Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Books
City: New York, New York
Publishing date: 2005
Title of book: Looking for Alaska

When I found out that Looking for Alaska was John Green’s debut novel, I was not surprised. This is not due to the book being bad, not at all. This novel is one that gets to its point, with no detours. It contains a necessary roughness, a rawness that comes with an author’s debut. You can feel that this book was a shot in the dark for John Green. There is a writing style that is very new, and very true. It’s a style that you can trust to be blunt and not sugarcoat things. It’s a hugely concise piece, in which every detail is important. Whether it be the bufriedos, the settings, or something different, you can almost depend on it making a reappearance.

Looking for Alaska takes you along the life of Miles Halter, dubbed Pudge, who also serves as the narrator. Miles finds comfort and a fascination in last words, and is, in the words of late poet Francois Rabelais, constantly searching for the Great Perhaps. The story begins as Miles is moving from Florida to the boarding school of Culver Creek, located in Alabama. Miles meets his classmates, roommates, and the other central characters: The Colonel, Takumi, and dramatic, confusing, sexy, and emotionally troubled Alaska Young. Miles quickly develops feelings for Alaska, and this book chronicles his time at Culver Creek.

The book is organized in two sections: before, and after. There is a countdown system in place, which I never really paid attention to until I got to the place where it changed from before to after. Looking for Alaska has something no other book I’ve ever read has had. It has a certain brutality, an honesty that speaks volumes about the truth of teenage life and how hard life can be. It gives life to a struggle, and creates relationships and events that are believable and real. There are humorous moments, heart-wrenching ones, and moments that make you just think.

I had a love-hate relationship with this book, and I feel I will with all John Green pieces. This is because Looking for Alaska was a fantastic book. It showcased everything most authors neglect, and gave light to the matter of depression, teenage angst, and broken-heartedness. It had a complicated, enthralling plot, with developed, layered characters. However, it was not for the weak of heart. It was a rapid fire: an assault of details and moments. It’s like if you threw something into the air: it moved faster and faster, before slowing down to give you a break at the very climax, and then picking up speed again.

This book, despite my mixed emotions and opinions on it, is a great piece. I would recommend it to anyone, no matter the person, who was interested in reality or wanted to read about a story that you could see happening right next door. It’s not something for those looking for an escape from reality. It is fiction, but the most realistic, extremely honest pieces of fiction I know of. All in all, I felt as though it was a triumph for John Green, and a step forward in the world of understanding teenagers.