Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (review)

When billionaire Russell Pickett goes missing and a reward is offered for information, Aza realizes she has some special knowledge: she and Russell's son Davis were once good friends, and she knows about a security camera on the estate. Thrown into action by her steamrolling friend Daisy, Aza reconnects with Davis and finds him sad at how many people are more interested in the money than in him, not entirely sorry about the disappearance of a father who wasn't much of one, and clearly still fond of Aza. As she falls for Davis, she struggles with the obstacle of her anxiety and contamination OCD, which means that the physical intimacy of something like kissing sends her into panicked cleaning rituals that ultimately further upset and embarrass her. As narrator, Aza is an elusive character, so buried in her anxiety and spiraling thoughts that her personality rarely emerges unfettered, but her connection with Davis is genuine and poignant. It's her relationship with Daisy that's really vital and touching, though: Daisy is an absolute handful with no off switch who can step pretty hard on her friend's toes, Aza's problems have left her mired in self-involvement and blind to Daisy's life, and yet somehow they keep making their friendship work. The mystery of Davis' father's disappearance threads its way through the plot, adding dimension to the dynamics and tension to the trajectory. Ultimately, though, this is a story about everybody's vulnerabilities, not just Aza's, and readers facing all kinds of obstacles will sympathize with her hard work toward courage. DS