Looking For Alaska

Miles "Pudge" Halter seeks for a "Great Perhaps", and attends Culver Creek, a boarding school. Yet, he finds himself with a broken heart, after finding out that his crush, Alaska died in a car accident. Looking for Alaska is a heart-wrenching novel that poses thought-provoking questions about life, death, and true love. A novel that is nearly impossible to put down.

It's good, it's great, but it is quite self-indulgent (even for a YA book) and I think the second half could really have been better. For a debut novel though, it is very good and I think it should be read by teenagers as it deals with various issues they often face.

Reader reviewed by Megan

Miles Halter was always a fan of last words. While some people pride themselves on knowing the capitals of the states, Miles prides himself on knowing famous peoples last words. So when Miles reads a biography of Francois Rabelais, he learns his last words were I go to seek a Great Perhaps. Convinced now that he himself is after a Great Perhaps, Miles begins his journey at Culver Creek boarding school.
His roommate Chip (called Colonel) introduces Miles (whom he nicknames Pudgie complete irony, seeing as Miles is insanely skinny) to his friend Takumi, and more importantly, to Alaska. After meeting Alaska, Miles is sure that he is in love with her. She completely confuses him, being flirty and sweet one day, then moody the next. But, Miles continues to hang out with these people who become his friends, and he agrees to help out with the pranks that they are planning. After all, they are teenagers and invincible what could go wrong?
John Greene entertains readers with these unique characters. My favorite character is Alaska; there is no doubt about it. Just the fact that her character was given the power to pick her own name shows how unique she really is. The whole novel was definitely unique in its story line, and I really enjoyed reading it.

Reader reviewed by hillary

Miles is going to boarding school. But it's not like he's leaving a bunch of friends and is totally depressed by the thought. That's right, he actually does want to go. When he finally gets there, he meets his roommate, Chip Martin, more commonly know as the Colonel, who introduces him to Alaska Young, the pretty girl a few doors down that Miles it totally fascinated with. They hang out and become friends throughout the school year. But then, something terrible happens and everything becomes completely different.

The book really held my attention. It's split up into two parts, before and after. Luckily I was able to overpower the curiosity that made me want to flip right to the after and know what happens and I am so glad that I did. Which is pretty much my way of saying that if you want the book to be as wonderful as it was for me, then don't you dare look ahead.

This book is great and I would definitely recommend it to anyone I know. I liked it so much I don't trust very many people with it and therefore have only allowed two people to read it, my fellow book lover/best friend and my older brother. This book can be liked by both girls and boys. And I think the cover is absolutely gorgeous. I know, you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover but it's nice to have something pretty to look at when you're done.

Also if you like this book, check his other book, An Abundance of Katherines. I haven't read it yet but I'm sure it's just as good.

Reader reviewed by Averie

Looking For Alaska is one of my favorite books and John Green is an amazing author. The book follows the story of a boy whos just normal. There isn't anything really outstanding about him. He doesn't have the coolest firends, he doesn't have any firends really. He moves to a new boarding school where he joins a group of very eccentric firends. He starts to understand what it is to have firends and maybe even fall in love. Its a great book with an unexpected outcome. Marvelously funny with just a touch of heartache.  

Reader reviewed by mearley

Miles Halter is a new student at an Alabama boarding school.  He is quickly drawn into a circle of friends bound by their prank war against another clique and their quest to find a safe place to smoke where the dean won't bust them.  Miles, like many other boys at the school, falls in love with Alaska, an intriguing girl who is the group's clear leader.  None of them, however, are prepared for the shock Alaska is going to give them.

Graphic discussion of sex and liberal use of alcohol make this only appropriate for more mature high school students.  However, John Green's excellent writing style and examination of the meaning of life, suicide, and the possibilities of life after death raise this novel above the typical sex-booze-and-pranks-at-boarding-school story.

Reader reviewed by Jadore

It was such a great read. But it was good and
boring at the same time. I like the writing, I like every character (except for
Alaska) but sometimes the writing can be dull.

This is the first John Green book I read and Ive
to say, Im impressed. I like the fact that the main character is very
philosophical and good student. I felt pity for him but he was a gentleman.

Alaska? She is a sweet girl too. She is& crazy. Just
crazy. Its hard to understand her; and she is just different. She is nice,
good looking and friendly but I didnt really like her. I think she is
maddening. However, I like the fact that she is a certified bookworm.

This book rocks! It was a great book and I enjoyed
it. The best thing about this book is that, it is written from the males
perspective. Most of the time YA authors are womens and we usually get the
girls perspective and all her mushy feelings (Im not saying its bad, it
isnt). This book shows what it is to be a teenage boy and how they handle
things. I adore this book. I do recommend it for anybody.

 

The way that John Green writes really flows and that makes for an easy read. The plot is well planned and the pace is good. The only flaw, in my judgement anyway, is that the characters maybe aren't as believable as I would like. Definitely worth your time.

Reader reviewed by Val

I think that what makes Looking For Alaska such a different and refreshing young adult novel is that the narrator although seemingly ordinary and normal has his own quirks& like his ability to remember peoples last words. This ability is obviously connected to the novel and is used to foreshadow and prepare readers for certain tragedy but it makes Miles Halter or Pudge interesting. Miles is a bored teenager who looking for more to life convinces his parents to let him go to a boarding school in Alabama known as Culver Creek. Miles soon realizes that Culver Creek is nothing like home in Florida when he quickly befriends his room mate named Chip or as he prefers to be called the Colonel. The colonel introduces him to the infamous and notorious Alaska who is beautiful inside and out. Her only flaw is her recklessness and Miles cant help but fall in love, the only problem is shes already taken. With friends like Alaska, the Colonel, he learns important life lessons like the pain of love, the strength in loyalty, the power of friendship and the hope that rises from tragedy. I loved this novel for its ending, which I thought, did the book more justice. The ending of the novel probably the last three pages were the best, satisfying without getting corny endings Ive read in a while.

Reader reviewed by Kelsey

Miles Halter (Pudge), the novel's protagonist, is fifteen years old and what parents and teachers would call a good kid. He's chicken-legged skinny, undeniably bright, and a bit of an idealist at heart. In addition to having a penchant for remembering famous figures' last words, Miles gets wrapped up in the significance of those words enough to leave his sheltered home in Florida in order to seek out Rabelais's Great Perhaps --- which oddly enough, translates into going to boarding school in rural Alabama.

There, he befriends a ragtag group of early teens, including his boisterous roommate, appropriately nicknamed the Colonel; Takumi, the soft-spoken and musically inclined Japanese whiz kid; Lara, the gorgeous and mild-mannered Romanian; and Alaska, the sexy, fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants leader of the group. For a while, not much happens to push the plot along aside from these characters' occasional mischief, i.e. getting busted for smoking cigarettes on campus, drinking liquor in their dorm rooms, sneaking out after curfew, and the like --- harmless behavior with harmless consequences.

Alaska Young's death. In an up-close and personal manner, the details of Alaska's last moments are chronicled through the eyes of Miles and his pals as they struggle to understand how something so unthinkable could have happened in their intimate community. Was it an accident, or did she kill herself in a selfish attempt to plow her way out of the labyrinth? Could her friends have stopped her, knowing what they knew about her past? Would life ever be the same, now that Alaska was dead?


This novel was good just not great. I felt the author, John Green, didn't capture teenagers all that well. The characters weren't very believable and it just didn't do it for me. I would of thought the reason for what had happened to Alaska would of been something really big. Mind-blowing big. But it was just about something she had forgotten. I don't think I'll be reading another one of his books.