Looking for Alaska by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words – and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A stunning debut, it marks John Green’s arrival as an important new voice in contemporary fiction.

To be honest, I had a hard time getting into this book.  That’s really my fault – I’ve been distracted and not in a “reading mood” – but I had a hard time connecting with the characters at first, especially Alaska.  It took me a while, but I did eventually fall under her spell and the rest of the book was very captivating.  I read because I wanted to figure out what happened (which I figured out long before the characters did), but also because I was really interested.  The entire After section was extremely intriguing.  I wanted to know how Miles and his friends handled the event that changes their lives.  I really liked Dr. Hyde’s class and how thought provoking those sections made the book.

I liked Miles’ fascination with famous people’s last words and I loved the two quotes that were so important to this book – “How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!” ~ Simon Bolivar and “I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” ~Francois Rabelais