Book Review: Looking for Alaska

By: John Green
Pages: 231
Published: January 1, 2005

Summary: Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.
Rating: 4

Review: So the books starts out where Miles (Pudge) is search of the "Great Perhaps". He wants to find it now not at the end of his life. I loved how the last quotes tied into the book. I enjoyed how this book had the before and after. I immensely enjoyed the after part more.The before part was good but it was just more everyday life. The after part was more of a mystery.

For the characters: I didn't like Alaska in the beginning, she annoyed me. Once I learned more about her I liked her more towards towards the end of the book. All the characters were so messed up in the beginning of the book and since I couldn't relate it was hard  like them. I didn't understand Alaska most of all. I realized you don't need to understand Alaska ... It's just who she is. Alaska said "I may die young, but at least all die smart." That's how the characters live there lives, they do crazy things but yeah at least they'll die smart.

My favourite part of this book was that it made you think and as a nerd, I have this weird love for having discussions about books that make you think. I loved that this book inspired questions. One question constantly comes up in the book over and over.

"How will I ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?"

 I would definitely recommend it.

Favourite Quotes: “When adults say, "Teenagers think they are invincible" with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born, and we cannot die. Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations. They forget that when they get old. They get scared of losing and failing. But that part of us greater than the sum of our parts cannot begin and cannot end, and so it cannot fail.”

“Thomas Edison's last words were 'It's very beautiful over there'. I don't know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful.”

"I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.”

“When I look at my room, I see a girl who loves books.” 

“Francois Rabelais. He was a poet. And his last words were "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." That's why I'm going. So I don't have to wait until I die to start seeking a Great Perhaps.” 

There are a lot of great quotes in this book.


DFTBA
-Jane