Looking for Alaska

I have read several novels by John Green, but never heard of this one I borrowed it (online!) from my library and thought I would give it a try. Overall, I liked the book. I didn't read any reviews until afterwards so I could form my own opinions. A lot of people complained because Alaska was "damaged but perfect" and the like. Yes, of course, she was this unbelievable character with huge boobs and butt, yet a perfect waist. She was moody, but loved to read (and had a whole library of books to be read). She was damaged, but pretty. You get my point...she is a teenage brat, but there may be one (or two) people in the world who may fit her exact description, but that's it. I found myself able to relate to her in more ways than I thought I would. I don't think that people understand what depression is like, or how serious an impact it can have on someone's life. I read a LOT of reviews complaining because she had severe trauma in her past and "couldn't let go". I think there are a lot of people out there who can relate to this, so it wan't 'out there' for me.

Enough about Alaska herself...I did enjoy the book and wish I knew more about the main characters. I think the drinking/smoking/prank playing was relate-able and think its a good teen book.

This book gave me all the emotions back in the day. I feel like John Green defined a generation by giving us the possibility of exploring characters who were very much as incomplete and broken inside as we felt as teenagers but always defying what was expected of them.

He also writes in a way that I personally think is raw and poetic, he creates magic with his pen.

I am tempted to go back to all these books and read them as I'm in my twenties now, to find out how much I identify with some situations after "living" a little more.

i liked it at 15, should read it again to see what i would think of it now

This was the 3rd book I have read by John Green. I am in awe of how this writer can understand the thought processes of victims, friends and strangers while still entertaining and captivating the reader.

I was a sophmore in high school when we lost 3 lives in a car crash that also put a 4th student in a coma. Then in my senior year we lost 4 more students to an even more tragic accident.

Grieving, questions, and more are always involved when you arw faced with tragedies such as this. When you think you are the most indestructible. John Green has a way of conveying all this accurately in my opinion.

I can't recommend this author enough to others and my daughters.

I feel like 8 kinds of death right now so this is going to be short. If you are, ever have been, or know a teenager, read this book. There are lessons in here about ways to live your life and ways to deal with death that everyone can benefit from. We want the larger than life crew of Pudge, the Colonel, Takumi, and Lara to solve their ultimate mystery, but they can't because ultimately this book isn't larger than life. It's about life, which sometimes sucks, and you have to find a way to absorb that suckiness and move on.

One star deducted because the Ultimate Prank is not all that great. It certainly would not have required 40 notebooks of planning.

The story dint attract me... i stopped in the middle.

A very quick read about boarding school adventures.

eu não me senti conectada a nenhum dos personagens e é um tipo de livro que daqui a 2 meses eu provavelmente não vou me lembrar de quase nada da história, mas eu gosto de como foi escrito (pra mim fluiu muito bem e não tem enrolações) e das citações. de resto é um livro bem mais ou menos.

Looking for Alaska, a young adult novel written by John Green, takes you on a short journey with a group of friends who has to face the struggles of life and death. Through Miles’, “Pudge”, point of view, you learn in the beginning that he is in search of a “great perhaps” and he ends up finding a love that leaves him wandering in his own “labyrinth”.

When I started this book, I made the mistake of thinking it would be cute and witty like Green’s other novel, The Fault in Our Stars. It was only after I had finished and fully absorbed the novel that I realized, it is not at all like TFiOS, but it is definitely full of Green’s essence.

Here are some of the similarities:

1. A young life taken

2. Characters with an advanced vocabulary that makes you jealous

3. A romantic connection between the main character and a significant other

4. A barrier that prevents the two characters from being together forever

5. You get your heart strings yanked and you feel like a piece of you is missing

6. You don’t like the ending, but you are satisfied

7. And there is a sex related scene

8. Scenes involving a cigarette and alcohol

9. There is a big message in the story involving the value and purpose of life

10. You will laugh and cry

While there are a handful/or two of similarities, there are far greater differences that makes this novel special in it’s own way. Different gender perspective, there is an air of mystery in this novel as Miles struggles with Alaska’s labyrinth. I'm not sure what else to put that would not give away the profoundness of this novel. I think there should be more books with this type of message out there. Edit: Having just found out that this book was based on a true life event of John Green's life at a school similar to Culver Creek makes it even more meaningful. (Link provided below, spoilers of course)

I am a fan of John Green novels. He has a way with weaving these tales with young adults for young adults that leaves you feeling as if he broke your heart but left your mind and soul with something enlightened. He has his own writing signature that you can recognize if you weren’t told it was his book. And I really like the fact that his characters are cool nerds, they are intellectual and daring, John Green makes me proud to be a nerd.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is open minded. Anyone who likes to indulge in witty dialogue. Anyone who thinks about the bigger purpose in life.

http://johngreenbooks.com/alaska-questions/