Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green
First Published: March 3rd 2005
Publisher: HarperCollins Childrens Books
Buy: Amazon

Goodreads Summary

A deeply affecting coming-of-age story, Looking for Alaska traces the journey of Miles Halter, a misfit Florida teenager who leaves the safety of home for a boarding school in Alabama and a chance to explore the "Great Perhaps." Debut novelist and NPR commentator Green perfectly captures the intensity of feeling and despair that defines adolescence in this hip, shocking, and emotionally charged work of fiction.

Miles has a quirky interest in famous people's last words, especially François Rabelais's final statement, "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." Determined not to wait for death to begin a similar quest, Miles convinces his parents to let him leave home. Once settled at Culver Creek Preparatory School, he befriends a couple of equally gifted outcasts: his roommate Chip―commonly known as the Colonel—who has a predilection for memorizing long, alphabetical lists for fun; and the beautiful and unpredictable Alaska, whom Miles comes to adore.

The kids grow closer as they make their way through a school year filled with contraband, tests, pranks, breakups, and revelations about family and life. But as the story hurtles toward its shattering climax, chapter headings like "forty-six days before" and "the last day" portend a tragic event―one that will change Miles forever and lead him to new conclusions about the value of his cherished "Great Perhaps.

I love John Green. It's not a secret. For me he is one of the very few YA authors who put a nerdy real life like spin on his books. There is always something quirky with a character that is just amazing. A different perspective on life, or a belief. Like with Miles and his obsessions with last words, and his "Great Perhaps"

This is the third book I've read by John Green and it's amazing. I love it and I love him more. The book has all the essentials; it's funny, sad, meaningful and just in all amazing. The story follows Miles a boy who has never had close friends at school and was always the weird nerdy boy. Until he moved to the Culver Creek Preparatory school. Meeting his roommate the Colonel who showed him a new world full of great friends, smoking and pranks. Not to mention he meets a girl. A girl called Alaska who is funny, sexy and beautiful.

The thing I love the most about this book is that everything is normal to an extent, it's not ridiculously fictionalized.

I usually don't like to read in a male POV as I can't really connect with the character (yes girls are different than boys and we do think differently so reading in his POV was kinda weird) pages 153-155 are literally the most awkward, funny and absolutely ridiculous. If you own the book go and open it right now! 

Miles is a great character, I love how cute and innocent he is. But what I love the most about this character is that he isn't ashamed of being shy and innocent and not knowing certain things. I love his obsession with last words, it's something that makes him, him. Not to mention some of the stuff that he comes up with. 

The Colonel and the rest of the gang are realistic characters; seriously this book has been pretty much realistic for me and I absolutely loved this! 

Right onto Alaska. So she isn't one of the top characters. As a matter of fact I hated her most of the time. She is just pretty much annoying every time she's in the book... Apparently she's super experienced with sex, and alcohol and cigarettes. Which is fine, but it felt like she was showing off all the time about all of this! Not to mention her weird mood swings, I did not understand her at all. At first I could see why Miles thought she was amazing, I mean the whole mystery was really good and I loved that part but honestly after about a few chapters I was shooting daggers her way. 

This book has a big twist. (That I knew about before hand that's why I didn't cry like a baby) but I'm not going to ruin this for you guys... So go read the book! It's really worth it. It is kind of annoying at times (especially Alaska) but if you're looking for a book that's more of less down to earth then this is right for you.