Review: Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Puffin | 28 December 2006

Before.

Miles 'Pudge' Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave 'the Great Perhaps' even more (François Rabelais, poet).

He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young.

She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same.

Review: I found Looking for Alaska to be a bit hit and miss, the plot rolls along with not much happening at all with all the force of a serious story line.

Miles is exploring life for the first time at a boarding school where he is taken under the wing by his roommate Chip, a dirt-poor genius on a scholarship who spends his spare time coming up with extravagant plans to bring down the uber-rich preppies of their school.

Chips best friend is Alaska, a girl almost as bad as him and is up for anything in the world. Miles falls for her and ultimately ends up with his heart broken but along the way they have as much fun as possible and end up having to unfold the mystery of Alaska.