Paper Towns is the third young adult novel written by
John Green. It was published on October 16, 2008 by
Dutton Books. The novel explores the coming of age and search of the protagonist, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen, for Margo Roth Spiegelman, his neighbor and childhood love interest. Along his search, Quentin and his friends, Ben, Radar, and Lacey, discover more about the "real" Margo. Around the release of the film adaptation, the novel was subjected to critical reviews. It has even been challenged in a school district for its sexual content. John Green gained inspiration for this book, through his experience and knowledge of "
paper towns", during a road trip through South Dakota.