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mackenzieberlin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
blacksheep333's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
samlovesbooks_08's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Honestly not my type of book but really picked up the pace after the huge plot twist
maiashsh's review against another edition
3.0
Looking for Alaska - By John Green
This is by far one of my favourite books. First of all, I love all of John Green's books, but this was one that really sparked my interest. I like the plot of this story - it is so original and well-thought out, plus, it has a lot of humour on the side. It has a variety of characters, all with different personalities which make the story so creative.
The protagonist is Miles, a boy fascinated by last words, and who wants to escape his safe, boring life with his parents. He starts college at a boarding school - Culver Creek - and meets a mysterious girl who he wants to know more about. But when something strange happens, Miles and his new roommate investigate and Miles finds himself in the "Great Perhaps" which he has wanted to find for most of his life.
This is a funny, suspenseful book which will leave you on the edge of your seat, always wanting to know more. I recommend it for ages 13+ and I rate it a 9/10 for the quality of the writing as well as the storyline and how intriguing it was to read.
Maia S.
This is by far one of my favourite books. First of all, I love all of John Green's books, but this was one that really sparked my interest. I like the plot of this story - it is so original and well-thought out, plus, it has a lot of humour on the side. It has a variety of characters, all with different personalities which make the story so creative.
The protagonist is Miles, a boy fascinated by last words, and who wants to escape his safe, boring life with his parents. He starts college at a boarding school - Culver Creek - and meets a mysterious girl who he wants to know more about. But when something strange happens, Miles and his new roommate investigate and Miles finds himself in the "Great Perhaps" which he has wanted to find for most of his life.
This is a funny, suspenseful book which will leave you on the edge of your seat, always wanting to know more. I recommend it for ages 13+ and I rate it a 9/10 for the quality of the writing as well as the storyline and how intriguing it was to read.
Maia S.
karothom's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
♥️
arifairy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-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? Yes
4.0
laurakh's review against another edition
2.0
I give John Green as a person Five Stars, so giving his book two is painful. After reading all of his books, I definitely think his writing gets better with age. The Fault in our Stars is his most famous book for a reason--the themes explored in his other books are better defined, and he drops the ridiculous 'quirk' characterizations present in EVERY character in EVERY other book.
That leads me to my first critique: the characters. Most are nothing but a collection of unrealistic quirks. Alaska quotes extremely literary and intellectual books, the Colonel has the capitals of every country memorized, and Miles has the famous last words shtick. Think about it--do you know a single person with such a weird, specific, and obsessive 'talent' as these? I don't. It seems especially unrealistic for a high school teenager. I consider myself a fairly interesting and well-rounded person, and yet I flail about for an answer every time a teacher or interviewer asks me to "say an interesting fact about yourself." Real people have a variety of skills and interests that fade in and out throughout their life, not one single highly developed defining talent. And if they do, it's painting or karate or softball, not memorizing famous last words.
My main critique of the book is that I believe it made a point it didn't really mean to make--and it wasn't a good one. Miles talks repeatedly about seeking a life of adventure: the Great Perhaps. When he arrives at boarding school, his days are spent smoking and kicking around in the dirt with his friends. Later at the end of the book Miles reflects back on his relationship with Alaska and basically creates the thesis that she Changed His Life and made him Seize the Day and whatnot. But she didn't do much except convince him that smoking is cool. There is one other minor adventure (no spoilers) but nothing exciting. So the hypothesis: to Live Life to the Fullest and Embrace Life, the answer is SMOKING. I'm sure John Green did not mean for this to be the takeaway, but Alaska was not (to me) the inspiring, life changing, beautifully flawed character he intended her to be. To me, she was a self-involved, unappreciative teenager who made boys fall in love with her with Mystic Charm and also Boobs and then talked them into smoking.
I think the idea behind this book is the dangers of idealizing people as caricatures of what you want them to be rather than embracing and understanding them as complex humans with their own motivations and passions and ideas--often not aligned with your caricature. This is a fascinating idea to me, but I don't think he pulled it off well in this book, mainly because the characters WERE caricatures. I think he explored this same idea much better in Paper Towns. The premise is the same--dorky, bland boy becomes enamored with the beautiful, mysterious, fascinating girl. But the image the girl cultivates becomes her downfall as people oversimplify and idealize her. Boy ends up disappointed when the girl isn't what he believed her to be. I think this theme is better done in Paper Towns simply because the characters are more likable.
I love John Green. By reading all his books and watching probably of his youtube videos it is clear to me that he is a driven and kind man of many passions, interests, and complex, well articulated ideas. Unfortunately in Looking for Alaska especially (with An Abundance of Katherines nearly tied) the interesting ideas get bogged down catering to the YA demographic with oversimplified characters, pinterest-y quotes, and forced relationships. If you want to read John Green I would recommend the Fault in Our Stars. There are more themes, more complex and interesting exploration of those themes, and more well-rounded, realistic characters. Paper Towns is the second best of his four books. I would not recommend Looking for Alaska or An Abundance of Katherines.
That leads me to my first critique: the characters. Most are nothing but a collection of unrealistic quirks. Alaska quotes extremely literary and intellectual books, the Colonel has the capitals of every country memorized, and Miles has the famous last words shtick. Think about it--do you know a single person with such a weird, specific, and obsessive 'talent' as these? I don't. It seems especially unrealistic for a high school teenager. I consider myself a fairly interesting and well-rounded person, and yet I flail about for an answer every time a teacher or interviewer asks me to "say an interesting fact about yourself." Real people have a variety of skills and interests that fade in and out throughout their life, not one single highly developed defining talent. And if they do, it's painting or karate or softball, not memorizing famous last words.
My main critique of the book is that I believe it made a point it didn't really mean to make--and it wasn't a good one. Miles talks repeatedly about seeking a life of adventure: the Great Perhaps. When he arrives at boarding school, his days are spent smoking and kicking around in the dirt with his friends. Later at the end of the book Miles reflects back on his relationship with Alaska and basically creates the thesis that she Changed His Life and made him Seize the Day and whatnot. But she didn't do much except convince him that smoking is cool. There is one other minor adventure (no spoilers) but nothing exciting. So the hypothesis: to Live Life to the Fullest and Embrace Life, the answer is SMOKING. I'm sure John Green did not mean for this to be the takeaway, but Alaska was not (to me) the inspiring, life changing, beautifully flawed character he intended her to be. To me, she was a self-involved, unappreciative teenager who made boys fall in love with her with Mystic Charm and also Boobs and then talked them into smoking.
I think the idea behind this book is the dangers of idealizing people as caricatures of what you want them to be rather than embracing and understanding them as complex humans with their own motivations and passions and ideas--often not aligned with your caricature. This is a fascinating idea to me, but I don't think he pulled it off well in this book, mainly because the characters WERE caricatures. I think he explored this same idea much better in Paper Towns. The premise is the same--dorky, bland boy becomes enamored with the beautiful, mysterious, fascinating girl. But the image the girl cultivates becomes her downfall as people oversimplify and idealize her. Boy ends up disappointed when the girl isn't what he believed her to be. I think this theme is better done in Paper Towns simply because the characters are more likable.
I love John Green. By reading all his books and watching probably of his youtube videos it is clear to me that he is a driven and kind man of many passions, interests, and complex, well articulated ideas. Unfortunately in Looking for Alaska especially (with An Abundance of Katherines nearly tied) the interesting ideas get bogged down catering to the YA demographic with oversimplified characters, pinterest-y quotes, and forced relationships. If you want to read John Green I would recommend the Fault in Our Stars. There are more themes, more complex and interesting exploration of those themes, and more well-rounded, realistic characters. Paper Towns is the second best of his four books. I would not recommend Looking for Alaska or An Abundance of Katherines.
sreeves's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
andrea_h111's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.25