Johannes Green is the bestselling author of young adult novels, best known for the global phenomenon Fate is a lousy traitor. It may be his most successful book, but it only scratches the surface of his thoughtful, entertaining bibliography. In Green’s work, the philosophical and the mundane coexist side by side. In particular, he has a talent for telling stories about teenage protagonists that usually mix humor and heartbreak. They touch on heavy themes and difficult subject matter, but still remain entertaining and accessible.
In addition to his novel role, Green is also co-host (with his brother strand) of the YouTube channel Vlogbrothers and launched the influential educational channel Crash course in 2011. This makes him a groundbreaking example of an author in the early Internet age. He has reportedly been working on a new book for some time, and his latest fictional work, Turtles all the way downhas just been made into a movie. Fans awaiting his next release or newcomers curious about his work could do worse than start with Green’s most popular books on the review site Goodreads. Here they are all, sorted by their user ratings.
8 “A Plethora of Katherines” (2006)
Rating: 3.51/5
“You can love someone so much. But you can never love people as much as you can miss them.” Green’s second novel centers on the quirky, lovable Colin Singleton, a former child prodigy who was abandoned nineteen times by girls named Katherine. In search of meaning and perhaps a breakthrough in his seemingly unremarkable life, he embarks on a road trip with his best friend Hassan. Along the way, he attempts to develop a mathematical theorem to predict the dynamics of any romantic relationship in the hopes of finally understanding his recurring heartbreak.
Many of Green’s signature ideas can be seen here: an intellectually gifted but unhappy protagonist, the search for meaning and the question of what a person must be in order to be “significant”. A wealth of Katherines may not be the author’s most engaging book, but it is packed with food for thought. Likewise, Green deserves praise for the way he weaves real mathematical equations and puzzles into the narrative.
7 “Let It Snow” (2008)
Rating: 3.68/5
“I’ve always believed that you should never give up on a happy middle in the hope of a happy ending. Let it snow (Subtitles Three holiday romances) is a book that Green co-wrote with other authors Maureen Johnson And Lauren Myracle. It contains three interconnected stories set in a small town during a massive snowstorm on Christmas Eve. Green wrote the second part, “A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle.”
It centers on a teenager named Tobin who embarks on a dangerous journey to a local Waffle House to meet a group of stranded cheerleaders. Along the way, he and his friends encounter various obstacles that test their friendship and resolve. It builds to a sweet revelation and a moment of vulnerability, perfect for feel-good entertainment during the holidays. For this reason Let it snow was made into a film and released on Netflix in 2019. Both the book and the film are entertaining, if not particularly memorable.
6 “Will Grayson, Will Grayson” (2010)
Rating: 3.70/5
“I am constantly torn between wanting to kill myself and wanting to kill everyone around me.” Will Grayson, Will Grayson is another book that Green has written with another author, this time David Levithan (Co-author of Nick and Norah’s never-ending playlist). This film explores the lives of two teenagers, both named Will Grayson, whose paths unexpectedly cross in Chicago. Green’s Will is a quiet and reserved high school student who tries to live a low profile, while Levithan’s Will is depressed and struggling with his sexuality.
Their meeting sets off a chain of events that profoundly affect their lives, particularly through their shared connection to the exuberant and larger-than-life character Tiny Cooper. As in some of Levithan’s other books, music takes center stage, with the band Neutral Milk Hotel serving as the link between all the characters. Will Grayson, Will Grayson received positive reviews and is the first LGBTQ-themed young adult novel to become a New York Times bestseller.
5 “Margo’s Traces” (2008)
Rating: 3.71/5
“What a treacherous thought it is to believe that a person is more than a person.” Paper townsGreen skillfully weaves together teen drama and mystery. The main characters are teenager Quentin “Q” Jacobsen and his enigmatic neighbor Margo Roth Spiegelman. After an exciting night of adventure orchestrated by Margo, she disappears, leaving behind a series of cryptic clues that Q is determined to decipher. As he goes on a search for her, Q tries to understand more and more who Margo really is and who is the idealized version he has always admired.
This is one of Green’s smartest and most entertaining bookspacked with memorable details. The title, for example, refers to fake places that cartographers smuggle onto maps to prevent plagiarism. Thematically Paper towns is almost required reading for every teenager, mainly because it deconstructs the gap between who people really are and who we think they are. These big ideas are wrapped up in a compelling, humorous plot populated by three-dimensional characters.
4 “Turtles All the Way Down” (2017)
Rating: 3.88/5
“Your Now Is Not Your Forever.” Green’s latest work of fiction is this deeply personal and introspective novel about Aza Holmes, a sixteen-year-old girl who struggles with severe anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. When a local billionaire goes missing, Aza and her best friend Daisy set out to solve the mystery in hopes of collecting the bounty. Their mission involves white-collar crime, star Wars Fanfiction and tuatara.
Once again, Green uses a mystery plot as a means of thematic exploration. The result is a raw and honest portrayal of mental illness, based on the author’s own experiences with OCD. The depiction of Aza’s recursive thinking is particularly well done and at times harrowing. That makes Turtles all the way down one of the best recent novels on the subject of fear. On paper, it seemed difficult to bring this story to the screen, but the recent film adaptation received mostly positive reviews.
3 “Like an Alaskan” (2005)
Rating: 3.97/5
“The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is forgiveness.” In search of Alaska was Green’s debut novel and is perhaps his most haunting to date. Miles “Pudge” Halter, a teenager obsessed with famous last words, enrolls in boarding school in search of a “big maybe.” There he befriends the enigmatic and free-spirited Alaska Young. As Miles becomes entangled in Alaska’s world, he experiences love, loss, and the profound impact of tragedy.
The novel is divided into “before” and “after” sections and spans a crucial event that changes the characters’ lives forever. Fate is a lousy traitorit is both heartwarming and devastating, it creates characters that the reader cares deeply about and then confronts them with the toughest of experiences. Perhaps as a result, In search of Alaska won both awards and was censored in some school districts, a testament to its boldness and impact. It is a classic for young adults.
2 “Fate is a lousy traitor” (2012)
Rating: 4.13/5
“I fell in love the way one falls asleep: slowly and then suddenly.” Although it is not necessarily Green’s best novel, The Fault in Our Stars is arguably his most famous. The story is told by Hazel Grace Lancaster, a sixteen-year-old cancer patient who finds solace in a support group. There she meets Augustus Waters, a charismatic and witty survivor who changes her life forever. The two fall in love and embark on a journey to meet a reclusive author.
It is a unique mix of great elements: witty banter, intense romance, emotional realism, vivid prose and a protagonist with a unique voice, alongside carefully chosen references to art, literature and philosophy (the title is a play on words with a Shakespeare Quote). This recipe was immediately popular with readers. The film adaptation brought it to an even larger audience, and Fate is a lousy traitor would become one of the best-selling books of all time.
1 “The Anthropocene in retrospect” (2021)
Rating: 4.36/5
“I want to fall in love with the world anyway, to let it open me up.” Green’s best-rated book on Goodreads is his only non-fiction book. An offshoot of his podcast of the same name, The Anthropocene at a glance is a collection of essays that examine facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale. Using personal experiences, historical events, and cultural phenomena, Green explores topics as diverse as the QWERTY keyboard, sunsets, and the plague.
The author uses these seemingly obscure topics to connect them to his own life, and the essays are often much more than the sum of their parts. Some of them are simply unusual and interesting, while others are surprisingly profound and touching. This unique book feels like the perfect intersection between Green’s parallel careers as a writer and YouTuber. It is further proof of the incredible range of his talent. Hopefully a second volume will follow soon.
