Author: John Green
Classification: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Source: Bought
Overall Grade:
B+
Would I recommend it?
Yes - A moving, difficult and unforgettable read.
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My Thoughts:
Looking for Alaska was not the book I expected it to be.
Going into this book, my first by John Green, I expected humor, wit, lyricism, and a little heartbreak. And I got all of that... a lot of it. But it came along with several surprising things, like grief, famous last words, intellectual banter, sex, drugs, pranks and shenanigans, more drugs, more sex, enough swearing to make a sailor cringe.
I liked that the great question of the novel was not answered in a clear-cut way, which would have been overtly preachy. I felt Miles' grief and elation and utter despair like they were my own. The growth of Miles' character was well-played and timely, so that at the end of the story, the reader feels like a substantial and gradual change has been made.
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Summary (from Goodreads):
Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.
Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A stunning debut, it marks John Green's arrival as an important new voice in contemporary fiction.
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My Thoughts:
Looking for Alaska was not the book I expected it to be.
Going into this book, my first by John Green, I expected humor, wit, lyricism, and a little heartbreak. And I got all of that... a lot of it. But it came along with several surprising things, like grief, famous last words, intellectual banter, sex, drugs, pranks and shenanigans, more drugs, more sex, enough swearing to make a sailor cringe.
I have to say that the content of this book surprised me. I was surprised by how easily a regular teenager like Miles/Pudge became a pack-a-day smoker and the graphic nature of some scenes that I know have made several thousand libraries ban this book. (Seriously).
Despite the content, which unsettled me, Green managed to create an awesome cast of characters, led by the unforgettable Miles, his roommate the Colonel, and of course, Alaska herself. I appreciated each character's quirks and the way that they were interested in theological and intellectual pursuits as well as committing the perfect prank.
I liked that the great question of the novel was not answered in a clear-cut way, which would have been overtly preachy. I felt Miles' grief and elation and utter despair like they were my own. The growth of Miles' character was well-played and timely, so that at the end of the story, the reader feels like a substantial and gradual change has been made.
Looking for Alaska is definitely worth the praise it has been given in the world of Young Adult Fiction. However, I would advise those readers that are sensitive to drugs, swearing and sex in their YA lit to take caution with this one.
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I read this book back in September, and I wasn't sure that I liked it. But thinking back, I did like it. I agree with a lot of what you had to say. I did not like Alaska, not at all. I don't know what it was. I really liked Pudge and his friendship with The Colonel. Almost everything conversation they had made me giggle or shake my head.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review, it made me appreciate this book more.
Great review! I was shocked at some of the content too, but thought it was an amazing read.
ReplyDelete