Have you read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green? Since 2012, this book has been loved by audiences of every age, gender, and from all over the world. It is also becoming a movie in the next year. But before this book was published, John Green wrote Looking for Alaska, a novel about love, friends, and the importance of living in the moment. Want to know more? Keep reading!
Miles Halter is a loser. He has no friends and enjoys his time alone. That is, until he moves from his safe life at home to a boarding school called Culver Creek. He meets many friends, one of them being Alaska Young. Alaska is smart, funny, and gorgeous. Unfortunately for Miles, she is also taken. Alaska and Miles’ roommate “the Colonel” bring Miles out of his shell, talking about pranking and giving Miles the nickname “Pudge.” Their big ideas are for their senior prank, but they aren’t waiting until their senior year to mess around with the Weekday Warriors, the rich students who only stay at school during the week. Then everything changes. Without any spoilers, there is a plot twist about halfway through the story, and no one at Culver Creek will ever be the
It’s almost hard to talk about how great this book is without giving away the plot, but it is really worth reading and I feel like knowing what happens will ruin it for anyone who hasn’t read it yet. Trust me, though, it is really good. While not entirely unexpected, the twist in the plot is handled very well, which is mostly because of John Green’s writing talent. The story is very emotional and the ending is very satisfying.
The characters in Looking for Alaska are the strongest part of the book, as the story is mostly character-driven. The character of Miles develops a lot from beginning to end, and this seems natural. Miles is the narrator of the story and that allows us to really see his quirks and emotions better. Alaska is the perfect love interest. Unlike in some stories, Alaska is very strong and independent. Her life doesn’t change when she falls in love; she stays herself no matter what. I hope to someday have a roommate half as cool as the Colonel. He’s funny, very human, and relatable. The only downside I see in this book is that the supporting characters, Takumi and Lara, are unfortunately fairly boring. They serve a purpose and have their moments, but they don’t get as much development of the others.
John Green is a marvelous author. This book has great pacing, it’s never too dull but it never goes too quickly either. The three main characters are developed nicely, and each has a defined story arc. The story is very interesting and it’s hard to put down once you pick it up. Overall, Looking for Alaska is an underrated tale and definitely worth reading!
By: Shannon Donnelly