Looking for Alaska

 

Looking for Alaska. John Green. New York: Dutton Books, 2005. 227 pages. $15.99 (Hardcover). ISBN 0-525-47506-0. Grades 9-12.

My Thoughts…

Looking for Alaska is what would happen if the rich, pensive characters of Donnelly’s Revolution ran in to the dark, twisted goings on of Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower and then went to boarding school. Wait, that makes it sound like Looking for Alaska is a rip off and not an awesome book, and that is not the case at all. While I was reminded of other materials while reading this book, I found myself talking more about it with my friends and coworkers and thinking about it more than either of the previously mentioned titles.

One of the main talking points for me from this book was how many great, quotable lines there were. Some of these lines were selected from Pudge’s vast array of last words; others were taken from Hyde’s religion class and Alaska’s rich literary knowledge. While those lines were actually quotes, some of the most memorable items were just exchanged in general conversation between the characters as bits of wisdom or fact. While I know that a book’s ‘quotability’ doesn’t make it great, I think books that make you think on one line for extended periods of time are. “You smoke to enjoy it, I smoke to die.” This is one line came from one of the most emotionally conflicted characters I have encountered, and while it is a simple sentence, it made me think about personal choice, control in situations, suicide, and pain for pleasure and vice versa. I like that this book is thought provoking and full of controversy and confusion. I think it offers young adults a look in to lives that are different than their own and examine them. I think that doing so will open their eyes to what else is out their, make them thankful for the lives they have, encourage them to follow their passions, confuse them, or comfort them. These are not the only possible reactions of course, and depending on the reader, they may focus on completely different aspects of the story. The concept of the Great Perhaps, however, is hard to avoid in this book, and despite the distracting drama and events, readers will stop to think.

Speaking of thinking, while this book is more about living and emotional growth, it does offer tons of intellectual information. Readers are introduced to religious concepts and theories, famous writers, politicians, and pranking. No, seriously though, readers get tidbits of information that are certain to pique their curiosity. I mean, I want to go read The General in his Labyrinth now.

While the specifics of this book are not necessarily going to be relatable to many readers, a lot of the emotional conflicts associated with high school and coming in to your own will be. I think that worrying about crushes and sex and love and grades is a normal high school experience, and that young adults will connect to that. I also think that the emphasis on last words, death, the unknown, and happiness is an important part of this book because readers are going to be leaving high school and moving on with their lives, and starting the journey of becoming who they will be. Yes, I realize that sounds cheesy, but if readers really consider the lives and paths of the students at Culver Creek I think they will stop and look at themselves. This book may just be an eye opener that helps them figure out where and what their Great Perhaps will be.

I loved this book and can’t believe it was Green’s first novel!