Emotional, Thought-Provoking, and Just a Little Controversial

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

Resonating

To the people who think that all the smoking, drinking, swearing, etc. is just put there for shock value: It's not. It's a completely realistic depiction of high school students. I should know, being one myself. That's just how we are.

Anyway, this book was excellent. There were several quotes/phrases that really struck a chord in me, like "everything that comes together falls apart", "we are all going", "how will I ever get out of this labyrinth?" It addressed serious topics without being overly sentimental, an example of where less is more. I'll definitely reread it.

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An interesting read, but neither spectacular nor emotional

With good books, you can go one of two ways: You can go the well-written, superb plot way, or you can go the interesting style, but "oh my god it hit me" way. This goes neither.

I won't deny that it wasn't interesting. It was sad at moments, but I didn't feel too into matters when tragedy struck. I didn't feel like crying or like it was really happening to ME. It all felt sort of real, but a little too much like the kids' attitudes were "eh" towards life. I didn't connect to the characters (except for the reading biographies thing).

The thing is, I enjoyed reading "Looking for Alaska". The story never stopped, kept on running, and was well-written. The characters were real, but they were also the sort of people I would never connect to in real life (meaning the whole life of smoking, drinking, sex, and drugs). This did give me a look into a life I'm never going to have, but it still didn't suck me in with that. It didn't stun me with emotion, nor with characters.

It's not a bad book, but it's not a stunningly incredible book either. Maybe it's a nice read, and a sort of intense way to spend an evening. It's well written enough, but don't expect something superb. It was okay, but it didn't stun me. Sure, Alaska is an intriguing character, with her screwed up tendencies and her crazy personality. Sure, Miles is a funny little kid, but I didn't find a way to sympathize with him.

If you like those boarding school stories about kids drinking, smoking, and having sex, you'll love this story. If you love stories about confused kids, you'll probably like this story too. It's good, but not great.

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A poignant and profound tale

Winner of the Michael L. Printz award in young adult literature, Looking for Alaska is a novel for adults and older teens that deals with serious topics - suicide, death and dying, and lives spinning out of control. The protagonist, Miles "Pudge" Halter, is a young adult with an obsession over the last words of famous historical figures; fed up with his safe, bland life at home, he dares to venture into the unstable world of Culver Creek Boarding School. There he meets Alaska Young - beautiful, funny, clever, and utterly messed up and self-destructive young woman. She steals his heart, but a stolen heart alone cannot derail her from her spiraling self-harm. A poignant and profound tale of coping with upheaval and drama, adjusting to radical transitions, and reflections upon what lies behind the end of life - the "Great Perhaps".

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A good book to pass the time.

Looking for Alaska was a revetting and touching story. It show what every child or young adult goes through in a stage of his/her life. Miles story of his life at boarding schools is both funny and emotional. My favorite feature in this book is that most of the adults that appear in the book are more like real people then those who just want to make a teens life miserable. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a good book about a teen facing tragedies and gaining friendship from unexpected places, you won't want to put it down until you have read the whole thing. This is a good read and was well written, a must read for all teens.

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Emotional, Thought-Provoking, and Just a Little Controversial

Miles Halter's life used to be boring, monotonous, and unexciting. He had no true friends and was disappointed with everything. That all changed when he was sent to Culver Creek Preparatory school. Miles dons the nickname "Pudge" and finds friends in the schools most daring students who live life on the edge. They smoke and drink frequently, but that means nothing to Miles. For him, it is all about Alaska, the gorgeous, smart, and very screwed up girl down the hall. With his friends, he pulls major pranks and explores the darkest underbelly of Culver Creek. Then, in a flash, it all fades away and nothing is the same ever again.
Miles and his friends are not the shallow teenagers that they may seem to be. In fact, they are very deep individuals who offer interesting perspectives into life. Miles enjoys reading the last words of famous people, and frequently quotes them. The most important quote of last words however, is brought up by Alaska. It is by Simon Bolivar: "How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!" Alaska asks Miles how to get out and this question troubles Miles until the very end. Miles also takes a religion class, and raises topics of the afterlife and enlightenment as well. I recommend this book to any mature reader who wants a book to make them think.
Most reading establishments would consider this book to be young adult fiction. However, the themes expressed in the story sometimes ride the line between adult and young adult fiction. Culver Creek is a boarding school, and Miles is left to himself to do what he wants. This leads him to many instances of smoking, drinking, and though it is never explicitly told, the book implies sex. All of this fits, but some readers may be taken by surprise by the suggestive themes.
Miles serves as an excellent narrator for this story. He is clever and has a mind of his own. He can be intelligent, such as when he is talking about Alaska or in religion class. He can also be clever and sometimes a little racy. On a few occasions, he actually counts the layers of clothing between him and Alaska. However, his two sides are balanced out and don't leave him seeming like either a boy scout or a sleaze. Although Miles is sucked into doing a lot of things that he wouldn't normally do like smoking, he retains his sharp tongue throughout the book and keeps it from sounding like one big peer-pressure lesson the whole time.
Truly, this book deserves a spot at the top of the list of young adult fiction. It offers a way into the dark, exciting life that most of us don't live, through the eyes of an intriguing character. Any mature young adult should read this novel.

J. Bowman

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, page 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

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