History Literature / PaperTowns

%% ** [[spoiler:Creator/JohnGreen]].

* TheCameo: In TheFilmOfTheBook, [[spoiler: ''Ansel Elgort!'' AND Creator/JohnGreen!]]

* TheCameo: [[spoiler:Ansel Elgort]] appears as the gas station clerk.

* TheCameo: In TheFilmOfTheBook, [[spoiler: ''Ansel Elgort!'']]

** Q's search for Margo in pseudodivisions and the suicide subplot were ultimately cut.
* AscendedExtra: Angela who get left behind in the book during the road trip gets to go in the film giving her a bit more focus.
* TheCameo: [[spoiler: Ansel Elgort]] appears as the gas station clerk.

* NoodleImplements: like in the book examples but Mountain Dew is subbed out for Red Bull which ends up playing this straight as it's never seen again unlike the mountain Dew that get consumed by Margo and Q at the end of the night.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: There was a brief idea to have [[spoiler: Ansel Elgort play Gus Margo's security guard friend as a nod to his role in ''The Fault in Our Stars'', but was thought it would be too confusing]] instead he plays Mason the gas station clerk.

->''My miracle was that I ended up living next to Margo Roth Spiegelman. \\
-- '''Quentin 'Q' Jacobsen'''

A young adult novel written by Creator/JohnGreen.

[[FilmOfTheBook Was going to be made into a movie]] - [[ExecutiveMeddling then not]] - [[{{Uncanceled}} and now has been made into a movie]] [[http://fishingboatproceeds.tumblr.com/post/80624272924/were-getting-the-band-back-together-for-paper-towns by the same people]] who adapted ''Literature/TheFaultInOurStars''. Nat Wolff plays Q and Cara Delevingne plays Margo. The film is slated for a July 2015 release.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: There was a brief idea to have [[spoiler: Ansel Elgort play Gus Margo's security guard friend as a nod to his role in A Fault In Our Stars, but was thought it would be too confusing]] instead he plays Mason the gas station clerk.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: There was a brief idea to have [[spoiler: Ansel Elgort play Gus Margo's security guard friend as a nod to his role in A Fault In Our Stars'' but was thought it would be too confusing]] instead he plays Mason the gas station clerk.

* TheCameo: [[spoiler Ansel Elgort]] appears as the gas station clerk.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: There was a brief idea to have spoiler: Ansel Elgort play Gus Margo's security guard friend as a nod to his role in ''Film/AFaultInOurStars'' but was thought it would be too confusing]] instead he plays Mason the gas station clerk.

AscendedExtra: Angela who get left behind in the book during the road trip gets to go in the film giving her a bit more focus.
AdaptedOut: Karin is never mentioned or seen in the film.
TheCameo: [[spoiler Ansel Elgort]] appears as the gas station clerk.
DemotedToExtra: Gus, the security guard's role as a Urban Explorer is cut leaving his role in the film to just a quick scene.
WhatCouldHaveBeen: There was a brief idea to have spoiler: Ansel Elgort play Gus Margo's security guard friend as a nod to his role in ''Film/AFaultInOurStars'' but was thought it would be too confusing]] instead he plays Mason the gas station clerk.

!!Features these tropes:

* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Margo, at first. [[spoiler:Except she's a {{Deconstruction}}, since a key point is Q's realization that "She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl." (pg 199, hardcover.) Her Stepfordsmiler aspects come from the fact that she has to be this. It’s what people expect of her at this point and she feels if she doesn't behave in such a zany way, people will hurt her or grow bored of her]]. Still, [[spoiler:even as a bit of a deconstruction, she did re-enter Q's life with the express purpose of making him more interesting and life-seizing]]. Though a big part of Q's journey is [[spoiler: realising that she's a real person who isn't responsible for him and has her own problems and fears. He then lets her, and the dream of her, go]].

* OppositesAttract: Ben and Lacey. Excitable geek who is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, dating a SpoiledSweet LovableAlphaBitch? Believe it or not, they're not just dating, but incredibly happy together.

[[FilmOfTheBook Was going to be made into a movie]] - [[ExecutiveMeddling then not]] - [[{{Uncanceled}} and now is going to be made into a movie again]] [[http://fishingboatproceeds.tumblr.com/post/80624272924/were-getting-the-band-back-together-for-paper-towns by the same people]] who adapted ''Literature/TheFaultInOurStars''. Nat Wolff will play Q and Cara Delevingne will play Margo. The film is slated for a June 2015 release.

[[invoked]] * SpoiledByTheFormat: Lampshaded. "...Mom and Dad were watching TV. "Want to watch?" my mom asked. "They're about to crack the case." It was one of those solve-the-murder crime shows."

* AlphaBitch: Becca.
** LovableAlphaBitch: Lacey and, from some perspectives, Margo, too.

* ArcWords: "paper towns"
* BastardBoyfriend: Jase. He [[spoiler: cheats on Margo with Becca... only to later call out Margo's name during sex with Becca.]]
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Margo's alive, Q understands her much better now although still not perfectly, and they even kiss but she's leaving, and although they make plans to see each other again, it's clear their lives are taking them in different directions.]]
* BlackBestFriend: Radar to Q, although he has a white best friend, too.
* BlackAndNerdy: Radar
* BottomlessBladder: Subverted. Every character urinates at least once on the [[spoiler: 24-hour RoadTrip,]] (Q even says Ben's role on the trip is to be the one perpetually needing to pee), but nobody mentions ever having to poop.
* CasanovaWannabe: Ben. [[spoiler: Perhaps not so much of a Wannabe, as he ends up in a relationship with Lacey]]

* {{Defictionalization}}: In-universe - [[spoiler: the "paper town" of Agloe, included as a copyright trap, was made into a general store,]]
** Also, in real universe. Agloe was based on a real "paper town."
** Omnictionary is [[http://www.omnictionary.com/index.php/Main_Page a real site now]] but is really more focused on the activities and history of [[WebVideo/VlogBrothers Nerdfighteria]].
* DeadpanSnarker: Q and Radar. Ben is a bit too excitable to qualify
* [[spoiler: DidNotGetTheGirl]]
* DisproportionateRetribution: Margo's revenge on Lacey, especially [[spoiler: considering the reason for her revenge turned out to be baseless.]]
* DumbassHasAPoint: Ben suggests that Margo is being completely literal when she quotes Whitmans "Unscrew the doors from their jambs", Radar's response is, "Sometimes, he's so retarded that he becomes kind of brilliant."
* {{Expy}}: Q is essentially Miles from ''LookingForAlaska'', except a little less awkward and more socially experienced. Margo has a fair bit in common with the titular character of the same book.
** Q has some [[AnAbundanceOfKatherines Colinish]] qualities as well. Makes sense, because all of them are at least part AuthorAvatar.
*** Creator/JohnGreen said that Q had little in common with his high school self other than height and vague nerdity, but that's just his high school self. Q is still used to make John's points for him.
** According to WordOfGod, this is at least [[JustifiedTrope somewhat intentional]]. John felt that ''Literature/LookingForAlaska'' was too ambiguous in its deconstruction of the ManicPixieDreamGirl trope, so ''Paper Towns'' is much more heavy handed at spelling the points out.
* GoingCommando: The boys all make a deal to do this at graduation. (Not just a lack of underwear, but ''nothing'' but the gown). [[spoiler: This becomes a problem when they end up rushing off on the road trip to Agloe wearing only their gowns]]
* GottaCatchThemAll: A de-fictionalised version. When the book originally came out, there weren't as many 'Sad Margo' covers as 'Happy Margo' covers, prompting John Green fans to hunt down and buy both available versions.
* HiddenDepths: Margo and Lacey. This whole book was about making an effort to get to really know someone.
** Q himself. [[spoiler: Margo tells Q that she altered her plans and left him clues to find the Osprey because he surprised her with his own HiddenDepths on their nighttime adventure]]

* IWillFindYou: Q to Margo, after her disappearance. [[spoiler: Whether she actually wanted to be found is another matter entirely.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: Becca, Jase, Chuck, and several other members of the popular crowd.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Ben. Margo herself on occasion, as she understands about as much about Q and his friends as they understand about her
* LeParkour: Margo does this a lot, in addition to urban exploring.

* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Margo, at first. [[spoiler: Except she's a {{Deconstruction}}, since a key point is Q's realization that "She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl." (pg 199, hardcover.)]]
** [[spoiler: Her stepford smiler aspects come from the fact that she has to be this. Its what people expect of her at this point and she feels if she doesn't behave in such a zany way, people will hurt her or grow bored of her]]
** Still, [[spoiler: even as a bit of a deconstruction, she did re-enter Q's life with the express purpose of making him more interesting and life-seizing.]]
*** Though a big part of Q's journey is [[spoiler: realising that she's a real person who isn't responsible for him and has her own problems and fears. He then lets her, and the dream of her, go.]]
** The author's brother even mentions this in a song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MKbMWOBlWA
*** The song is a bit of a {{Defictionalization}}, too. (And a tribute to the awesomeness of Nerdfighters.)
* NerdsAreSexy: Lacey who is so pretty she could have virtually any boy in school goes for geeky Ben. [[spoiler: At the end of the book Margo reveals she has feelings for Q.]]
* NiceGirl Lacey. She comes off as spoiled and a bit shallow, but very, very loyal to her friends and ultimately glad to be friends with Q, Ben and Radar.
* NoodleImplements: "I'm not sure what you're supposed to say to the checkout woman at twelve-thirty in the morning when you put thirteen pounds of catfish, Veet, the fat-daddy-size tub of Vaseline, a six-pack of Mountain Dew, a can of blue spray paint, and a dozen tulips on the conveyor belt..." You do find out what they're for, though.
* OddCouple: Ben and Lacey. Excitable geek who is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, dating a SpoiledSweet LovableAlphaBitch? Believe it or not, they're not just dating, but incredibly happy together.

* PowerTrio: Quentin, Radar, and Ben, [[spoiler: although later they're joined by Lacey.]]
** You could say they're a FreudianTrio as well, being Ego, Superego and Id, respectively.
* TheRashomon: Throughout the whole book, we see Margo and Q's relationship and history through Q's point of view, and towards the end we get Margo's side.
** Also, pretty much everybody's view of [[spoiler:Margo and her escape]] is different, right down to [[spoiler:the way they expect the situation to resolve itself. Ben thinks she's actually hiding out in Central Florida, playing them for fools. Radar thinks she's gone on a road trip and will return on the day of graduation. Quentin is afraid she's dead.]]
* ShoutOut: Most of Margo's bread crumb trail consists of them.
** As well as Q's English teacher, Dr. [[Literature/TheCatcherInTheRye Holden]].
* SleepCute: Q pictures doing this, but it doesn't actually happen.[[spoiler: Until the last chapter, that is.]]

* SpoiledSweet: [[spoiler: Lacey.]]
* StepfordSmiler: [[spoiler: Margo]], although even this is more complicated than it usually is.

* WantonCrueltyToTheCommonComma: Margo uses Random capitalization Because "the rules of Capitalization are so Unfair to the Words in the middle."

* WithFriendsLikeThese: What drives Margo to leave.
** Partially subverted. Becca is indeed awful, but Lacey proves herself loyal.

[[FilmOfTheBook Was going to be made into a movie]] - [[ExecutiveMeddling then not]] - [[{{Uncanceled}} and now is going to be made into a movie again]] [[http://fishingboatproceeds.tumblr.com/post/80624272924/were-getting-the-band-back-together-for-paper-towns by the same people]] who adapted ''Literature/TheFaultInOurStars''. Nat Wolff will play Q and Cara Delevingne will play Margo.

-- ''Quentin 'Q' Jacobsen ''

*** Though a big part of Q's journey is [[spoiler: realising that she's a real person who isn't responsible for him and has her own problems and fears.He then let's her, and the dream of her, go.]]

* NerdsAreSexy: Lacey who is so pretty she could have virtually any boy in school goes for geeky Ben. [[spoiler: At the end of the book Margo reveals she has feelings for Q]]

* IWillFindYou: Q to Margo, after her disappearance. Whether she actually wanted to be found is another matter entirely.

* BottomlessBladder: Partially subverted. Every character urinates at least once on the [[spoiler: 24-hour RoadTrip,]] (Q even says Ben's role on the trip is to be the one perpetually needing to pee), but nobody mentions ever having to poop.

[[FilmOfTheBook Was going to be made into a movie]] - [[ExecutiveMeddling then not]] - [[{{Uncanceled}} and now is going to be made into a movie again]] [[http://fishingboatproceeds.tumblr.com/post/80624272924/were-getting-the-band-back-together-for-paper-towns by the same people]] who adapted ''TheFaultInOurStars''. Nat Wolff will play Q and Cara Delevingne will play Margo.

** According to WordOfGod, this is at least [[JustifiedTrope somewhat intentional]]. John felt that ''LookingForAlaska'' was too ambiguous in its deconstruction of the ManicPixieDreamGirl trope, so ''PaperTowns'' is much more heavy handed at spelling the points out.

** Don't forget Q himself. [[spoiler: Margo tells Q that she altered her plans and left him clues to find the Osprey because he surprised her with his own HiddenDepths on their nighttime adventure]]