John Green was already one of my favourite authors before reading this book. I had read just The Fault in Our Stars by him yet I liked him. His writing is so raw and real. When I finished this book, I was not sure how to write its review. Whether to be happy or to be sad. I was conflicted literally because of the ending? I am not sure if it was meant to end like that or it was on purpose? But yet, I love the overall book. But here, I should definitely mention that I would have enjoyed it way more if I would have read it like 3-4 years back.
Miles Halter is the main protagonist of the story who lives in Florida. He is not a social person and is in search of his “Great Perhaps”. So Miles decides to attend the Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama to start a fresh life. There he makes his first friend Chip, known as “the Colonel” by all. He nicknamed Miles as “Pudge” and called him with the same name throughout the book. The Colonel introduces him to his friend, Alaska, who was a fierce and mysterious girl. Miles instantly falls in love with her. All of them are then involves in various pranks and mishappenings and then BAM! There is the unexpected mid-way surprise. I am not telling what that middle thing is (for the sake of spoilers) but that event divides the book into two part. One Before and one After that event.
The Before part is filled with a lot of high school events, the building of relations, the pranks that student plays and all. Yes, the typical high-school environment has been explained. The After part describes what happens after that tragic event, how the truth unfolds and how the lives of everyone involved changes. The Before part is kind of happier while the After is the one with lots of sorrow and heartbreak.
The best thing about Looking for Alaska is that it doesn’t feel like it’s a debut novel of John Green. It has so much more hidden things to say then the words can explain. John green has definitely shown his best raw talent in this and proving that you can literally emerge like a different person after you finish his book. It is a gripping tale. It is not a typical boy-meets-girl-falls-in-love-then-separate kind of story. It is a tale of true friendship, the effect of love, the longing for survival, the void in a relationship.
The story is more about Miles then about Alaska (as the title may confuse). The center point for both of them is looking for “labyrinth". I actually didn’t know about this word at the beginning but then it was used so many times in the book that it made itself clear. A unique thing that John Green has put as the hobby of Miles is “remembering the last lines of famous persons". I was like, why would anyone like to remember that? But surely, after reading many such sentences in the book it surely made me interested in those last lines.
"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.” "
The only problem that I had with this story was its ending. I felt like cheated. No seriously I wanted it to end correctly and to know the truth. But I think, the valid point in its favour can be that John wanted to think the readers about it?
All the characters that are mentioned feel like in real life. There are no cheesy ones, not even Alaska (though girls are generally shown as cheesy). I liked how the character of Alaska was made mysterious. And the fact is we often come across such characters in our lives too, who are mysterious in their own ways. The writing was typical John Green style – easy and flowing. And the best things is the beautiful quotes that he writes, which always make me love his work more.
"I may die young, but at least I’ll die smart. "
This story clearly reminded me of many things that were long forgotten. One such thing is the use of “Yellow Pages”. DO you remember this service? I used to use it like 6-7 years ago? There were other events too which clearly reminded that I am reading it little bit late 😛
Looking for Alaska is another fantastic book by John Green. It is funny and heartbreaking at the same time. This gives you new directions and point of thinking. If you love John Green then you should definitely read this.
"If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane."
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Top reviews from India
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Reviewed in India on 22 September 2018
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Sad story
By Mezna Zubair on 22 September 2018
Heartbreaking story. Before and after way of writing was beautiful.
By Mezna Zubair on 22 September 2018
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Reviewed in India on 8 October 2019
John Green is the author of other bestsellers novels including The fault in our stars, Paper Towns and is quite popularly known for his teenage fiction books.
Miles Halter is the main character of the story who has an unusual passion for learning peoples last words.
Alaska young is the other character who is young wild and free.
Do read this book to find out how their lives affects each other.
If this review is of any help to you do click 'Helpful Vote' below this review :)
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One of the best Teenage Fiction
By Krishan Taneja on 8 October 2019
Looking for Alaska is the first novel written by John Green. It is one of the best teenage fiction books I have read so far. This book is banned in schools in most of the countries due to profanity and sexually explicit scenes.By Krishan Taneja on 8 October 2019
John Green is the author of other bestsellers novels including The fault in our stars, Paper Towns and is quite popularly known for his teenage fiction books.
Miles Halter is the main character of the story who has an unusual passion for learning peoples last words.
Alaska young is the other character who is young wild and free.
Do read this book to find out how their lives affects each other.
If this review is of any help to you do click 'Helpful Vote' below this review :)
Images in this review
Reviewed in India on 21 June 2020
MY VIEW
I was surprised as to how much I loved and enjoyed this book. After reading ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ this was my second novel by ‘John Green’. I had no idea of what to expect but I ended this book within 3 days, and ended feeling a sense of how lightly I myself take my life, how uncertain and fickle moments are. This book has left a deep mark on me with its optimistic approach.
I also loved how Pudge’s parents support him, though they don’t understand him completely.
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Buy it! Worth and short read!
By Rossy Veloshka Dourado on 21 June 2020
This book is from the ‘Young Adult’ genre, which is about a boy with a unusual interest named ‘Miles Halter’ AKA ‘Pudge’ from Florida and his school mates ‘Chipper’ AKA ‘The colonel’, ‘Takumi’, ‘Lara’ and ‘ALASKA’ at this new school ‘Culver Creek’ in Alabama, which ‘Pudge’ joins in the hopes of seeking the ‘Great Perhaps’.By Rossy Veloshka Dourado on 21 June 2020
MY VIEW
I was surprised as to how much I loved and enjoyed this book. After reading ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ this was my second novel by ‘John Green’. I had no idea of what to expect but I ended this book within 3 days, and ended feeling a sense of how lightly I myself take my life, how uncertain and fickle moments are. This book has left a deep mark on me with its optimistic approach.
I also loved how Pudge’s parents support him, though they don’t understand him completely.
Images in this review
Reviewed in India on 29 February 2020
This is my second read by John Green and my God, is that man talented! Reading his work feels like lying in the grass and watching millions of stars overhead beside your favorite human.
And I have a soft corner for teenage romance. Because teenage is the wonderful period when most of the secrets of the mechanisms of the world get revealed to you. You are going through so much at the same time and still you grow out of it.
And now getting to the core, that is this awesome book. The protagonist is Miles Halter, an introvert with lack of friends in school who finds himself in a tight group of friends when he joins Culver Creek. Chip (the Colonel) is his roommate. He meets Alaska Young, thanks to the Colonel and falls hopelessly in love with her. Alaska is impulsive, reckless, moody and breathtakingly beautiful and the thing I loved the most about her is that she is a profound bookworm. She loves to plan pranks and include Mike, the Colonel, Lara and Takumi in her endeavors. One day, out of the blue, she dies a mysterious death. Miles and others are left to figure out of it was a mere accident or a pre-planned suicide.
I liked the first half of the book but the second half was a bit boring. Overall it was good.
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Teenage tragedy!
By Viraj Rasane on 29 February 2020
had heard a lot about this particular book and so many people suggested it to me, so I finally got to reading it and finally knew exactly what all the fuss was about!By Viraj Rasane on 29 February 2020
This is my second read by John Green and my God, is that man talented! Reading his work feels like lying in the grass and watching millions of stars overhead beside your favorite human.
And I have a soft corner for teenage romance. Because teenage is the wonderful period when most of the secrets of the mechanisms of the world get revealed to you. You are going through so much at the same time and still you grow out of it.
And now getting to the core, that is this awesome book. The protagonist is Miles Halter, an introvert with lack of friends in school who finds himself in a tight group of friends when he joins Culver Creek. Chip (the Colonel) is his roommate. He meets Alaska Young, thanks to the Colonel and falls hopelessly in love with her. Alaska is impulsive, reckless, moody and breathtakingly beautiful and the thing I loved the most about her is that she is a profound bookworm. She loves to plan pranks and include Mike, the Colonel, Lara and Takumi in her endeavors. One day, out of the blue, she dies a mysterious death. Miles and others are left to figure out of it was a mere accident or a pre-planned suicide.
I liked the first half of the book but the second half was a bit boring. Overall it was good.
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Not for your young teen.
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