The Ending! (Spoilers, obviously)

Discuss the April 2015 book of the month, "Paper Towns" by John Green.
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EskimoPrincess
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The Ending! (Spoilers, obviously)

Post by EskimoPrincess »

So I'm actually kind of surprised, but also not that surprised by the ending. I LOVED the way it ended (even though I'm a huge romance person). I've told multiple people that if they change the ending in the movie I'm going to be pissed. John Green did a fabulous job by making me not hate the characters in the end (because of said love for romance) and also at the same time appreciate and adore the way the characters left it when the novel ended.

Thoughts?
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Post by andimignanelli »

Same here! I'm all for romance and happy endings, but with this book I really appreciated the way John ended it.
It showed us the importance of personal decisions, Margo wanted adventure, she wanted another life, she wanted to live by her rules and Q was such a decent human being to not step in the middle of all that. He knew her, he cared about her, so he let her go. That's what I love about this book, it has a lesson, an important one.
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Post by Gadlen--23 »

I am surprised at how the book ended as well. Though I was expecting something tragic to happen. I don't know why but maybe because of how the Fault in our Stars left me traumatized that's why I thought it'll end unhappily. But still, the book was amazing. I just hope the movie will be as well.
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Post by csimmons032 »

The ending didn't surprise me that much. I figured she was either dead, about to kill herself, or she didn't want to be found. Because of that, I found Quentin's search for her to be a little pointless. I guess he just needed to say goodbye, even if he didn't realize that's what he needed.
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Post by Jesska6029 »

I loved the ending. I really liked Margo, and I felt like she was just this free spirit. If it had ended any differently, I think I would have just rolled my eyes. I am looking forward to the movie, and I really hope they don't change the ending.
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Post by reso636 »

Obviously I was sad when Margo and Quentin didn't end up together, but I LOVED the ending. I love John Green because he doesn't write predictably. If I had been reading any other book they probably would've ended up together. That's why I love John❤️
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Post by hannahbm13 »

I love this book and I love John Green. His books are wild and unpredictable. Based on his previous books I conjured up two possibilities for the ending: he finds her dead or they end up together. That made what actually happened so much more enjoyable for me. I love being surprised. It made the book even better than it already was. 4/4.
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Post by dhaller »

I felt that the ending was perfect.

The "moral" of the book, or at least the main theme I took away, was that idealizing people is a mistake. The book ends, therefore, with a very unidealized ending to a high school crush.

And the best part is that the main character learns the lesson.
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Post by Tanaya »

@dhaller I like that you pointed the theme of idealization. It's easy to paint a picture of what we want to believe about ourselves and others, but reality can be far off from our own fantasies. Despite the drastic example under which this happened, it's better to figure this out earlier in life than later, so that's one takeaway for Quentin.
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Post by SharisseEM »

The ending was perfect for Margo and Quentin. It was a happy ending but not in the usual way which made the book that much better. The movie will be a total letdown if it changes the ending because the whole meaning of the book would have changed as well.
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Post by TangledinText »

It was unpredictable and felt stale to me with how abruptly the fun adventure ended. I didn't enjoy how it ended but I enjoyed the gumption of the author to end a story so unexpectedly.
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Post by zaynab_m »

Right after finishing the book, I was aghast, thinking, "Wait, WHAT just happened? The book ended, just like that?!" Yep, I'm serious. But thinking back on it, I appreciate the way John managed to wrap up the story, leaving out the cliché one would expect in such a book - the cliché being, of course, that Margo and Q end up together. There was just that right blend of heartbreak at the end, for Q, and, as I felt, even for Margo. I am impressed that Q was able to conquer his feelings for Margo enough to respect her wish, and let her be.
Regardless of what happened in the book, though, I will forever ship Margo and Q <3
Last edited by zaynab_m on 11 Nov 2015, 10:33, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by bookowlie »

zaynab_m wrote:Right after finishing the book, I was aghast, thinking, "Wait, WHAT just happened? The book ended, just like that?!" Yep, I'm serious. But thinking back on the it, I appreciate the way John managed to wrap up the story, leaving out the cliché one would expect in such a book - the cliché being, of course, that Margo and Q end up together. There was just that right blend of heartbreak at the end, for Q, and, as I felt, even for Margo. I am impressed that Q was able to conquer his feelings for Margo enough to respect her wish, and let her be.
Regardless of what happened in the book, though, I will forever ship Margo and Q <3
I had the same thoughts of "Wait, what just happened?" I didn't love the ending, but I did enjoy the book.
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Post by Sarah_Khan »

I really liked the way the book ended. I think I would have been extremely disappointed if Margo and Quentin ended up together and also the whole point of the book would have been tossed out the window.
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Post by VinuW »

I actually did like the ending. I wouldn't have liked it if it ended like your average contemporary novel; Margo and Q were obviously not meant for each other.
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