Looking for Alaska

 

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Green, John. 2005. Looking for Alaska. New York, NY: Dutton Books. ISBN: 9780525475064

2.      PLOT SUMMARY

Miles Halter wants to find meaning in life. He’s tired of not any real connections or meaning. He decides to leave Florida and go off to boarding school at Culver Creek in Alabama. Here he meets Alaska Young, a beautiful and mysterious girl that changes Miles’ life. He also meets the Colonel, Takumi, and Lara. Together Miles (now known as Pudge) and his friends look for “The Great Perhaps” and try to understand the labyrinth of life. There are pranks, new experiences, difficult classes, and so many final quotes (memorized and recited by Pudge). This is all brought to a halt with the loss of Alaska and the journey they undergo to determine what happened to her. The final prank and message of forgiveness bring these friends through with a new understanding of life.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Green creates characters that are memorable. Each one has special gifts that are acknowledged and celebrated regardless of their background. They are all funny, intelligent, interesting, and complex. Pudge is searching for meaning and transforms from someone that is reserved to a person that’s willing to take chances and make mistakes. None of the characters are perfect. Pudge doesn’t always act when he should. The Colonel is outspoken and opinionated, but he doesn’t always think about the way he makes other people feel. Alaska is funny and intelligent, but she is also difficult to understand and quick to react.

The events in this story are definitely possible. They follow a logical sequence with a definite climax and an ending that brings hope to the reader. The climax is expected with the count-down, but not the event itself. The ending is also not as neat as may be hoped, but in many cases, life isn’t either.  There are a wide range of consequences to their actions and the themes explored like self-exploration and loss are easy to identify with.

Each character has their own voice. Green even brings in certain accents and onomatopoeia that adds to the story. The language is conversational throughout and each character adds an element of humor in their own way.

4.      REVIEW EXCERPTS

Starred review in Horn Book Guide: “These intelligent characters talk smart, yet don't always behave that way, and are thus complex and realistically portrayed teenagers.”

Starred review in 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.”

Reviewed in Library Media Connection: “Looking for Alaska will haunt readers with its memorable characters, its literary and philosophical questions about life and death that so fascinate teens, and its ultimate affirmation of a life lived fully.”

Reviewed in Publishers Weekly: “But the novel's chief appeal lies in Miles's well-articulated lust and his initial excitement about being on his own for the first time. Readers will only hope that this is not the last word from this promising new author.”

Reviewed in School Library Journal: “Green draws Alaska so lovingly, in self-loathing darkness as well as energetic light, that readers mourn her loss along with her friends.”

Michael L. Printz Award

Voice of Youth Advocates

5.      CONNECTIONS

*Invite students to write a letter to any of the main characters sharing connections, their favorite parts, or any questions they still have.

*Encourage students to brainstorm what Green meant by “The Great Perhaps”. Ask them to determine whether Pudge found it or not.

*Other books written by John Green:

Green, John. The fault in our stars. ISBN: 9780142424179

Green, John. Turtles all the way down. ISBN: 9780525555377

Green, John. An abundance of Katherines. ISBN: 9780142410707