Enjoy the Greener Side of Life

By Karen Esparza, Posted December 18, 2013

With the various social media that effectively drain teenagers’ free time, many forget that another reading matter exists besides their riveting Twitter feed. Several students consider reading a punishment and not an activity they could possibly ever do for fun. I recently discovered an author whose novels have affected the way I view and live my life. John Green is an American writer, YouTube blogger, and educator, whose debut novel “Looking for Alaska” won the 2006 Printz Prize and whose most recent novel, “The Fault in our Stars”, sold 150,000 copies before it was even available in stores.

In each of his novels, Green captures the reader with the first sentences and doesn’t release them until the very last word is read. Memorable characters come to life with witty dialogue and the reader’s emotions are put through the wringer as plot twists take the stories somewhere completely unimaginable. I won’t even get into the emotional breakdowns I experienced after finishing “The Fault in our Stars” and “Looking for Alaska”.

Reading can be done for enjoyment and Green writes novels that can be enjoyed by all ages, just ask Mr. Setzer or Mrs. Hill if you don’t trust my recommendation.

John Green is an incredibly, gifted author whose books demand to be read. If you find yourself with nothing to do, pick up a John Green novel and have yourself a reading marathon. Once you start the novel you can’t put it down and more importantly, you won’t want to.