Sign in with Facebook
Megs �'s Reviews > Looking for Alaska
Looking for Alaska
by
by
This was the first book I ever read by John Green. It was given to me in 2007 when I had no idea who John Green was. I wish this book had been around when I was a teen. I really enjoyed the story, but I think I would have liked it even more if I wasn't already past that point in my life. Even still, I loved this book.
Miles is in search for the great perhaps, and has a fascination with famous last words. He meets Alaska Young who is basically the girl of his dreams. Their journey together at boarding school begins and John takes us on an exciting ride in which you constantly feel there is impending doom lurking ahead.
I'm going to keep this review short, because so much has been said on this book. The writing is as great as I always expect now from JG, and the story unfolds with a great pace that makes you never want to put the book down. You will probably feel some excitement, sadness, and maybe even a little anger reading this book, but I think this book will be memorable. This is an outstanding coming-of-age novel that doesn't resort to a "happily ever after" ending, but the characters each seek closure on their own terms. The characters are well drawn, witty, and full of individual quirks. This book also includes some fun pranks, some great humor, and some shocking turns of events. I loved the "before"/"after" and the whole countdown. I thought that was a really neat tool that helped build suspense.
Looking For Alaska is a book I still love and recommend years later, and occasionally still think about. It remains my favorite JG book, and I would like to personally thank the person who gave me this book for introducing me to this wonderful writer.
Recommend to everyone, really!
Miles is in search for the great perhaps, and has a fascination with famous last words. He meets Alaska Young who is basically the girl of his dreams. Their journey together at boarding school begins and John takes us on an exciting ride in which you constantly feel there is impending doom lurking ahead.
I'm going to keep this review short, because so much has been said on this book. The writing is as great as I always expect now from JG, and the story unfolds with a great pace that makes you never want to put the book down. You will probably feel some excitement, sadness, and maybe even a little anger reading this book, but I think this book will be memorable. This is an outstanding coming-of-age novel that doesn't resort to a "happily ever after" ending, but the characters each seek closure on their own terms. The characters are well drawn, witty, and full of individual quirks. This book also includes some fun pranks, some great humor, and some shocking turns of events. I loved the "before"/"after" and the whole countdown. I thought that was a really neat tool that helped build suspense.
Looking For Alaska is a book I still love and recommend years later, and occasionally still think about. It remains my favorite JG book, and I would like to personally thank the person who gave me this book for introducing me to this wonderful writer.
Recommend to everyone, really!
Sign into ŷ to see if any of your friends have read
Looking for Alaska.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
Comments Showing 1-38 of 38 (38 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Bri
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Feb 06, 2012 08:02AM
I loved this book too. Great review Meg.
reply
|
flag
I've heard of this book before but never really look up for it. Guess I'll give it a try someday!
I cannot pick a favorite John Green book. How can you do it Meg? (:
Another new author to check out! Thanks!
Another book truly and well covered. Great review !
Bri wrote: "I loved this book too. Great review Meg."Thanks, Bri :-)
Lola wrote: "I cannot pick a favorite John Green book. How can you do it Meg? (:"Oh I don't know...I lay them all on the floor, spin around 3 times then point? lol jk, but really I have this thing where I always tend to love the first book I read by an author the most. I don't know why.
Chris wrote: "Another book truly and well covered. Great review !"Thank you, sir :-)
mrsj wrote: "I've heard of this book before but never really look up for it. Guess I'll give it a try someday!"Awesome! If you do be sure to let me know if you love it as much as I do. :-)
✿~ڳ๏ℯմ� wrote: "Another new author to check out! Thanks!"No problemo. I love to spread the John Green love. He's a fantastic author and also seems like a really nice guy too. :-)
I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by him and briefly meeting him to get books signed. If you've seen his vlogs you can imagine what he's like in person. It was a great evening.
Inoli wrote: "I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by him and briefly meeting him to get books signed. If you've seen his vlogs you can imagine what he's like in person. It was a great evening."Yeah. I love their vlogs. Was he in PA and I missed it? If so, I'm sad lol
It's been a couple years ago now. Time moves too quickly. My friend Reader_Meg, there in Philadelphia, has seen him a couple times there but that's also been some time ago.
I like this book a lot but I wish the reviewers on GR would stop telling people how it ends in their review without hiding spoilers. That's so rude and ruins a really good book.
Sarah wrote: "I like this book a lot but I wish the reviewers on GR would stop telling people how it ends in their review without hiding spoilers. That's so rude and ruins a really good book."Very true. I've seen a few revealing reviews as well. It's a shame.
This was also my first book I read of John Green & I loved it :D
Just read "the fault in our stars" and was wondering. Is this book as sad too? Can't really handle reading something so heartbreaking right after "the fault in our stars"
Great review! This was my second book I read by John Green. Everyone of his books are perfect in their own way and this book is definitely one of my favorites!
Best review I've ever read. You managed to grasp every aspect of the book that I loved.
read the fault in our stars
read fault in our stars
Try to read The fault in our stars, as suggested above. You'll love it. :)
I loved this book and this review! If you like John Green you may love other teen fiction dealing with teens and their problems! Check out Ultimate YA magazine for ideas on other great reads, quizzes and more!
Hey, please read my review of the book and let me know what you think if you have the time. Thank you! :)
This is my favorite john green book too.
I agree with your comment completely. John Green made an interesting turn when he made a character’s talent something unique, remembering famous last words. A usual talent would be good at a sport, or helping people through their problems; however, John Green chose something different for Miles. Alaska Young, most definitely, was the girl of Miles dreams. I also agree that the book made me feel a mix of emotions throughout it, frustrated, sad, excited, hysterical, etc. The closure was the worst, yet best part because it wasn’t a typical ending, there was no necessary ending, except for what a typical person would have usually done, and Miles explained everything he has learned from the journey. The “before�/”after� did build suspense, and was another unique tool that John Green had used.
I feel the same way. It was awesome. The way you can tell a book is exceptional is when you keep thinking about the characters and whats going to happen after the book. That's when the book takes flight from the last page and soars on into and through out your life. Ender's Game did that for me as well. Ender's Game was so good I caught myself thinking from the main character's viewpoint. I said, "What am i going to do about this now! What about this person! How will they do?" Then it hit me. I'm not in the book! I recommend that book as well. However it is in a completely different genre. It is still amazing!
I agree with your review. This is a great coming of age novel and I'm glad I was able to read it in my teens. I don't go to boarding school but the relationships between the characters was very familiar. I'm glad it wasn't a "happily ever after" ending because that would be just be cliche.This was the first John Green book that I have read. He is such a deep writer who can perfectly illustrate words on a page. This is also my favorite JG book as well.
This was the first book that I was finally really understanding why things had to end the way they did. My grandfather died this year and we were very close. Reading this, even though it was a different kind of grieving was so helpful. I had never lost someone so close to me and I remember being so shocked that she really was gone. I eventually far after finishing the book started to understand the way that growing up was challenging. Overall this book has taught me so much about why things are important even if you know they will cause you pain.
I totally agree with you. I really loved this book. The first John Green Book that I read was The Fault in Our Stars so reading this after it was totally different. I found this book to be darker and it shed light on some very important issues that teens face nowadays. You never know somebody's whole story. Maybe they have trouble at home, like Alaska, who's mother died or like Colonel, who comes from a poor background, or they've got friends that have a strong influence on them and that is why they start getting mixed up in drinking and drugs, like Miles did when he met Alaska and Colonel. Imagine if this story did not have any alcohol or smoking in it. It would be totally different. Alaska would have been the smartest girl in school, Miles would have still fallen in love with her, but probably not the way he did in the actual book. It also would have ended differently. (view spoiler) It is an amazing book, very well written. On the lighter side, I did enjoy the pranks at the end of the book, it kind of lets you into the mind of a teenager. I also agree with you that the countdown was really creative. I really was not expecting what happened at the end of the countdown, so the whole entire book I was trying to figure it out. Overall, great book, I can't wait to get my hands on some of John Green's other books.
This was the second John Green book I have read and it was great. I totally agree with your statements of how it has humor, happily ever afters and has lurid events. Although I don't see this as a bildungsroman (coming of age story), the story did help Miles grow out of his comfort zone. I was very shocked when one of the main characters died (I never saw it coming). I also agree that the "before" and "after" and the countdown really add needed suspense to the story. I would love to read another JG book, any suggestions?
This was the second John Green book that I read, after reading The Fault in Our Stars. I absolutely loved that book, and decided to read all of his other novels. I found this one, and fell in love with it. Aside from all of the teenage cliches, the book was wonderful. It really helped the reader (or maybe just me) be able to feel all of the feelings and emotions that the characters were going through. Green does such a fantastic job with descriptions, and he did such a beautiful job writing this novel! I read all of his other books as well, an even though they are all sort of similar with the types of characters that he uses, he still makes them different enough from each other so that you love every character differently than another. I absolutely adore this book, and it's amazing for the genre and age group.
I have officially read all of John Green's books :(. I loved them all! My only issue with them is that they're so depressing...the main characters just can't catch a break. That being said, I still recommend his writing to everyone who will listen!
Meg, I agree with your review, I also think this book is a one who it should be remembered for a lifetime. This book also has a bad ending but it is very good even thought that. I laughed and cry during the course of reading this book.
I deeply agree with your review. It has some uniqueness that catches our eye. I agree with your feeling of mixed emotions throughout the book. Most of the time I felt very joyful and anxios of what is next. The uncommon ending made it the best. Miles provided us a conclusion. The "Before" and "After" made it an eyecatching book. I loved it and recomend it too.
It is my favorite John Green read as well. So beautifully written and told
After reading An Abundance Of Katharine's I was exited to read The Fault In Our Stars but I changed my mind and read Looking For Alaska and I loved reading the book and after reading a few pages I finished it in less than 3 days just to find out all the questions, I almost cried when Alaska died. Overall it's my favorite JG book so far.
