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A review by literalottie
Looking for Alaska by John Green
emotional
reflective
sad
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
5.0
This is still one of my all-time favourites - it takes a special book to get me to sit and read it all in one night, but this is one of those books (granted, it's short, which helps, but still). Now that I've given it a long-overdue reread, I can actually leave a gushing, effusive review for it, so here goes!
There's just so much about Looking for Alaska that resonates with me. The characters are all so flawed and yet so real, their actions and interactions throughout this book are equal parts heartbreaking, heartwarming, and, sometimes, hilarious. I watched the miniseries last year and absolutely loved it. I'm so grateful they got it right, because this story deserves it.
Whenever I think about this book, I think about the overarching motifs - the labyrinth of suffering, and the "Great Perhaps". The idea that we ultimately don't get out of the labyrinth, but we have to choose to be in it, always in search of our next "Great Perhaps". There are plenty of people who deride this book, along with John Green's other works, as "fake deep". I'm not going to say I adore all of his work (see my 2 star review of Paper Towns I posted a mere few hours ago), nor will I say anyone who dislikes his books are "wrong". But this book speaks to me in a matter that's, at least to me, real. And that's what matters in the end.
There's just so much about Looking for Alaska that resonates with me. The characters are all so flawed and yet so real, their actions and interactions throughout this book are equal parts heartbreaking, heartwarming, and, sometimes, hilarious. I watched the miniseries last year and absolutely loved it. I'm so grateful they got it right, because this story deserves it.
Whenever I think about this book, I think about the overarching motifs - the labyrinth of suffering, and the "Great Perhaps". The idea that we ultimately don't get out of the labyrinth, but we have to choose to be in it, always in search of our next "Great Perhaps". There are plenty of people who deride this book, along with John Green's other works, as "fake deep". I'm not going to say I adore all of his work (see my 2 star review of Paper Towns I posted a mere few hours ago), nor will I say anyone who dislikes his books are "wrong". But this book speaks to me in a matter that's, at least to me, real. And that's what matters in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying