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John Green’s New Book Marks a Major First for the Author

The covers of Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, and The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

John Green has officially announced his first novel in nine years, and the upcoming release marks a big first for the author. Green rose to fame with YA books like Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, and The Fault in Our Stars. However, his new novel will target an adult audience.

Green posted the news on TikTok, revealing that his upcoming story will be called Hollywood, Ending. Although he has published non-fiction, including The Anthropocene Reviewed and Everything Is Tuberculosis, in recent years, he hasn’t released a novel since Turtles All the Way Down in 2017. That makes Hollywood, Ending a huge deal on multiple fronts. And from Green’s description, it sounds like an instant add to any fan’s TBR pile:

Hollywood Ending is about two people in their 20s — it’s my first novel for adults — who are in a movie together. The movie’s called Andy Warhol Never Gets Old. It’s about the last year of Andy Warhol’s life. And as the movie starts to blow up, their lives also start to blow up in ways that are exciting and also complicated and painful. It’s about falling in love and living with trauma and also the thing that we’re doing right now on the social internet, where we take pieces of ourselves and exchange them for public attention.”

Basically, it sounds weird and dramatic and like every other Green novel we love…just a tad more mature. Hollywood, Ending is out on September 22, and although there’s no cover just yet, it’s currently available to pre-order in the U.S. and Canada.

Watch Green’s full video announcement below:

@literallyjohngreen

For the last nine years, I’ve been writing a story about trauma, survival, celebrity, and finding love amid it all. I’m so excited to finally announce that Hollywood, Ending will be published on September 22nd. The book is available for preorder now and if you live in the U.S. or Canada, you can preorder a signed copy wherever books are sold. (For complex reasons involving publication rules, signed copies are not available internationally.) I hope you like the book! #hollywoodending

♬ original sound – John Green

John Green’s Big First Is Perfect for Readers Who Grew Up With Him

The temporary cover of Hollywood, Ending by John Green

It’s a great time for John Green to release his first adult fiction book, as the readers who grew up with his work are the perfect age for it. Anyone who found themselves in releases like Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns will no doubt be eager to see if Green’s emotional storytelling resonates on a new level in Hollywood, Ending. It may not cover fitting into high school or first loves, but it’ll trade them in for new anxieties — ones that sound even more relevant for 2026 and for adult readers.

Are you excited for Hollywood Ending? Keep an eye on Backtalk Books for updates about the upcoming story and other new releases!

Amanda Mullen is a pop culture writer and editor who has spent the last 10 years analyzing TV shows, movies, and books on the internet. She has managed teams, created content plans and schedules, and written hundreds upon hundreds of articles. You can find her bylines at ComicBook, Winter Is Coming, Screen Rant, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Culturess, and Paste Magazine. When Amanda’s not writing, she’s usually either reading (if you couldn’t tell) or testing how much caffeine her body can handle before it explodes.