Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by mikedoel
Looking for Alaska by John Green
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was a book of two halves in two ways. The most straightforward of these is the "before" and "after" structure that Green uses to tell the story.
The other is seen in the tone of the book. I found the first 40% or so of the book to be too juvenile for my tastes. That part read to me as something that would clearly appeal to younger readers primarily, but less so to those who want their YA to be more of a crossover appeal to adults. But as the "before" turned into "after", there was a noticeable tonal shift that I found more consistent with my tastes. To be clear, it's still a YA book. This makes it an extremely fast read (I'm a slow reader but finished this in a single rainy afternoon). It also means that the dialog results in more than a few eye-rolls. But there are some deeper themes that make it compelling once you get past that first part.
The two act structure, literally called "before" and "after", with sections that count down (and later up) from the turning point remove some of the mystery about when that event will appear. This works to its detriment a bit in the early part where you might question how much of what you are reading is important (answer - some of it). But as you approach that mid point of the book, the structure serves to build some tension, even if you can already see the shape of what's going to happen.
But the best part of the book was that second half. I was worried that I was going to be reading nothing but falling action for nearly half a book. Fortunately, there's more to it than that, and the resolution at the end felt well-earned.
The characters were not super compelling to me, but this might be a function of my age (58) and personal tastes. Their motivations were too often unclear or shallow, though each has their moments. I found the main protagonist not terribly likable in large parts of the book. My favorite character is one of the minor characters- not always a good sign.
You'd likely enjoy this book if you are a fan of YA fiction and/or are roughly the same age as the primary characters. You might not if you want deeper character work or more mysterious plotting.
The other is seen in the tone of the book. I found the first 40% or so of the book to be too juvenile for my tastes. That part read to me as something that would clearly appeal to younger readers primarily, but less so to those who want their YA to be more of a crossover appeal to adults. But as the "before" turned into "after", there was a noticeable tonal shift that I found more consistent with my tastes. To be clear, it's still a YA book. This makes it an extremely fast read (I'm a slow reader but finished this in a single rainy afternoon). It also means that the dialog results in more than a few eye-rolls. But there are some deeper themes that make it compelling once you get past that first part.
The two act structure, literally called "before" and "after", with sections that count down (and later up) from the turning point remove some of the mystery about when that event will appear. This works to its detriment a bit in the early part where you might question how much of what you are reading is important (answer - some of it). But as you approach that mid point of the book, the structure serves to build some tension, even if you can already see the shape of what's going to happen.
But the best part of the book was that second half. I was worried that I was going to be reading nothing but falling action for nearly half a book. Fortunately, there's more to it than that, and the resolution at the end felt well-earned.
The characters were not super compelling to me, but this might be a function of my age (58) and personal tastes. Their motivations were too often unclear or shallow, though each has their moments. I found the main protagonist not terribly likable in large parts of the book. My favorite character is one of the minor characters- not always a good sign.
You'd likely enjoy this book if you are a fan of YA fiction and/or are roughly the same age as the primary characters. You might not if you want deeper character work or more mysterious plotting.