Bibliographic Data
Green, John. 2005. Looking for Alaska. New York: Dutton Books. ISBN 0525475060
Plot Summary
Miles Halter is a slightly less than average teenager; he doesn't have many friends, and other than his parents he has no real ties to his home in Florida. So when he gets to boarding school in Alabama and instantly joins a group of close knit friends it seems like his life is finally going well. Nothing is ever that simple though, as Miles and his prankster friends soon discover.
Critical Analysis
Looking for Alaska has a blunt realism that takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions along with Miles Halter in his first year at an Alabama boarding school.
The chapters are uniquely titled according to days before, the last day, and days after. After reading only a few chapters it is evident that there is something different about this book, and there is an eerie feeling that it may not be pleasant.
Some may wish to keep away from such realistic topics such as teenage smoking, drinking, sex, language, and death, but these topics are what make Looking for Alaska so easy to connect to. John Green does a wonderful job of writing teenagers that sound like teens and act like them as well.
The tragedy of Looking for Alaska may be the center point of the book (the last day), but I would rather concentrate on the amazing friendships and finding yourself in "the Great Perhaps." Miles collects famous last words in the same way others may collect seashells or autographs. He seeks them out in the pages of biographies and any other source he can find. The Great Perhaps (last words of a poet, Rabelais) is what Miles is searching for when he goes to Alabama, and I feel that he finds it. But ultimately, as most people are, he is unprepared to find what he seeks.
This is a brilliant story of love and confusion, of poetry and last words, of despair and the ultimate prank; it is the story of life as a teenager and life as an adult. And of course in books this can be controversial, so there are probably some adults that feel kids shouldn't read such harsh realistic fiction. It is true to life though. Green told a story that hits so close to home, you can't help but feel for Miles and his friends. You can't help but try to figure life out with them.
This is one of my favorite books of the year. It is simply amazing.
Review Excerpts
School Library Journal
"The language and sexual situations are aptly and realistically drawn, but sophisticated in nature. Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor, and his obvious struggle to tell the story truthfully adds to his believability."
Publishers Weekly
"Readers will only hope that this is not the last word from this promising new author. "
K. L. Going (Printz Honor winner)
"John Green has written a powerful novel--one that plunges headlong into the labyrinth of life, love, and the mysteries of being human. This is a book that will touch your life."
Connections
I love author blogs and John Green's is great. There are great sections on Famous Last Words, his NPR stories, and his new book An Abundance of Katherines (on my summer reading list) as well.
http://www.sparksflyup.com
2006 Michael L. Printz Award winner (Green's book An Abundance of Katherines is a 2007 honor book as well.) More information on the Printz Award can be found here.
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/Printz.htm
National Prevention Hotline
1-800-SUICIDE
A Bit Extra
I read this book less than a week after a friend and his wife were found dead of causes I discuss in a previous post. This was a therapeutic read for me, and I am sure that anyone, young adult or otherwise, dealing with so many questions of "why" can relate to Miles. Anyone that has ever lost a friend knows the feelings and the coping mechanisms. I don't know of anyone that wouldn't try to blame themselves for not doing more, even if there was no way to do more. This is a fictional story, sure, but the feelings are real. That is why I love this book. It helped me cry and think when I thought I couldn't cry or think anymore.
No comments:
Post a Comment