Looking for Alaska
Citation:
Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. New York:
Dutton Books. ISBN: 9780525475064
Plot Summary:
Looking for Alaska is written in two parts, before and after. The
story opens with Miles “Pudge” Halter leaving Florida for Culver Creek Boarding
School in rural Alabama. Once there he meets Chip “the Colonel” Martin and
Alaska Young. The “Weekday Warriors,” those who go to boarding school during
the week but go home to Birmingham on the weekends initiate Pudge by duck
taping him and throwing him in the lake. While throwing him in the lake is not
unusual, duck taping is and soon Pudge and his friends are in an all out prank
war with the “Weekday Warriors.” As the year progresses Alaska and the Colonel
take Pudge out of his comfort zone by engaging him in smoking and drinking
which ultimately leads to Alaska’s demise. However even though Pudge has a
crush on Alaska he dates Lara Buterskaya a Romanian immigrant, who is also part
of their group. Pudge falls hard for Alaska and a night of drinking leads to
them having a romantic interlude. After Alaska’s untimely demise the group is
left to pick up the pieces and put together her last night. Did she commit
suicide or was it a drunken driving accident? After Alaska’s death the Colonel
and Pudge frantically try to piece together what happened that lead Alaska to
commit suicide. They exclude Tamuki and Lara which divides the group as they
spiral into depression. Looking for
Alaska ends with a letter from Tamuki to the Colonel and Pudge explaining
some of Alaska’s last night.
Critical Analysis:
Looking for Alaska is an incredibly well written book with the
characters reflecting teenage thoughts and feelings. The most interesting part
of this book is the fact that you never really know why Alaska died, was it
from the drinking or did she commit suicide. John Green leaves this for you to
decide. The character Pudge is intuitive
and sensitive with inner monologues reflecting a teenager’s view. The Colonel has
an arrogance and brash sense of humor that stems from his poor background and
being the mastermind behind Alaska’s pranks. Alaska’s character has no other
words than being an enigma. You are often left with the feeling that even she
does not know what is going on in her own head.
Reviews:
School Library Journal: “Green's dialogue is crisp,
especially between Miles and Chip. His descriptions and Miles's inner
monologues can be philosophically dense, but are well within the comprehension
of sensitive teen readers. The chapters of the novel are headed by a number of
days "before" and "after" what readers surmise is Alaska's
suicide. These placeholders sustain the mood of possibility and foreboding, and
the story moves methodically to its ambiguous climax. The language and sexual
situations are aptly and realistically drawn, but sophisticated in nature.
Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor, and his obvious
struggle to tell the story truthfully adds to his believability.
Publisher’s Weekly: "Readers will only hope that this
is not the last word from this promising new author."
Kirkus Reviews: “What sings and soars in this gorgeously
told tale is Green’s mastery of language and the sweet, rough edges of Pudge’s
voice. Girls will cry and boys will find love, lust, loss and longing in
Alaska’s vanilla-and-cigarettes scent."
Connections:
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Other books by John Green
o
The Fault in Our Stars
o
An Abudance of Katherines
o
Paper Towns
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Suicide awareness
All reviews courtesy of Amazon.com
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