Author Study(6): John Green

Author studies are brief posts about authors I enjoy, why you might like them, what they are known for, and a bit of bio.
 -Becky

Author Biography: Green was born in 1977 in Indianapolis, Indiana.  His enormous popularity is due to both his award winning young adult novels and his hilarious youtube Vlog, co-hosted by his brother Hank.  Green has a double major in English and religious studies.

Personal Note:  I'm not one for YA contemporary realism. Despite that roadblock, John Green is one of my favorite authors, and certainly my favorite of that genre. After reading "Looking for Alaska" I immediately knew I had to read every one of his novels.  Technically I read Will Grayson Will Grayson first, but I didn't really pay attention to who it was by because it was a collaborative work.  Not counting his ebooks, I've only got "Paper Towns" and "Let it Snow" left.  All of them have been five star books, which is somewhat unheard of from me.

Awards:

2006 Michael L. Printz Award 

2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book

2009 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel

2010 Corine Literature Prize.

Stonewall Honor Book in Children & Young Adult Literature

Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production Honor Book

Writing Style and Appeal:

Where to begin, where to begin.  Green's book are all at least in part romance related stories, but they are actually geared more towards boys and often have male main characters.  Said main characters are intensely intelligent, but only a select few realize it.  They are socially awkward and struggle to figure out their place in the world.  Green is often compared to J.D. Salinger and there are many parallels between his stories and "The Catcher in the Rye".  All of his books have complex underlying themes and are intensely thought provoking. The pace of Green's books are compelling, but by no means are they action-packed. All of them have quirky, well drawn characters, hilarious quotes, well developed secondary characters, and realistic portrayal of young adult life, even if the dialog is a bit advanced for most teens.  There are red flags in all these works of alcohol, sex, and language.

The Books:
*pictures link to reviews where applicable

P.S. If you are a girl (or perhaps a boy) be aware that you will likely fall in love with both John Green and all of his male main characters because of their socially awkward, intelligent, hilarious charm. I have a sneaking suspicion they are all based on Green.  Tragically, he is taken, so try to restrain yourself.