Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Looking for Alaska by John Green

121 reviews

kateyoutka's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is probably the book I've read more than any other book except, maybe, some of the Harry Potter books.

There's a reason I keep coming back to it. I was 14 when this book came out, and I think I was maybe 15 when I first read it. It was the first time I'd seen a book talk about what I now know to be one of John Green's primary messages -- that it's difficult for us to ever really know another person, so it's important that we remember that they're just that -- a person -- and it's worthwhile, necessary, to imagine them complexly. Throughout this book, Miles builds Alaska up into something more than that. He puts her on a manic-pixie-dream-girl pedestal. As she gradually disappoints him, he realizes how flawed his thinking was, and how flawed Alaska herself was, and how flawed all people are. It's an important message whether you're 15 or 32 (as I am now) and it continues to be relevant.

I don't quite understand the negativity this book has received over the years. I see a lot of reviews critiquing Alaska's character since she is a manic pixie dream girl -- but that was kind of the point all along, and I strongly feel that she was written purposely that way. Green shares a similar message in Paper Towns, with the character of Margo being an almost caricatured version of a manic pixie dream girl. Green isn't falling prey to writing a manic pixie dream girl character -- he's poking holes in stories that utilize those characters and demanding that we think more critically about both them and the real-life people we interact with every day.

The messaging in this book surrounding religion and seeking purpose in our lives is also one that I've thought more about as I reread this book at twice the age I was when I initially picked it up. I think I initially thought that this book was extremely depressing when I read it at 15 -- a book about death and grieving and loss -- and at 15, I was thinking a lot about my own Great Perhaps. At 32, I'm thinking more about the fact that the only way out of the labyrinth is through and about always choosing the labyrinth.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Alcohol, Suicide, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content

cnicoleyao's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book was an emotional roller coaster ride that left me crying happy tears filled with hope and closure for the main character Pudge. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol

mrsmishler's review

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual content, Car accident, and Death of parent

sadiebugreads's review

emotional mysterious sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, and Sexual content

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

asienerbrown's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Car accident

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Bullying

mack_urdaddy's review

dark emotional funny lighthearted sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Will shock you so hard you might need time to recover. Don’t get too attached.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Car accident, and Drug use

Moderate: Mental illness, Drug use, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Death

Minor: Sexual content

chelseeaa's review

adventurous emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Vomit

rhiannon814r's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

"One night... I heard a psychologist say that Americans would organize their memories around [9/11]: before and after. It occured to me that we almost always measure time in relation to what matters most to us... The story I wanted to tell was about young people whose lives are so transformed by an experience that they can only respond by reimagining time itself." -John Green on Looking for Alaska

As a (still somehow) young person with her own ever-growing list of Afters... yes. We're all stuck in the labyrinth. "The labyrinth sucks but I choose it." The best any of us can do is keep trying to seek the Great Perhaps.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Death, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, and Suicide

Minor: Body horror, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Vomit

autopsy's review

dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A truly heartfelt and melancholy book that deals with loss, grief and friendship. John green has the incredible ability to describe settings in immense detail and completely immerse the reader. This book will always be a favourite of mine, having gone through something similar. Much love to John Green and his fantastic novel writing.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Drug use, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Suicide

Moderate: Car accident

araumi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Alcoholism, Bullying, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Sexism, and Sexual content