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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
It's a John Green novel, so it's should be good. What do you expect?
Most of the story was fun. Miles being in high school, making real friends, having the time of his life. It gives many people the high school fantasy that they desire. The camaraderie between Pudge, the Colonel, and Alaska at least, felt real. Takumi and Lara felt intentionally left out at places but for a good reason.
The title was pretty good, because it says looking for Alaska, and they weren't really looking for Alaska because she went missing, which was what I expected when I opened the book. I must say, though, that the blurb gave it away quite a bit. As a result, I wasn't devastated or taken aback or anything when Alaska. The mystery sometimes felt half-baked, but most of the time it served as a good background to the numerous philosophical and existential musing that Miles and Chip pondered, many of which produced really interesting ideas. Miles went from a classical atheistic vision of - to a more spiritually enlightened version of it - . I suppose it makes this a good reading for young people because they must be encouraged to seek meaning in life and hold on to hope, no matter what. And it takes a story like this to convince them.
The final prank and Alaska's opinion on the 'patriarchal paradigm', though. Those were great.
Most of the story was fun. Miles being in high school, making real friends, having the time of his life. It gives many people the high school fantasy that they desire. The camaraderie between Pudge, the Colonel, and Alaska at least, felt real. Takumi and Lara felt intentionally left out at places but for a good reason.
The title was pretty good, because it says looking for Alaska, and they weren't really looking for Alaska because she went missing, which was what I expected when I opened the book. I must say, though, that the blurb gave it away quite a bit. As a result, I wasn't devastated or taken aback or anything when Alaska
Spoiler
died in a most bizarre car crashSpoiler
death - the body rotting in the grave and the idea of the dead person fading away graduallySpoiler
that we are the greater than the sum of our parts, and that part that made us greater than the sum is probably the soul or something he didn't say, but I can easily guess.The final prank and Alaska's opinion on the 'patriarchal paradigm', though. Those were great.
I am a huge fan of TFIOS. It was the first John Green book I ever read and maybe unfairly I feel like I've never been close to recapturing the feeling TFIOS instilled in me. Not with Paper Towns and not with Looking for Alaska. Overall, the characters were believable and at times unique and the setting was so descriptive. When I close my eyes, I can picture the Culver Creek campus, the smoke pit, Miles and the Colonel's room, and Alaska's room. At first, the plot drew me in. Miles goes away to a boarding school to experience a "Great Perhaps" and I wasn't quite sure where the book was going to take me. However, I was bored reading about the typical boarding school shenanigans and stereotypes. The bad kids with too much freedom whose smoking and drinking are out of control and how the less affluent students harbor real hatred for the more affluent students. My most enjoyable reading moments were during the pranking chapters. The conclusion of the book didn't surprise me considering the students' behavior throughout the book.
I'm still glad I read it, I just wish it had more of TFIOS magic.
I'm still glad I read it, I just wish it had more of TFIOS magic.
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tangible characters and realistic storyline, as always.
A classic John Green book with one underlying quote that stands true till the end of the story.
A classic John Green book with one underlying quote that stands true till the end of the story.