:35 pm
While reading Turtles all the way Down I kind of notice that Aza and Christopher were almost the same because they both have a disorders but it never got in the way of where they were going. Also something else I found interesting was that they always wondered what was gonna happen next.
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Chenxu Liu
12/19/2018 09:18:37 pm
Unlike some of John Green’s other books, Turtles All the Way Down wasn’t overly heart in a blendery (the end is kind of heartbreaking, but not on a TFiOS or Looking for Alaska level). It was, however, raw and honest. I don’t think an author without OCD himself could’ve written those thought spirals and Aza’s actions to be so real. I highly recommend this book to YA fans and pretty much everyone else. It’s really an excellent book.
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Chenxu Liu
12/19/2018 09:19:14 pm
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Carolina Hernandez
12/19/2018 09:25:31 pm
In Turtles all the way down I really liked what Aza Holmes said, "It's so weird, to know you're crazy and not be able to do anything about it, you know" I found that interesting because people can't really admit or accept that they are unique well some not all and once they do they decide to change themselves.
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Nalah Campbell
12/19/2018 09:39:42 pm
I was thinking the same exact thing. Most people like this do not speak about it because they don’t feel comfortable. Aza is amazing in my eyes because she take it and embrace it she knows she is different and wants to do better she just need to find out.
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George Aponte
12/20/2018 07:26:46 pm
Yes, I find it true that some people cant accept that they are different because they might feel left out or be the outcast, and she can't change herself so we see her as an authentic person someone who cant change based of what others might think of her.
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Carolina Hernandez
12/19/2018 09:36:27 pm
While reading, Aza Holmes has OCD (obsessive compulsion disorder) and anxiety and throughout the book Aza tries to cure herself with medication and her psychiatrist but none of it seems to work. Also her illness made her cause harm to herself, she also always questioned if she was real or not and in one case hurt herself till she opening a cut and she believes was proving she was real.
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Carolina Hernandez
12/19/2018 09:40:38 pm
While reading the book it was hard cause of everything Aza was going through and doing to herself but I understood it just a bit because I have people in my life that go through that and I always try to help in anyway I can, and I think reading Turtles All the way Down gave me more of an understand, because every now and then we need to appreciate everything we have around us because I hurt me when Aza couldn't be with her friends cause her disorder drove her away from them.
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Carolina Hernandez
12/19/2018 09:51:46 pm
Getting to the end of the book I honestly though Aza was amazing and very strong because she went through everything she went through and got though it, also this book showed me that how the mind can do many things and it can even control you. But going back to Aza, in the beginning I thought she was going to heave some trouble because of her disorder but she ended up proving me wrong she had minor bumps but still kept her head up.
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Heng Lian
12/19/2018 09:52:34 pm
Turtles All The Way Down is a profound and honest story about living life with mental illness, without romanticize or stigmatization. It addressed philosophical questions about illness and life with Green's characteristic wit and an intellectual, but not pompous, approach. As someone who has wrested with mental illness all their life, I believe this story is refreshingly genuine in the portrayal of the highs and lows.
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Heng Lian
12/19/2018 09:53:45 pm
Aza is unlike any of Green's other protagonists, very quirky and quite likable. She has a best friend, but doesn't let her get too close. When Aza reconnects with an old friend whose father has disappeared, her life begins to change in a positive fashion. I loved that Green chose Indianapolis, his hometown, for the setting.
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Heng Lian
12/19/2018 09:54:36 pm
Turtles all the way down makes you realize how some people in this world live in a scared world inside of themselves and are constantly trying to break through. If you learn anything while reading this book learn to be kind and patient with all people because even if they are different it does not mean that they are not good decent human beings.
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Heng Lian
12/19/2018 09:55:08 pm
This is an amazing view into a growing mind of someone who struggles with mental illness. The author, who also had his struggle with ocd and anxiety translated and humanized it without making it everything about the main character.
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Heng Lian
12/19/2018 09:55:37 pm
I'm amazed at how in depth he went when talking about Aza and her mental health issues. I personally don't have anxiety nearly as bad as Aza does, but I know a few people who do and I never understood what they truly go through on a daily basis, but because of this book I have an idea.
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Alexa Lopez
12/19/2018 10:04:42 pm
I like how Davis is so worried about Aza. He asks her what what she is thinking about and doesn't judge her. In return Aza listens to Davis and tries to help Noah with their dad's disappearance.
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Alexa Lopez
12/19/2018 10:13:51 pm
I like how Aza tries to overcome her thought spirals by thinking positive thoughts or by trying to convince herself that she will be fine. Aza is a very strong girl and has come so far in life with her illness. She showed me that we shouldn't complain about our life because other people may have it worse than us.
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Alexa Lopez
12/19/2018 10:27:36 pm
Sometimes I feel the way Aza does always overthinking things. Like on tests or when I'm writing something (like right now) I always overthink my answer or what I'm writing.
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Ziwei Pan
12/19/2018 10:31:30 pm
I used a lot of time to read this book because this book is really different from the books I read before.The main character is called Aza Holmes.She is a 16-year-old girl suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder.And the whole book contains romance,friendship,and some other elements.But author blended all the elements cleverly.This is also one of the most important reasons that a lot of people liked this book.
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Alexa Lopez
12/19/2018 10:35:21 pm
I feel bad for Aza because she is just trying to live a normal life but her thoughts are always getting in the way. Like when she was in the Applebee's with Daisy, she kept thinking about if she changed the band-aid at lunch and that it wasn't the most sanitary place to change a band-aid. So she kept taking off the band-aid and putting sanitizer on it to kill all the germs.
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Alexa Lopez
12/19/2018 10:40:00 pm
Overall it was a good book to read and I would recommend it to other people because it showed how people with major anxiety live their day-to-day life. We can learn to be strong from Aza and push through life to try and find the light in the darkness.
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Ziwei Pan
12/19/2018 11:38:36 pm
Romance and friendship are very important elements in the whole book.In the book,Aza and Davis fell in love,the other girl called Daisy is Aza's friend.But I think there is a reason to explain appearance of these two characters.It is actually a irony that contains author's mind.Because Aza and Davis fell in love because they both had the same experience--they both lost parent,one of the most important people in their life.Daisy is totally opposite of Aza. She is very optimistic and has positive power.Daisy and Davis always tried to change Aza,but there is nothing changed--the girl still suffering from obsessive compulsive disorde. So this is also a very interesting part of the whole story.
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Jessica Suarez
12/19/2018 11:47:37 pm
I really like the character Daisy in the book. I really like her as a person like how she got the police man to send her the file on Davis's Father. I love when they have that much courage in them.
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Ziwei Pan
12/19/2018 11:49:53 pm
The story talked some stories that happened besides Aza. But more words are used to write about Aza's mind in her brain.And we can know that her mind is really contradictory,even makes us feel horrible.The author Green paints a dark and chilling picture with the way he writes Aza’s inner dialogue.She is always fight to herself.So she usually felt lost and helpless,which the feeling is also usually appeared in other mental illness' patients' mind.I think Green just wanted readers to get closer to the mental illness' patients' mind and tried to help them when they need us.This is what Green wanted us to understand.
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Jessica Suarez
12/19/2018 11:51:13 pm
In the book when Daisy made up the story on why they went to Davis's place. Does Aza really like Davis's in that way. Will i think he likes him a little because when Davis's hold Aza hand, Aza kept on thinking about Davis's after that.
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Ziwei Pan
12/19/2018 11:55:12 pm
Green is really a good author because he took us so closed to Aza's mind.And what she was thinking about is just like real--maybe that's really real because I really felt Aza's helplessness and hopelessness.What she thought made me also feel so sad.She just like what Green wrote in the book,“It’s so weird, to know you’re crazy and not be able to do anything about it, you know?”
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Jessica Suarez
12/19/2018 11:57:43 pm
I don't really like Davis's Father that much on how he didn't take care of his son's that much I mean at least try to spend sometime with them, I understand that if things come up but still try. And I hate how he said in front of everyone that he would leave all his money for his pet instead of his children. I would like him to get caught from the police and behind bars.
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Ziwei Pan
12/19/2018 11:59:59 pm
When I finished reading the whole book,I just wanted to read that again,even the whole book made me feel sad.This book really shocked me.Green combined of many elements and a lot of writing techniques.I just felt I learned a lot from the book.
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Jessica Suarez
12/20/2018 12:31:00 am
In the beginning of the book to be honest I have know idea what was going on. Like I thought the characters were objects instead of humans. But now when I was reading more into the book that it was about this girl going through her point of view.
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Jessica Suarez
12/20/2018 12:35:35 am
I like Davis's and his little quotes on posts. I somewhat like his brother too Noah how he just can play video games like some people I know. I like how the plot of the story is on her and on the conflict that is going on around her.
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gabrielle gray
12/20/2018 05:35:44 am
I personally think that I would love this book because of how well it relates to the lives of teenagers. I personally like Daisy’s character more. I do find it fascinating that Daisy did all this research so she could find the police report for Davis’s dad. These two people seem very different but are also a perfect duo. I agree that Aza is definitely a smart girl. It does however feel like Aza is trying to find the whereabouts of Davis’ father not for the money, but to help his friend. She doesn’t want it to seem as if she was his friend just to find out evidence which will earn her some money. I personally think that Aza would be a great friend to Davis because she ignores the fact that he is rich and gives the motivation and advice of a good friend.
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gabrielle gray
12/20/2018 05:36:13 am
As I have read, I noticed that Aza’s personality and character remains unchanged. Aza feels like she is not normal, but little does she know, she is. Being normal, is really just being different. Everyone in this world is different, and view the world differently. Aza has feelings like everybody else, they might be a bit stronger, but she is still a teen who is living a teenage life like all other teens. She overthinks many situations,like when she wanted to kiss Davis and she thought about his bacteria, but that is what makes her unique and very normal to me.
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gabrielle gray
12/20/2018 05:36:45 am
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gabrielle gray
12/20/2018 05:37:28 am
Aza hasn't really made much of an effort in trying to help herself get healthier and not worry about certain things to a great extent where she has to drink hand sanitizer. I do feel like Davis is a great help though, he is able to connect with Aza and make her forget about certain things for a while. I believe he is able to calm her down sometimes and I like how Aza is starting to realize she can be herself around him and tel him exactly what she is thinking about without him being rude or judgmental. I think it's was perfect timing that they met because they were both staring to hit rock bottom. I also feel bad for Noah because he feels as if he is the only one still thinking about his father while everyone else doesn't really care.
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Jessica Gibson
12/20/2018 06:40:15 am
In chapter nine, Aza took a couple of hours getting dress not only she is getting dress she puts on make up and her mom hates that she put it on I feel like this relates to me because I will try to put a little of makeup on because I think it is cute, but my mother she will have a fit because in her mind she believes that people who wear make up is hiding something. Aza was very nervous when she went on a double date at "Apple bee's" she hated that she had that body cause she was swearing on a date and her anxiety took over her at that moment.
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Jessica GIbson
12/20/2018 06:44:42 am
Aza hates taking her meds she thinks that am i in control or the medicine. I can relates to that with a family member because my cousin she had to take medication for her anger problems and she stop taking them because she feel like she not in control of herself. I understand what she going through because it took my cousin a minute to take her pills. Aza and my cousin felt like they wasn't normal my cousin needed help with her anger problems and Aza needed help with her anxiety.
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Jessica GIbson
12/20/2018 07:50:18 am
"your now is not your forever", this quote in the book mean to mean that whatever you have or do now is not going to be forever. When they say everything is temporary and god is eternal that is what I thought when I read that in the passage. Whatever Aza is doing now and going through now it is not going to be forever she will eventually understand that the medicine is helping her not taking control of her.
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Hniang T Par
12/20/2018 09:15:52 am
This quote really also spoke to me. Aza deals with current situations, good or bad and when we tend to experience things in life, we think it's going to last forever and things won't progress. Nothing in life is permanent but temporary. This quote reassures us that. :))
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eddie taylor
12/20/2018 08:05:12 am
I finally found his name his name is Aza. He is very organize about his work and i also feel that i'm like him as well. I liking putting my-self in his shoes.
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Jalen Gonzalez
12/20/2018 08:19:25 am
Aza makes it very clear that despite the fact that she lives with these intensely painful spirals, life goes on and the spirals don't consume all of her life. This shows that even within the month-long timeframe of the story, Aza lives in a cycle of relative wellness and illness. Readers now see how Daisy deals with the struggles of everyday life: she transposes the problems in her life onto the lives of fictional Star Wars characters.
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Jalen Gonzalez
12/20/2018 08:22:32 am
Finally, the mystery is solved for everyone when it's broadcast on television and Aza and Daisy's suspicions are confirmed. Mr. Pickett's death shows that trying too hard to control the spiral of one's life can have disastrous, and even deadly results. Aza understands that what Davis and Noah needed more than money was the closure that official recognition of their father's death would bring. They needed closure for themselves even if the results aren't as positive as one might hope. Aza's note about her finally-healed finger suggests that she is indeed getting better, though she understands now that this is something she will be dealing with for the rest of her life. she's now able to conceptualize that there will be a "rest of her life."
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Hniang T Par
12/20/2018 09:08:55 am
While I was reading "Turtles All the Way Down" I realized that Aza has no control over how she feels. She struggles with her identity and finding herself. While some may hear her voice and which could be powerful and meaningful, Aza thinks it isn't a good version of her. She fears what goes in her mind, which creates more chaos and it leads to hurting herself.
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Monay Vaca
12/20/2018 09:20:15 am
Aza deals with this internal conflict of her identity and finding her truth. and while her taking medication doesn't emotionally help her feel in control or true to herself . she will soon realize that the medicine does not control her but it helps her.how ever aza does not try to much in to bettering her self she often ponders lingering thought in her head but rarely takes actions to finding her self
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Monay Vaca
12/20/2018 09:23:48 am
I admire Daisy’s character, attitude and how she carries herself as well. She’s a quick thinker and she has skills to find things out. She in some ways reminds me of what i aspire to be. She doesn’t have a fear in the world and she’s not afraid to get into a little trouble and get her hands dirty and that’s really interesting to me . i take her to be some one who has a good heart and who really cares about Aza and doesn’t want anything bad to happen to her. They’re like sisters and it’s something special .
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Hniang T Par
12/20/2018 10:29:26 am
Aza's anxiety hinders her ability to make meaningful romantic connections with others, which works to isolate her further and make her mind an even less fun place for her to be. Aza is especially anxious about needing to control what language she uses to talk to a potential partner. She fears that the way she currently uses language and thinks aren't romantic or "appropriate."
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Hniang T Par
12/20/2018 10:44:22 am
When Aza's mom says that Aza's mental illness is inherited from her father, is it really true? I think that it's not something you pass on but something you learn from.It is part of who she is but it doesn't mean you can't fix it.. Aza says it's like her dad chose to fall down dead, aside from struggling with the fear of bacteria, Aza also deals with anxiety and fear, the process of healing might take long but it doesn't mean it can't be fixed. Aza has the choice to see the good things in life and overcome her fear, to not choose "to fall down dead."
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Hniang T Par
12/20/2018 10:34:31 am
In the story, Aza’s anxiety and fear hinders her from doing many things like romance. The fear in her mind isolates her from Davis and those around her. She gets anxious about what she needs to say Davis and is afraid that it isn’t “romantic” enough. We can see that Aza is attracted to others but her anxiety and fear stops her from doing so. It impacts her mentally and physically. I feel that Aza might think her suffering from mental illness is sign of weakness and others might not understand.She is afraid to become her freeself, which keeps her from enjoying things. Growing up, do you think Aza knew what was wrong?She didn’t talk much about it and isn’t expressive.
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cristian casimiro
12/20/2018 10:56:11 am
The end of the book showed me that sometimes some people are not gonna be there for you but Memories stay. Just how Aza got into a fight with Daisy but then made up and not talk to each other now shows how people can leave your side. Daisy also back stabbed Aza which shows not everyone is going to keep your back.
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Yanbei Liu
12/20/2018 04:33:10 pm
The cover copy is a little deceiving, as this is less a mystery and more a character study and meditation on mental illness. Once I realized where this was going, I was able to tune in and enjoy it, a lot. This is thoughtful, funny, and at times, incredibly moving. Turtles All the Way Down eventually got under my skin, and after I got half way through it, I couldn’t put it down.
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Yanbei Liu
12/20/2018 04:35:13 pm
Beautifully written journey through the struggles of a young girl's mental health as she seeks to find herself. With metaphor and insight, this novel encourages empathy and opened my eyes to the internal struggles of mental illness. I love the fact that Aza, the heroine, had a loving mother, realized she needed, and sought, help.
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Yanbei Liu
12/20/2018 04:37:41 pm
John Green has created a lot of beautiful stories thus far, and this one definitely doesn’t disappoint. Ever creating honest, Intelligent, and meaningful characters that readers can grown and learn from - and with - Turtles All The Way Down is one of those books that hugs you while your being takes in what it has to offer. I am so thankful for the existence of this book.
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George Aponte
12/20/2018 07:20:05 pm
Yes i totally agree that this bookis incredible. I also don't realy like reading certain books but this here is so real, somewhat dark, and amazing that it had me suprise by the end. Aza Holmes is a great character and so are all of the others. I definitely recommend this book.
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Yanbei Liu
12/20/2018 04:40:27 pm
I would definitely say this book has one of the best interpretations of mental illness in YA fiction that I have read so far. Green has spoken about having OCD himself all his life, so he has a uniquely personal experience as to how the main character has suffered and how she deals with her thought spirals. This book has definitely opened my eyes to what OCD is and how it can affect people.
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Yanbei Liu
12/20/2018 04:42:22 pm
This book was incredible. I never connected more with a main character before this book and it was a wild ride of an experience. I absolutely loved the way that John Green was able to spin the narrative to really make you feel what the people are going through in the book. I've never seen these issues explained in such a straightforward and easy to understand way before.
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George Aponte
12/20/2018 06:56:41 pm
Aza is a complex and damaged character, her character sometimes appeared very adult-coded, so it was a case of mutual and shared vision of life.
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George Aponte
12/20/2018 07:04:18 pm
Aza is intelligent and you can say very sensitive, and she tries hard to be the best daughter she can be, a great student, and can be a good friend. But life for Aza isn't very easy for her she struggles every day with interfering thoughts, thoughts which at times leave her unable to focus on nothing but the fear and anxiety they cause.
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George Aponte
12/20/2018 07:16:31 pm
By the end of the story Aza has learned lessons about the blind side of her own perspective and understands, also to take into account her experiences, of her friends and family. The book is an exercise in learning to empathize with others and understand that their perspectives and experiences are just as valuable of our own. Teenagers need more of this in today society.
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