Coming of Age story for Young adults

books:


	• Looking For Alaska John Green, 2005 - 160 pages average customer review:based on 79 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Smile, because she would

Reviewed by Tara Hammack (age 16) for Reader Views (6/07)

"Looking for Alaska" is just a great book. I loved it because the main character Miles Cavalry reminded me of the way I was. He was a loner in public school, but when he went to a boarding school in Alabama, he found the friends he had been missing out on. His friends call him Pudge because he's skinny and ironic. His friends consist of Chip, or The Colonel, Alaska, and Takumi. They are a very smart group of friends, but they're still teenagers, so they do things like smoke cigarettes, drink, and prank people. In that school there are two groups -- the Weekday Warriors who are the rich people, and the regular boarders, like Pudge's friends.

Pudge is in love with Alaska; so are the colonel and Takumi. But Alaska has a boyfriend Jake, and she is in love with him, and wouldn't do anything to hurt that. Alaska is a person I would love to be -- not because she could get any guy, but that she is very out there and she really deep. She talks about "finding the labyrinth" which caused me to think. I love to think about things like that. Alaska also likes to fix people up together so she fixed Pudge up with a Weekday Warrior Lara and they're both shy and inexperienced. I loved reading about them. On his first date with Lara, he puked on her, but it did get a little less weird. The Weekday Warriors flooded Alaska's room and she has this collection of books that almost all of them were ruined. Normally they don't go and tell the Eagle or Mr. Starnes, the dean of the students, because that's not how they do things -- they find a way to pay them back.

Well, "Looking for Alaska" will make you laugh, get angry, uncomfortable, and sadly cry. I get way into books like these because you have no idea what's going to happen next and I love it. Well this book was awesomely written, organized, and easy to understand, so I would recommend this book to 11-years and up. Oh, and this story has one of the best endings I have ever read.

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Wanted to like it, but....

There is a certain depth within the book that you might not find in a typical young adult read. Miles is your typical "innocent" kid who lives a mundane type of existence before he gets to the boarding school, but there are moments when he thinks a bit profoundly on the nature of existence and life. He displays this often with his habit of rattling off the last words of famous people. Alaska Young, despite being the rebellious, unhappy and unpredictable misfit, has some depth to her also, and she is not just the prototype beautiful outcast that the protagonist falls for. And, in another sense, this novel seems to aim at explaining how young kids must get out of their own "labyrinth" in their lives, the problems of pain and relationships and family issues that often come up. Miles comments on this periodically when there is some dilemma in his life, or that his circle is experiencing. This metaphorically could be explaining the puzzling and confusing world, and searching for some kind of identity.

I wanted to like this book immensely, but, by book's end, felt luke-warm about it. The characters are interesting in a sense, but they didn't have enough to make me really identify with them, or care what happened in the story. It's not that the characters lacked depth or originality or dimensionality, but just that they were too juvenile. Case in point: Miles openly admits that the best day of his life is the night they set off a bunch of firecrackers and get drunk on wine. Maybe it was because most of the story revolves around Miles and his friends trying to get back at the rich kids by pulling pranks, or just generally describing them smoking, drinking, or sexual exploits. Or maybe it was just the copious amounts of profanity in the book, which I found strange in a young adult book (I know they wanted to keep this book realistic, but this was overkill). In the end, there is not an identifiable character change from point A to point B; the characters pretty much stay the same the entire book.

Looking for Alaska seems to be a book that strives to have characters "come of age", but none of them really do, and there isn't that urge to want to root for Miles, or the others, mainly because they don't really learn or grow up from tragedy. Instead of learning abstract lessons about life, they are out playing clue at the very end and then planning a prank.

This was a worthy book in many aspects, and a read first novel for John Green, but I couldn't like it the way many other reviewers did.

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Coming of Age story for Young adults

This is John Green's first novel, and the winner of the Michael Printz award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. And it is easy to see why this book has been awarded such a prestigious accolade.

John Green's writing style is refreshingly honest while also taking you into the heart of the story, and making it your own.

Miles "Pudge " Halter has lived a safe, if somewhat boring, existence in his hometown in Florida. He has good grades, comes from a nice family, but lacks the excitement and adventure that he craves. And so he makes the decision to go to Culver Creek boarding school in Alabama. And it is there that he meets the lovely, enigmatic Alaska Young.

Miles soon becomes part of the group of friends that consist of his roommate, "The Colonel," Alaska and Takumi. With Alaska as the ringleader of the group,they spend their free time smoking and drinking (both of which are against school rules at Culver Creek), and plotting pranks against their rival group in the school, a group that it made up of the upper-class wealthy kids who only attend from Monday to Friday, and go home every weekend.

Miles is finally getting the excitement that he has so longed for, and is enjoying it. His heart and mind are occupied with thoughts of Alaska, as he is drawn towards her. What Miles wants more that anything is to be able to save Alaska from her self. But how can you stop a runaway train that is traveling at breakneck speed towards certain self-destruction?

This is a coming-of-age novel, written with a great level of sensitivity and truth, from the male perspective.

Armchair Interviews says: Definitely a five-star read.

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Book Hangover

I just closed the cover on this book after neglecting my family for the day. I couldn't leave the world of Alaska and Miles. Let me preface this with the fact that I am an 8th grade teacher previewing YA lit. This book took my breath away. The characters are deep, smart kids. They all have different issues to face (known as the Labrynth) in their young adulthood. The book addressed teen longing, sex, drinking, suicide, peer pressure and the ability to make choices. The story is fast paced and riviting. The strong language (i.e. use of the "f-bomb") is used wisely to strengthen characters and their youth. Any teen, male or female, will find this book irresistable!

As a teacher I am excited by the possibility of this book. I can see deep classroom discussions about things that matter to kids. As a teacher, I also know that I won't put this book on my classroom shelf. As one reviewer wrote, this is absolutely a book for older young adults. Some parent would have my head if I suggested this book. But I hope kids come to find this novel on their own because I believe it speaks so solidly to this generation. As a teacher I am also excited because Waiting For Alaska will be enjoyed equally by young men and young women. I am constantly hunting for books that don't cater to just the ladies. This one fits the bill. Your son will love you for putting this book into his hands.

Parents, this book is one that you could read at the same time as your son or daughter. It may kick-start some rich discussions that every teen and parent should have.

Disclaimer... this teacher didn't edit or proofread her review. My family, after an entire day of neglect, need me. Enjoy!

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Amazing Book

Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, was great. It was sexy,funny, and always kept me reading. It made me cry, laugh, and even look to see if there's a sequel or prequel. It dosn't matter what kind of books you like, you'll like this one!

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

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