Inner peace can be achieved once it is realized that the world is flat and is sitting on the back of a giant turtle. That giant turtle is sitting on the back of another giant turtle. Then, it’s turtles all the way down.

“Turtles All the Way Down” was announced at Vidcon 2017 and is author, John Green’s first published book since “The Fault in our Stars” released in 2012. The book was published on October 10.

The novel follows 16 year old Aza Holmes, who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), as she tries to solve both the mystery inside her own head and the disappearance of Russell Pickett.

Pickett, a billionaire CEO, disappeared the night before his house was going to be raided by police due to a fraud and bribery investigation on him. Aza and her best friend Daisy are determined to crack the case and to reconnect with Pickett’s son Davis, to try and find clues on where his father might be and receive the reward money of $100,000.

Aza is constantly absorbed in her thoughts, fighting with herself on whether or not to do something that her OCD is urging her to do, and she continually hates herself for it. She has a fear of death and illness, and can’t think about anything else. Since she is always distracted with the dialogue in her mind, she can be selfish without intending to be, and this creates a point of conflict throughout the story. She becomes obsessed with the case of Pickett, and it becomes a distraction and an alternative to direct her thoughts away.

While Aza is consumed by her anxiety and OCD, she struggles to do normal teenage activities like going to school or talking to people. Her mom and friends are trying to support her, but because they haven’t experienced what she is going through it can be difficult.

She is frequently told to not have intrusive thoughts, to just stop thinking altogether. But, she can’t stop thinking. So why not shape her thoughts in her own unique way, like the Turtles All the Way down theory. If the earth is on the back of a turtle, Aza can take her life and thoughts into her own hands.

The novel navigates first love and friendship like Green’s other popular books, but it also addresses mental illness and how it can affect teenager’s lives. I thought this book was more interesting than Green’s other books, as it had an unpredictable storyline that gave the readers awareness of what it’s like to have a mental illness and how it can impact your life.

This book was very unique in that it was more personal to him. Green revealed that he has dealt with the anxiety Aza has his whole life. I enjoyed getting to connect with Green in a new way and to have an understanding as to what his life is like, and what he struggles with. I think a fictional book that the author can relate to is touching and personal.

“Turtles All The Way Down” isn’t a traditional, cliche love story that has been done a million times. It was insightful and eye-opening to what anxiety and grief can be like. The book had great character development in almost all of the characters, and none of them were perfect like in some novels.

I think a lot of people can relate to the book, as anxiety is very common, everyone experiences imperfect and awkward dating situations at some point. The novel also addresses grief and the loss of loved ones, which Green has wrote about previously in other books.

No matter your age or gender, this book could give you a new perspective and help you understand what others are experiencing and how to help them. Or it could help you realize that you’re not alone and other people are going through the same thing you are.

This novel has a special outlook on several important struggles millions deal with and could teach everyone something about life.