Looking for Alaska by John Green

ISBN: 9780007209255
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2005
272 pgs



Looking for Alaksa is my first book by John Green and I have to say I am in awe of his work after reading this. It is no wonder this book has won the Michael L. Printz Award; I loved the messages and its meanings behind this wonderful story and most importantly, this book made me think.

Sixteen-year-old Miles Halter is just an ordinary teenager living in Florida, but what makes him stand out is, he has the ability of saying out the last words of famous people, thanks to his passion for it and not to mention his good memory. He left home to attend a boarding school in Alabama, but then he also has a motive and that is to seek what a dying poet Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps". To avoid spoilers, I will skip explaining the "Great Perhaps".

Anyway, Miles settled quickly in his new school, thanks to a few friends he befriended: Chip, his roommate (who called himself the Colonel), a Japanese boy named Takumi and a beautiful, mysterious girl who called herself Alaska Young. Knowing them has transformed the geeky Miles into a new person (he is commonly known as Pudge to them), and Miles welcome the change. One reason Miles could connect to them because they too, are outcasts but in fact they are bright and intelligent people just like the other Weekday Warriors, a term they used in referring to those rich kids who think they have it all.

Miles felt his life has never been better, until a tragic event shattered his once happy life and led him into thinking about his outlook of life and a new meaning of "Great Perhaps".

What can I say about Looking for Alaska? Honestly, I have so many things I want to say about this book, but yet every time when I try to explain more, my mind drew a blank. It is so hard to say anything without spoiling the story, but I have to say this book made me laugh, cry and help me think things which I have not thought of initially. And I need to mention I was most intrigued with Alaska's obsession of The General in his Labyrinth by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, which is a favourite book of hers as this is one of the most important factors surrounding this story, but of course I will not indulge too much of it and you have to read it to fully understand the meaning behind this poignant coming-of-age story. Another thing that intrigued me to this story is that it is split into two sections: the countdown of the days before and after the tragic event, so at times I felt like I was reading a mystery as I want to know what had happened and what is going to happen next.

And oh, another thing I liked about this book is the characterization and how John Green has captured the characters' feelings into the story and made you feel connected to them. And of course, I want to mention again that I loved the realistic and the philosophy thrown into this story and I hope anyone who read this book will enjoy and appreciate the meaning behind it.

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