Krist S
Have you ever read a book that just grabs you and takes you away into another world? One that you can relate to deeply but that you wouldn’t want to come to fruition in the real world? Well, if so, lovaholics would like to invite you to look no further than John Green’s ‘Looking for Alaska’. John Green is a world-famous and illustrious author. He’s famous for books such as ‘An Abundance of Katherines’, ‘Paper Towns’, and most acclaimed novel, ‘The Fault in our Stars’. He’s a No.1 New York Bestseller with ‘Looking for Alaska’, which should be on your list of must-reads if you haven’t already had the pleasure of doing so.
‘Looking for Alaska’ focuses on a point in life when things begin to come into focus. Your self-image, relationships, beliefs, fears, triumphs, loves; everything that is you. For most, this point arrives during high-school years. In John Green’s first novel, ‘Looking for Alaska’, he truly captures the feeling of coming of love with feeling, freshness, and a whole lot of heart. This engaging and emotive story takes two ordinary kids, turns them into lovaholics, and then rips that away in an instance.
What’s It About?
We’re introduced to our main protagonist at the very beginning, Miles Halter, who is a junior, sent to a boarding school in a rural location in Alabama. Yes, this particular Florida teen is used to the sun, but not the type of stifling, sticky heat that can always be found in the Deep South. It’s at Culver Creek that this shy and lanky boy is finally accepted for what he is, and of course, where he meets Alaska. Miles gets off to a bit of a rocky start with the school bullies, but we discover that Green soon turns this sadistic and sad affair into an excellent piece of literary ammunition that we see throughout the entire book.
Miles soon falls right into a crowd of friends that are set to be there for the long run. Additionally, he and Alaska bond, but ‘Looking for Alaska’ should never be written off as the standard boy meets girl love story, or one focused on two lovaholics. Instead, it’s a tale of how love isn’t as luminous as it would first appear. Miles falls hard for Alaska, but as most young people are at that age, he’s confused, especially since Alaska isn’t as free and easy as she first appears.
Throughout this wonderfully addictive book, the experiences come fast but furious for Miles. But throughout, the center of his universe grows to become Alaska. Alaska is alternative flirty, distant, friendly, and angry – all in one. However, she first appears somewhat unattainable as she has a boyfriend in college. Her fierce intelligence and the powerful force of her personality lead Miles and his friends into a labyrinth of emotions. Sadly, after a shattering tragedy, this labyrinth that was once evolving and exciting, leaves them wondering if there’s any way out.
Green at His Best
Green has written an inventive and imaginative novel that will take young readers on a whirlwind journey and push them to assess their place in the world. Looking for Alaska is funny, sad, inspiring, and utterly compelling. In all of John Green’s books thus far, there’s a theme of teenage lovaholics and romance that you don’t find much of in this day and age. Every one of his novels showcases different teenage scenarios, all based around love, and how individuals, even when young, can experience life and work through things.
The splendor of this book is that it does not hide anything at all. It truly puts a spotlight on what young love is like and what growing up is like in a brutal and honest light – lovaholics or not. Understanding and finding out about the characters communication, their interactions with each other, and the desire that comes with being a lovaholics shines through the pages. While you may not weep as much as you had with other novels, you sure will find that you’ll soon become drawn into the relationship between Miles and Alaska, just like their relationship grew in the book.
