256 pages
English language
Published Dec. 28, 2006
Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy 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. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same
Having read John Green's books in a rather haphazard order I've gotten used to his way of ending stories with hope sans joy, but Looking For Alaska was too much of an emotional gut punch. If this was his first book, I'm not even slightly surprised he's had the successful career he's had since. It's just beautiful.
I grabbed this off my virtual to read pile feeling like the mild annoyance of a John Green story was pretty much what I wanted. I didn't check what the hell this one was about again, briefly confused it with Paper Towns, and was thus completely unprepared for a main character dying tragically!
What I dislike about this is all the guys..... I just hate reading John Green's characters being sexist all the time. Yeah I would agree that this is..... worked through..... in this story. But it's just draining. And I do dislike some fundamental principles of this story, too.
Still this is the John Green book I liked the most so far. (Although to be fair I read that one really really sad one before I found my appreciation for stories like that.) It's sad and painful, still the ~whimsical~ vibe that I think John Green goes for …
I grabbed this off my virtual to read pile feeling like the mild annoyance of a John Green story was pretty much what I wanted. I didn't check what the hell this one was about again, briefly confused it with Paper Towns, and was thus completely unprepared for a main character dying tragically!
What I dislike about this is all the guys..... I just hate reading John Green's characters being sexist all the time. Yeah I would agree that this is..... worked through..... in this story. But it's just draining. And I do dislike some fundamental principles of this story, too.
Still this is the John Green book I liked the most so far. (Although to be fair I read that one really really sad one before I found my appreciation for stories like that.) It's sad and painful, still the ~whimsical~ vibe that I think John Green goes for felt the most believable in this one. For once I wasn't annoyed by pretentious quotes, I think they fit in pretty well. And sure Alaska is pixie-dreamgirled by her friends, but I think this is actually subverted pretty well.
I did occasionally feel like I was too old or too exhausted for such a tragic "sometimes people die and it's not even just that" story, like, I don't have the energy to be devastated with all those characters. But I also stayed up late almost finishing a 1000 pieces puzzle while listening to this so I think I liked it. (Although I did start working on the puzzle to calm down, initially.)
