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John Green’s New Mental Illness Inspired Book Will Be His Most Personal Work to Date

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On Thursday, John Green announced his new book, “Turtles All the Way Down,” which comes out later this year, is inspired by his own experiences with mental illness, namely obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Green is best known for his book “The Fault in Our Stars,” which was turned into a movie in 2014.

The full synopsis reads:

Turtles All the Way Down begins with a fugitive billionaire and a cash reward. It is about lifelong friendship, the intimacy of an unexpected reunion, Star Wars fan fiction, and tuatara. But at its heart is Aza Holmes, a young woman navigating daily existence within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. In his long-awaited return, John Green tells Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity

Green said in a statement that he has been working on “Turtles All the Way Down” for years and that “this is my first attempt to write directly about the kind of mental illness that has affected my life since childhood, so while the story is fictional, it is also quite personal.”

Green has been open about his experiences with anxiety and OCD in the past and has been an advocate for the destigmatization of mental illness.

Green’s honesty, intelligence and authenticity has long helped thousands of fans to recognize there is no shame in facing mental illness and that as a community they can work together to destigmatize it.


Fans of Green have already responded positively to news of his new book.

“Turtles All the Way Down” is available for pre-order and will be released on October 10, 2017.

Originally published: June 23, 2017
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