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haveyoureadthis 's review for:
Looking for Alaska
by John Green
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
"There comes a time when we realize that our parents cannot save themselves or save us, that everyone who wades through time eventually gets dragged out to sea by the undertow - that, in short, we are all going."
To begin, it is such a rare instance where an author can create a world that feels as if you are not observing from a distance, but have been a part of it. The characters, nicknames, back stories, and dialogue here were fantastically woven together which only made the overall story that much heavier.
I have read countless reviews labeling this as overrated, cliche, popular for no reason, and pointless to read. All of that I found surprising, especially since I feel the opposite.
How do you process grief at such a young age, while at the same time, trying to figure out who you are and what you want to do in life? Developing and building lasting friendships is fragile and we too often take it for granted, realizing what we had only when it is too late to do anything about it.
That is what I am left with after reading this.
Not that it was boring.
Not that the author just had his heart broken too many times.
Not that it had zero plot.
The primary critique I would offer is in regards to the ending, which is where I wanted to have more from the author. This was not an overly complicated read with language like McCarthy or Ligotti, but it had a very fast pace and smooth flow to it which kept me turning pages.
"There were so many of us who would have to live with things done and things left undone that day. Things that did not go right, things that seemed okay at the time because we could not see the future. If only we could see the endless string of consequences that result from our smallest actions. But we can't know better until knowing better is useless."
To begin, it is such a rare instance where an author can create a world that feels as if you are not observing from a distance, but have been a part of it. The characters, nicknames, back stories, and dialogue here were fantastically woven together which only made the overall story that much heavier.
I have read countless reviews labeling this as overrated, cliche, popular for no reason, and pointless to read. All of that I found surprising, especially since I feel the opposite.
How do you process grief at such a young age, while at the same time, trying to figure out who you are and what you want to do in life? Developing and building lasting friendships is fragile and we too often take it for granted, realizing what we had only when it is too late to do anything about it.
That is what I am left with after reading this.
Not that it was boring.
Not that the author just had his heart broken too many times.
Not that it had zero plot.
The primary critique I would offer is in regards to the ending, which is where I wanted to have more from the author. This was not an overly complicated read with language like McCarthy or Ligotti, but it had a very fast pace and smooth flow to it which kept me turning pages.
"There were so many of us who would have to live with things done and things left undone that day. Things that did not go right, things that seemed okay at the time because we could not see the future. If only we could see the endless string of consequences that result from our smallest actions. But we can't know better until knowing better is useless."