Looking For Alaska

"How will I ever get out of this labyrinth" - Simon Bolivar

Miles Halter, John Green's protagonist in Looking For Alaska, is fascinated by famous and obscure last words and tired of his safe life at home. So, as he leaves for boarding school at Culver Creek to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps", he finds himself centered in a didactic and enlightening world of discovery, deep friendships and meditations on love, life and human frailty.

As Mr. Green presents his novel in two parts, the author is able to subvert the light aura of romanticism of the first section with a significantly stunning shift into more somber and introspective naturalism in part two. Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another with a sublime balance of humor, danger, sentimentality and existential crisis.

Reader reviewed by PLeannah

 When I first picked up this book I was
reading it because my partner is a monster John Green fan. I have
heard a lot of buzz about the book and was really excited for the
chance to pick it up. From the moment I started reading the book I
was enticed. Miles was the exact same kid I was a few years ago, and
he was going through the same problems. Not only was I able to relate
to Miles, but also to Alaska. Everybody has at one point or another
encountered an Alaska in their life, and when Alaska leaves, she will
leave with a beautiful mystery about it. The book easily could have
ended at the end of the first part, but Green took the journey to a
place I had been wondering about when I read many books, After.

Once I picked up this book there was
no putting it down. Miles had my heart along with Alaska, Chip,
Takumi, and Lara. Each character contributed very well to the book,
and each character had a story and a lesson. While some of Alaska's
lessons weren't always on the most tasteful topics, they were well
done. Green approached an uncomfortable situation very carefully and
made the purpose very clear.

Overall, I thought the book was a
careful dance among a hurricane of teenage problems. My only regret
is that I did not have the chance to read it a few years ago when it
came out (where the lessons I now know, may have been better used).
This book really seemed to accomplish some great things though, it
created a controversy about right and wrong, and serves to teach
every teenager valuable life lessons. Each young adult should get a
copy of this book the summer before they enter high school. I hope it
touches your hearts and puts your mind at ease when you realize there
is a little bit of Miles, and a little bit of Alaska in all of us.

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.

 

Reader reviewed by Nikki (sng2098)

Reader reviewed by Julia Kunemund

            Looking For Alaska, by John Green, makes you think about your life in a different way. It shows that sometimes you have to branch out from your normal routine, and take a leap into the unknown to truly live you life. The main character, Miles (also known as Pudge), journeys to a boarding school in search of his Great Perhaps, and there he makes new friends Chip the Colonel Martin and Alaska Young. Miles soon falls in love with Alaska, whose unbridled spirit and strange mood swings leave Miles constantly trying to unravel her mystery. His friends open him up to new experiences and different ways of thinking, and show that people can change you, for better or worse, but their lessons stick with you forever.

            There are two parts to this book, labeled before and after, where before you learn about Miles and get a feel for the characters and plot, and after Miles seems to change as he tries to solve a mystery with his friends.

            I liked this book a lot, although the second part drags along a bit. John Greens style of writing is unique, and he has other books out that were good as well, like Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines.

Reader reviewed by Lauren

I'm not a huge fan of realistic fiction but I heard a lot of good things about this book and decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did! Excellent read. I loved the main character and his journey through the book. I felt his emotions and was pulling for him the whole time. The book was hilarious and heart breaking and I plan on reading everything John Green has written. You will fall in love with Pudge and his roommate and their strange but awesome sidekicks, one of whom is Alaska. I recommend this book to everyone!

Reader reviewed by Gwen Kozak

Looking for Alaska
I had no interest in reading Looking for Alaska by John Green, even when it was forced into my hands by my best friend.  I finished what I was originally reading, and I started to read.  I was immediately hooked into the world that John Green created for his characters.  I did not stop reading until the book was done.  Miles "Pudge" Halter is a braniac and a nerd who has never had any close friends.  He has had no danger in his life until he goes to a boarding school to find where he belongs in life.  He soon finds himself in with a group of people he would normally stay away from, and they become his best friends.  Alaska Young and "The Colonel" are among those that take Pudge under their wing and teach him how to really live. Even when he goes out of his comfort zone, Pudge is happy for once in his life.  After a life changing event, Pudge must learn to live without something he has taken for granted.  Looking for Alaska is a book that you can reread over and over again, and love it every time.

Reader reviewed by Jill

Reader reviewed by Jonathon Arntson

Writing: 5/5 
Originality: 5/5 
Cover: 5/5 
Characters: 5/5 
Reading experience: 5/5 

Candid and prolifically expressive, John Green's "Looking for Alaska" is a first-person novel about a scrawny kid nick-named Pudge. Obsessed with people's last words, Pudge gets inspired to search for the Great Perhaps by transferring to a boarding school in Alabama, similar to the one the author attended. While Miles, 'Pudge', searches for this Great Perhaps, he encounters some well-rounded and vividly three dimensional characters. First, we meet his roommate Chip, 'the Colonel', a short, stocky and cocky poverty-stricken scholarship student from downstate. Through the Colonel, we meet Alaska, who cannot be described in a few words, though Green does a fantastic job throughout the novel. We also meet a few other characters who keep the book grounded, while providing an intense dramatic foil for Pudge, Alaska, and the Colonel, further popping them off the page. 
The first two-thirds of the book are chapters titled by the days left until the After. Although you are wondering what the After is, Green's cleverly crafted plot keeps you distracted and entertained enough to not peek. While this is a precarious tactic for an author to choose, we often find ourselves a rabbit with a carrot hanging an inch from our nose, Green uses techniques otherwise complex and simplifies them. He uses homework assignments and school pranks as a catalyst for blossoming friendships, rivalries, and complicating Miles search for the Great Perhaps, and I ate it up. 
I cannot talk about the After. Not because it would be a spoiler, but because Green's writing is so exemplary, I almost feel incongruous just mentioning his finale, even though this is a review. 
I wish I had read this years ago, but I put it off until this week. I strongly recommend this book and, in fact, I urge both young adults and adults to read this novel. You will find yourself in a pursuit for knowledge yourself, and while it may not be the Great Perhaps, "Looking for Alaska" will certainly get your juices flowing.

Reader reviewed by Ashley

Looking for Alaska is about a boy named Miles who is fasinated with people's last words. Name a (dead) person, he'll tell you their last words. But Miles isn't happy with his life in Florida, where he can't find the Great Perhaps. Instead, he chooses to go to boarding school in Alabama where he meets Alaska. Alaska is beautiful, funny, witty, and slightly messed up. A girl like this might actually help him find the Great Perhaps and the answer to getting out of the labyrinth.

By far this is one of my favorite books. It kept me mesmerized with the story as unexpected turns were taken. This book was a real eye opener, and has definitely changed the way I look at things. I'd recommend Looking for Alaska to anyone!