"Looking for Alaska" by John Green

Title: Looking for Alaska

Author: John Green

 

My rating: 5 of 5

(Book read from February 18-19 for a read-along)

Summary:

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, 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, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

 

My Thoughts on the Book:

Looking for Alaska is one of those rare books that stays with you long after you've finished them. It was absolutely amazing & one of the most realistic YA contemporary novels I've read. I wish I've read this when I was in high school :) John  Green with his writing style has got himself a new fan. What I've been waiting for until now? No idea, to be honest. I just do that sometimes with those well praised books or authors, I just keep postponing reading them. But, that ends now! At least, when it comes to John Green's books ;) At the beginning when I started reading this book & I saw that it's split in 2 parts - before & after - I guessed what will happen & I was right! And the moment I started reading it, I couldn't stop until I finished it. I just got so wrapped up in the story & all the characters' adventures. Looking for Alaska is both fun & sad, it's also funny, but yet heartbreaking, and amazingly told story, that will take you on quite an emotional rollercoaster ride. The writing style was amazing, the pacing was perfect & the characters were great. I really liked Miles as a character,  he was a sweety & really likable, as well as Takumi, the Colonel & Lara, too. Who wouldn't want friends like that? As for Alaska, all I can say is that I understand her. As a character she was also fun & interesting, and also smart, but really flawed & definitely screwed-up, although I don't think it's something she wants to be, she just is... This is where John Green had captured the reality with his writing, although actually he does that through the whole book. I think I'll stop here, anything more would be full of spoilers, but Looking for Alaska is a wonderful read, that I think every teen should read it, actually, I think that everyone should read it, because I think everyone would enjoy it! As for me, it's definitely one of the best YA contemporaries I've read, and a book I'd read again & again & I highly recommend it!!!

 

Challenges:

2013 TBR Pile Challenge

2013 Read-along Challenge