Turtles All the Way Down!!! A Reunion Video

2017-10-10 · announcement · John, Hank · 3:41 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Books & writing · mode: Announcements · tags: self promotion, timely hook, guest or collab, on location

On publication day, John announces from a New York hotel that Turtles All the Way Down is out, asks readers not to spoil it and points them to a spoiler subreddit, shares early reviews, and with Hank recaps their first warm-up show and answers audience questions.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Turtles All the Way Down is out; please don't spoil it

★★★ On Tuesday, October 10, 2017, from a New York City hotel floor, John announces Turtles All the Way Down is out in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and several other countries. — 00:00:00 · Turtles All the Way Down, New York City, United States, United Kingdom, Australia
★★★ John thanks those who have already read the book, hopes they liked it, and asks them not to spoil it for other people. — 00:00:12 · Turtles All the Way Down

00:00:18 — Elevator, Hank joins; the spoiler subreddit; pre-rehearsal nerves

★★ John has created a spoiler subreddit for the book where readers can discuss it with each other and ask him questions directly; the link is in the description. — 00:00:27 · Turtles All the Way Down
★★ About to go on stage for their rehearsal show, John is super stressed while Hank is just chilling. — 00:00:36 · Hank Green
★ Hank, looking it up while John frets, says 138,000 people in the United States are named Caroline. — 00:00:44 · United States

00:00:51 — 200,000 signed US copies; early reviews

★★ John signed over 200,000 copies of the US edition, so autographed copies should be easy to find, except outside the US and Canada, for which he apologises. (hedged) — 00:00:51 · Turtles All the Way Down, Canada, United States
★★ Recording a later insert, John shares generous reviews: the Wall Street Journal called it tender, wise and hopeful, the New York Times wrenching and revelatory; Booklist and SLJ gave starred reviews. — 00:01:04 · The New York Times, Turtles All the Way Down, New York City
★ The Guardian said the book might be a new modern classic, which John finds a bit much, but he'll take it. (playful) — 00:01:13

00:01:21 — The first warm-up show; the secret under the dust jacket

★★ Hank: After their first warm-up show, Hank says it was only a rehearsal, yet to his surprise 150 people were going to be there; the brothers agree the audience was very nice. — 00:01:23
★★ Hank forgot the words to all his songs, but a young woman in the front row knew them all, so it worked out; Hank says differently from expected rather than better. (playful) — 00:01:42 · Hank Green · also in: John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated
★★ The final hardcover hides a secret under its dust jacket, designed by people in Nerdfighteria; the brothers do not show it on camera. — 00:01:57 · Turtles All the Way Down, Nerdfighteria

00:02:19 — Audience questions: 2017, music while writing, Hank as author, Hank as the tuatara

★★ Asked whether he listens to music while writing, John says, unsurprisingly, that he does: only the Mountain Goats. — 00:02:33
★★ Asked how it feels to have Hank be a published author, John says he is so psyched, so happy and so proud of Hank. — 00:02:38 · Hank Green · also in: John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated

00:03:27 — Subreddit reminder and sign-off

★★ John repeats that the book is out and asks readers to talk about spoilers on the linked subreddit, not in the comments. — 00:03:27 · Turtles All the Way Down

In the description and comments

★★ John points readers to a New York Times story about his own mental illness and the writing of the book, and quotes Booklist's starred review calling it challenging but richly rewarding and his most mature work. — video description · The New York Times, mental disorder, Turtles All the Way Down, New York City
★★ John hopes readers like the book and thanks everyone who stuck with him over the six years he struggled to write it. — video description · Turtles All the Way Down

Humor (significant)

Stuck in a mirrored elevator, John riffs on his book's title — 00:00:22

“Oh man, it's me's all the way down.”
Hank says they could have made merch from the fan-designed secret under the dust jacket — 00:02:14

“We have merch from it: it's called Turtles All the Way Down.”
Asked what visual represents 2017 if 2016 was a giant dumpster fire — 00:02:31

“2017: the year of burnt garbage!”
Hank wants to play the book's tuatara in a film adaptation and gives it lines in an exaggerated accent — 00:03:19

“Hello, Aza! I'm the tuatara!”

Threads in this video

outcome · Turtles All the Way Down: announcement and publication of John's novel (2017) — On Tuesday, October 10, 2017, from a New York City hotel floor, John announces Turtles All the Way Down is out in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and several other countries. (00:00:00)
asked · John asks readers not to spoil Turtles All the Way Down and to discuss spoilers on its subreddit, not in comments (2017) — John thanks those who have already read the book, hopes they liked it, and asks them not to spoil it for other people. (00:00:12)
milestone · Turtles All the Way Down tour: John and Hank's US book tour (2017) — After their first warm-up show, Hank says it was only a rehearsal, yet to his surprise 150 people were going to be there; the brothers agree the audience was very nice. (00:01:23)
reminder · John asks readers not to spoil Turtles All the Way Down and to discuss spoilers on its subreddit, not in comments (2017) — John repeats that the book is out and asks readers to talk about spoilers on the linked subreddit, not in the comments. (00:03:27)
reminder · John asks viewers to pre-order signed copies of Turtles All the Way Down (2017) — John signed over 200,000 copies of the US edition, so autographed copies should be easy to find, except outside the US and Canada, for which he apologises. (00:00:51)

Where the stories that moved here went next

Turtles All the Way Down tour: John and Hank's US book tour (2017) — completed; last: looked back, 2026-10-16
Turtles All the Way Down: announcement and publication of John's novel (2017) — completed; last: looked back, 2026-07-07

Mentioned

Central: Turtles All the Way Down

Also: Projects: TATWD spoilers subreddit

Organizations: Booklist · School Library Journal · The Guardian · The New York Times · The Wall Street Journal

Groups: The Mountain Goats

Terms: doobly-doo

Concepts: film adaptation · tuatara

Places: Australia · Canada · Ireland · New York City · New Zealand · United Kingdom · United States

Characters: Aza Holmes

Only in the description or credits: mental disorder

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