Looking for Alaska

by John Green

book data

5,101 ratings, 4.21 average rating, 1,046 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		47%
4		32%
3		15%
2		3%
1		1%

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published

December 28th 2006 (first published 2005) by Puffin

binding

Paperback, 256 pages

literary awards

2006 Printz Award, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, ALA Quick Pick, LA Times 2005 Book Prize Finalist, NYPL Book for the Teen Age, 2005 Booklist Editor's Choice, 2005 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

isbn

0142402516 (isbn13: 9780142402511)

description

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 wor...more

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04/26/08

Kris rated it:

bookshelves: bookblog

I've been getting in touch with my inner Young Adult this week, in preparation for yet another final rewrite on my own YA book. This has, for the most part, amounted to listening to Death Cab for Cutie and reading Looking for Alaska - a book that I have been actively avoiding. The story of this is long and somewhat personal, so feel free to skip this part if you just want to know if the book is good.

I first heard of Looking for Alaska in my thesis workshop, when a girl very snidely t...more I've been getting in touch with my inner Young Adult this week, in preparation for yet another final rewrite on my own YA book. This has, for the most part, amounted to listening to Death Cab for Cutie and reading Looking for Alaska - a book that I have been actively avoiding. The story of this is long and somewhat personal, so feel free to skip this part if you just want to know if the book is good.

I first heard of Looking for Alaska in my thesis workshop, when a girl very snidely told me I'd have to take out part of my own book because it sounded very similar to this book she'd heard about on NPR, which had not even come yet out at that point. Stubbornly I refused to cut the section (and even read it at my thesis reading) and when Alaska finally did come out, I flipped through just enough of it to decide my book was way better and then abandoned it. Sadly, Alaska has dogged me ever since. Agents and editors alike have told me that my book is too similar to it - which is apparently not a good thing - despite Alaska having won a number of awards and such. Anyway, sour grapes aside, I decided that if the comparisons are inevitable, I might as well know what I'm being held up against.

So what do the young adults of this world really want? Sex, apparently. And a stiff drink or twelve.

Looking for Alaska is about normal, skinny Miles Halter, quickly nicknamed Pudge, who gets into Culver Creek Boarding School and leaves in search of something more interesting. His quirky personality trait is that he memorizes the famous last words of various historical figures - a party trick that he uses to successfully get in with his roommate, who goes by "the Colonel" and the smoky little sexpot down the hall, Alaska Young. Wait, you might be saying, what's with all these funny nicknames? Well, Alaska turns out to be nearly the only name in the book that isn't a nickname - though we do find out that her parents decided to let her name herself at the age of 5. Even the Dean is referred to as The Eagle by the Culver Creekians. Try as I might I can't recall a lot of excessive nicknaming in my youth. I suppose there were a few guys I knew who pretty much went by their last names, when there were too many Adams or Brians in the bunch. I had one friend who referred to himself as the Emperor... but we didn't really call him that on a daily basis. Anyway, I digress.

The story is split into two parts - Before & After - and I won't give away the event that divides the two. All I will say is that the structure and the subject matter reminded me immensely of The Secret History by Donna Tartt (which incidentally was my main inspiration as well...) But just as I felt that the second half of History sags, Alaska does too. It's hard to talk about why without spoiling the twist, so I'll focus my energy on the Before section, which will give you the gist.

As I said earlier, Pudge loves Famous Last Words, (this is actually the facet that the snarky workshop girl told me was too close to my own book) and I expected to hate this quirk - but in fact it grew on me. The whole book grew on me - the romantic tension between him and Alaska is perfect, and there are an awful lot of incredibly poignant moments as Pudge grows accustomed to the school and it's strange rules and rhythms. Ultimately the book becomes a youthful meditation on life and death, which made me realize part of the joy of YA writing - just as in the Death Cab songs, the emotions can be laid much barer than in more serious literary works where things always seem to have to stay sort of ambiguous and sophisticated. Teenagers are supposed to be a little melodramatic, and that's sort of the joy of it. Badly done, you get Gossip Girl style antics, a lot of who-cheated-on-whom-with-whomever-else. But rightly done, you get something like the better parts of Looking for Alaska.

So what's leftover? A lot of ridiculous stuff. The Colonel and Alaska are more or less perpetually drunk (she buries wine bottles in the woods) and there's a good deal of cigarette smoking going on as well - for which they are occasionally punished. Fellatio is simulated on a tube of toothpaste (then performed in real life). Alaska's big hunky boyfriend from another school comes by frequently and everyone talks racily about how much sex they seem to have and just how much Alaska loves it. Worse than anything, when the characters are good and drunk (which is often) they will break out in absurd, spontaneous, freestyle rapping. In between all the genuine, poignant moments of the book, are a million moments where they're all so jaded and edgy and wacky you almost wish you could reach in and smack all their heads together. Maybe that's just me.

A friend of mine who actually went to boarding school observed to me the other day that none of the boarding school books she's ever read (including Alaska, which she did not like) give any realistic idea of the sheer volume of WORK that needs to be done. There's essentially no time leftover to get up to any trouble, she said. At any rate, Culver seems to be a somewhat less romanticised boarding school than the Exeters and Andovers of the world. It's in Alabama for one thing. Most of the rich kids head home on the weekends (leaving only our protagonists to get up to trouble). There's very little sense that any of them feel pressure to do well or accomplish anything extraordinary in life. The overriding question of the book is how one can escape the constant sufferings of life - not suffering like having to work hard or being humiliated or anything - think more like a teenager - it is the suffering of unrequited love, parents that just don't get it, the fear of getting expelled for one's various illicit pleasures, the embarrassment of puking on a girl... etc. Ultimately the book hinges on a more deeply serious moment - the sort that makes this philosophical question really important for them, and puts their previous, childish problems in perspective. However, as I said earlier, this moment comes halfway through, making the final half of the book one very tedious denouement.

Ultimately, the good in this book will stick in my mind far more than the bad. The character's absurdities and the shaky structure are both quickly forgotten upon putting the book down. I'm genuinely glad that I read it, and not only because now I have a better idea of what to avoid with my own book. Alaska is a great character, when she's not a little bit over the top. And maybe that's just what being a teenager is all about.

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07/23/08

Jessica rated it:

Read in August, 2008

Looking for Alaska, by John Green, was the winner of the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award.

“I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” - Last words of Francois Rabelais

“How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!” - Last words of Simon Bolivar

Miles Halter, a sixteen year old with a passion for last words, has decided to leave his high school and home to find his Great Perhaps at a boarding school in Alabama. Upon arriving, he falls in with “the Colonel,” his room...more Looking for Alaska, by John Green, was the winner of the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award.

“I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” - Last words of Francois Rabelais

“How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!” - Last words of Simon Bolivar

Miles Halter, a sixteen year old with a passion for last words, has decided to leave his high school and home to find his Great Perhaps at a boarding school in Alabama. Upon arriving, he falls in with “the Colonel,” his roommate, Takumi, Lara, and Alaska. The group is an interesting blend of rebellious and studious, and it centers compulsively around Alaska, the epitomy of the desirable, untouchable high school girl of myth and fantasy. The characters flirt, plan pranks, and cram for finals in a very ordinary teenage fashion. However, the book is divided into two sections: before and after. The first heading is “one hundred thirty six days before,” so you know that the book is building up to a Great Something.

Green deals with teens in a realistic and important way. The characters are well-developed, and their actions and decisions come across as genuine. Definitely flawed, the characters are still very human and forgiveable. The sprinkling of famous last words and religious philosophy enhance the plot with precise dosages, rather than distract. Miles is a reliable and likeable narrator. I can see why this won the Printz Award and would recommend it to young adults and adults alike.

I think Miles found his Great Perhaps within himself. He had the courage to go to the boarding school in the first place; the courage to make new friends and love Alaska; and the courage to face difficulties and commit to relationships. I don’t think that the Great Perhaps is a destination but a journey. Perhaps teenagers passing through the trials of teenagehood to find who they are as adults constitutes a search for that Great Perhaps. Miles, by the end of the book, has matured and found his way to the other side of that particular perhaps, ready for bigger challenges and unknowns. Alaska, on the other hand, didn’t find her bildungsroman Great Perhaps, but rather chose to seek out a different path, in search of a different unknown - a way out of the labyrinth.(less)

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03/29/08

Anna rated it:

bookshelves: books-for-boys, fiction, would-recommend, young-adult

Read in April, 2008

recommended to Anna by: my sister
recommends it for: everyone

I decided to read Looking For Alaska mostly because I wanted to know what all the hype was about... I heard so much about young author John Green and how great his first prize-winning young adult novel was. Well, now I understand why so many people are excited about this beautifully written book.

This was one of the most descriptive stories I've read in a while in the sense that the author described a lot of details without ever being "boring." He talked about events, emot...more I decided to read Looking For Alaska mostly because I wanted to know what all the hype was about... I heard so much about young author John Green and how great his first prize-winning young adult novel was. Well, now I understand why so many people are excited about this beautifully written book.

This was one of the most descriptive stories I've read in a while in the sense that the author described a lot of details without ever being "boring." He talked about events, emotions, thoughts, feelings, and everything just flowed so very smoothly. I never once came across a sentence that felt forced or unnatural, or too detailed or not detailed enough. Even when Green described something over several pages, it was always interesting and I found myself not skipping over anything, which is extremely rare for me. I am a fast reader and a good reader and, as a result, tend to skip over stuff I don't find that interesting. But I read every single word in Looking For Alaska.

John Green totally nailed voice in this book. I believe this novel was semi-autobiographical and I'm sure that helped but he was 100% successful in getting across the personality of Miles "Pudge" Halter, the narrator. I really felt like I knew the character and could totally understand what he was going through in the book.

I don't want to give too much away but the book deals with two totally different levels of conflict: typical coming-of-age issues and some not-so-typical problems like teen suicide (and depression). The suicide of Alaska Young serves as a defining moment in the book, when the Miles' question of "how do I get Alaska to love me?" instead becomes "how/why did Alaska die?" I think the shift in focus from the selfish to selfless was so thought-provoking yet so natural and conclusive yet inconclusive at the same time.

The book is a great read and I recommend it for almost anyone middle grades and above. I think everyone that reads it will appreciate the good writing and the deeper, thought-provoking questions that Green asks and sort of answers, to the best of his abilities. (less)

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06/12/07

Brooke rated it:

(review of isbn 0525475060)

Read in September, 2006

recommends it for: Mostly

*SPOILER ALERT* This review contains plot information that some people feel gives away too much of the book. To me, the story isn't about the event occurring as much as it is about how it is dealt with among the characters - it's not the "surprise ending" I'm giving away. Don't read this review if you don't want to know anything about what happens in the book, event wise. A warning seemed fair.

Alaska Young, though the aching reincarnate of every High Scho...more
*SPOILER ALERT* This review contains plot information that some people feel gives away too much of the book. To me, the story isn't about the event occurring as much as it is about how it is dealt with among the characters - it's not the "surprise ending" I'm giving away. Don't read this review if you don't want to know anything about what happens in the book, event wise. A warning seemed fair.

Alaska Young, though the aching reincarnate of every High School boy's wildest dreams, is surprisingly likable and missable when she commits suicide halfway through John Green's "Looking for Alaska." But maybe it was just an accident. That is what her surviving best friends, Pudge and the Colonel, want to find out. Pudge is actually the book's main character; however, It is Alaska's presence and her subsequent absence that preside over this book. Pudge is a gawky teenager obsessed with famous last words who goes to find his "great perhaps" just like Rebalais cried out on his deathbed. Pudge's "great beyond" turns out to be a boarding school in the south where he meets a group of brilliant rule breakers and drinkers. Pudge immediately becomes obsessed with Alaska, the licentious superstar of the group. Alaska already has a boyfriend and though at times seems interested, Pudge never quite understands what he meant to her. But don't mistake this for another romp through teenage angst and authority bashing. The book takes a turn towards the introspective, philisophical implications of death - and suicide in particular. Alaska's biggest life question was "How do I get out of this labyrinth". As Pudge and the Colonel come to understand the Labyrinth as life's neverending, never answer yeilding puzzle, they come to better understand Alaska. But more importantly for me, they come to the realization that even though the "labyrinth sucks," as Pudge puts it, " I choose the labyrinth." Living is hard, and surviving it is what makes us great. This book is witty, entertaining, thought provoking, and profoundly touching. (less)

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02/08/08

Caryn rated it:

bookshelves: all-timefavorites, youngreaderandteen

Read in February, 2008

Oh. My. Goodness.

Let's have a chat about Looking for Alaska, yes?

I discovered this book on a video blog in which the author was attempting to explain why parents were trying to censor his book in public schools without actually reading because "you don't need to have cancer to diagnose cancer."

And then I found his video blog with his younger brother and decided that I should read his book to see if his writing sounds anything like his vlogging.
...more

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10/27/08

Staci rated it:

bookshelves: ya, ya-to-read

Read in December, 2008

recommended to Staci by: Audrey
recommends it for: young people and older people alike

O.K. I think that this must be the best book I've read this year! This one has been on my list for over a year and I finally checked it out to see what all the fuss was about. First off, let me explain about the fuss. The media specialist that I worked with purchased this book for the middle school library. The library lady (at-the-time) was fanning through the book, when the words "blow-job" jumped off the page and slapped her in the face! From there it just spiraled out-of-control an...more

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9 comments

06/13/08

Casey rated it:

bookshelves: 2008, children-or-young-adult

Before:
I bought this for my class forever ago, but I haven't had the chance to read it because I have a group of girls who devour my Printz winners. Anyway, they wouldn't let me have it. I threated, I cajoled, I pleaded. They wouldn't budge. They all finally finished it, though, so it's going to be my first book of the summer.

Oh, and by the way, I've become mildly obsessed with the author. John Green claims to be a nerd, but he's clearly very cool. And he thinks The Foun...more Before:
I bought this for my class forever ago, but I haven't had the chance to read it because I have a group of girls who devour my Printz winners. Anyway, they wouldn't let me have it. I threated, I cajoled, I pleaded. They wouldn't budge. They all finally finished it, though, so it's going to be my first book of the summer.

Oh, and by the way, I've become mildly obsessed with the author. John Green claims to be a nerd, but he's clearly very cool. And he thinks The Fountainhead is a failure of a book, which makes him a-okay in my book. Emily, I think you'd enjoy his blog: www.sparksflyup.com.

After:
I enjoyed this book a whole bunch. I loved the Colonel, and Pudge, the narrator, was wonderful. There's a blurb on the book that says something like, "The spirit of Holden Caulfield lives on," but I don't think this is exactly right, as Holden Caulfield was full of shit and Pudge delivered pretty straightforward narration. I will say I had one complaint: I didn't find Alaska all that alluring. In fact, I thought she was a major pain. I think John Green did a decent job of admitting that Alaska was in fact a pain, but I think he also wanted readers to see what Pudge saw in her. I just didn't.

I am also, by the way, now a little concerned that I should not offer this book to my middle schoolers. It's a little racy. It has a blow job scene. And while I happen to love blow job scenes in general and though I certainly don't think my middle schoolers are naive, I'm a little afraid it will lead to angry parents. I try to avoid angry parents when I can. I am considering a permission slip that says something like, "Please be advised that your child wants to read this book, and it has a blow job scene." Or maybe simply "some mature content." Yeah, mature content. That way, I can cover my ass. Covering my ass is key. Also key, though, is getting kids to see that the majority of literature is actually about sex, which makes them want to read. So, I guess the book stays.(less)

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07/11/07

Carrie rated it:

bookshelves: youngadult

Read in January, 2006

In Looking For Alaska, John Green tells the story of Miles, a smart, skinny teen who decides to go to the same boarding school his father attended in the hopes of finding a different life. The reader gets a glimpse of what Miles’ home life is like at the beginning of the novel when his mother throws a going-away party for him, and only two people show up. Once at boarding school, Miles quickly befriends his roommate, nicknamed The Colonel. The Colonel introduces him to the rest of his inner ci...more

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01/29/08

Sam rated it:

bookshelves: childrens-ya, she-has-eggs

recommended to Sam by: meg
recommends it for: Corinne bell, everyone

I might adjust my 5 star rating to four after a little time has passed, but at the moment, only minutes after finishing the book, I am still feeling deeply satisfied. This is what it is to be a teenager. These are the questions you deal with. No matter how distant or similar your high school experience is or was to that of the main character's Alabama boarding prep school, the characters and their experiences are real and relevant. And heartbreaking as this is - as heartbreaking as being a teen ...more

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04/08/09

Michael rated it:

(review of isbn 1423324455)

bookshelves: audio-book, read-in-2009

Read in April, 2009

Miles Halter is a young man who is fascinated by the last words of people. He's read a ton of biographies about various personalities from history and collects their final words.

Miles decides to attend a boarding school in Alabama, where he meets his new roommate, the Colonel and the mysterious, quirky girl Alaska. Miles falls instantly head over heels for Alaska, though she does have a boyfriend who attends another school. The two have a vibe and a flirty banter than dominates th...more

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02/13/08

♥ Brigid ♥ rated it:

bookshelves: books-that-stink, books-with-stupid-endings, depressing-books

I enjoyed the first half of this book. But once it reaches the unnecessary tragedy in the middle, the whole thing goes downhill, basically turning into a soap opera. The second half of it was simply painful to read. Also, the main character wasn't interesting enough. I didn't feel saddened by this novel--only bored.

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11/14/07

Laura rated it:

bookshelves: 2007-08

Read in November, 2007

I first picked up Looking for Alaska because I liked the cover but also because the author, John Green, sounded interesting. When I first started reading the book and began following the typical storyline of a loser kid going to boarding school, I was disappointed. However, once I got into it I couldn't put the book down. The characters were somewhat stereotypical, but also had unique personality quirks that made them fun to read about. For example, the narrator Miles' hobby is memorizi...more

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04/02/08

CJ rated it:

bookshelves: booksiown, readin2008

Read in July, 2008

recommended to CJ by: Elisa Munoz, Jim Naftel
recommends it for: everyone (except maybe my mom)

The only reason I didn’t cry—both in laughter and in sorrow—was because I finished the book in a food court. And I'm in a fairly happy-go-lucky state of mind these days. Were I anything less, I think I would be shattered on the floor (in the best possible way).

I was skeptical when friends claimed Alaska was even better than Abundance. But friends were right. I wish my five star rating had the power to express just how much I loved this book.

--Read again April 17, 2...more

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03/11/09

Leslie rated it:

bookshelves: fiction, providence-public-library, read-in-2009, ya-

This is a decent book. I pretty much devoured it despite a big qualm. Perhaps it's sour grapes but why perpetuate the age-old idea that hot teen girls who are emotionally tore up = glittery/alluring? What about girls with tore-up physiques AND tore-up emotions? Oh, silly me. They’re repugnant.

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08/07/07

Tortla rated it:

bookshelves: everybody-should-own, must-own

Read in August, 2007

John Green, you are awesome. I feel like I should have seen the end (or rather the middle) coming...Especially because of the whole structure and the foreshadowing. But I didn't. And even when I kind of did I went into denial about it because I liked the story so much and didn't want...that thing...to happen. Oh, avoiding spoilers is so hard. Oh, John Green is so awesome.

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02/05/09

Tricia rated it:

Did not finish.

This book was just too much--too much smoking, drinking, sex, and foul language. As a teenager, I hated it then and I don't want to rehash it now. I didn't care about any of the characters except Miles and I hated how he just went along with everything thrown in his path without a second thought--the smoking, drinking, porn, etc.

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02/17/09

Heather Kemp rated it:

bookshelves: ya-reads

Read in October, 2008

I read this book in about one day, which isn't necessarily the most reliable indicator of a book's pull on my sensibilities because I can fly through chick-lit and vapid YA books in a matter of hours, but it does serve as an independent variable in my evaluation of my impressions of this novel. (Note the descriptive use of the word "novel" to describe this story and the throw-away term of "book" used to describe the vapid stories referenced earlier in that sentence... you're ...more I read this book in about one day, which isn't necessarily the most reliable indicator of a book's pull on my sensibilities because I can fly through chick-lit and vapid YA books in a matter of hours, but it does serve as an independent variable in my evaluation of my impressions of this novel. (Note the descriptive use of the word "novel" to describe this story and the throw-away term of "book" used to describe the vapid stories referenced earlier in that sentence... you're starting to get where I'm going, eh?)

As predicted by all of the rave reviews and Printz awards that have been lauded on John Green, he does have a way with words and characters are putty in his hands. You feel like you love Pudge, the Colonel, Lara, and Takumi (not just Alaska). I probably loved Lara and Takumi more than any other characters in the novel because they were entirely relateable--never too much of a charicature (which can be done with ethnic characters in a Southern setting) and avoided some of the pitfalls that come from characters we become too familiar with (such as Pudge and the Colonel).

I liked the story, it was captivating to a good degree, I liked the writing style, and I liked the message the book provided--I'm such a sucker for a message. The only thing I didn't like (hence the A, rather than A+) was some of the content of the novel. Wait, before you consider me someone who is fond of censorship, just hear me out.

I thought this novel was phenomenal and totally something that should be read by those in the target audience. However, being a (relatively) mature adult, I can see how some adults would shy away from some of the content of this novel. Granted, I'm pretty understanding when it comes to blow jobs for the sake of art (how can someone watch the current "90210" re-make and not be willing to see high school students going down on one another on school property?). I'm also not too naive to know that many high school students drink, smoke, cut class, are disrespectful of authority, etc. On the other hand, what I'm also not too narrow-minded to know is that there are plenty of people who had a high school experience sans sex, alcohol, and drugs, and still found meaningful and valuable lessons in their life. I fall into the category of the "squeaky clean" who avoided typical (prosaic) high school traps, and still learned a lot through my experiences about how to transition to adult-hood, stumbling through but learning to navigate the social cliques, breaking down judgemental attitudes, and developing a self-view that disregards others' prejudices. Call me crazy, but is it not possible to write a phenomenally good book that is going to change the lives of young people (which I think Looking for Alaska is poised to do) without including content that will get it banned or censored from public school curriculum? I'm not an advocate of banning books, but I know it's an unfortunate element of our society, and am saddened that Green had to include the content that is going to keep his book out of many kids' hands because it won't be integrated into curriculum.

Looking for Alaska is exactly the type of book that many teens need to read, but it won't be accessible to the masses; rather, it will likely be read by teens who are already aware of this message--the undeniably awesome teens who have a cult following of John and Hank Green (the nerd fighters). This book, although awesome, comes across as preaching to the choir. If this book were only slightly altered (without compromising artistic integrity) this book could rock a generation. Instead, it's going to rock a subset of a generation that were already poised to be amazing teens transition to an amazing adult-hood... those teens who love to read and understand the lessons that are out there is similiar novels (Farenheit 451, Catcher in the Rye, 1984, Brave New World, Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, The Chocolate War, The Perks of Being a Wallflower... this list could probably go on forever). (less)

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02/07/09

Rebecca rated it:

bookshelves: fiction, young-adult

Read in March, 2009

Even when I was in high school, I was extremely annoyed with how some teens acted like their mission in life was to simply smoke, drink and get it on. That being said, I liked the book only at times. I felt most of the characters in this novel to be shallow and boring. Why parents send their children to boarding school will never make sense to me. For parents who actually would prefer that their teens read uplifting fiction, then this book isn't the one. The swearing and sex in this book wa...more

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03/05/09

Heather rated it:

bookshelves: read-in-2009

Read in March, 2009

This book had been living in my TBR stack for ages and out of sheer boredom, I finally picked it up and began reading. Now that I have, I kind of feel bad that I waited to so long to do so. The book was quirky and completely hilarious at moments, although those moments tended to be completely ridiculous and over the top, but I have a weird sense of humor, so what can ya do? I don't remember being nearly as witty as these teenage characters when I was 16, nor do I recall pondering any serious ...more

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02/15/09

Jill rated it:

(review of isbn 014241221X)

bookshelves: 2009-reads

Read in January, 2009

This is my first book for the Dewey's Books Reading Challenge, and it was totally awesome (do I sound like I'm reverting to teenager-hood? I don't mean to.). So awesome, in fact, that I ran out and bought John Green's other books. And I can't wait to read them.

Technically, this is a YA book. But other than the fact that it's about teenagers, it doesn't read like a YA book. Actually, I'm not really sure why I said that, since most YA books these days don't read like the stereotypical ...more This is my first book for the Dewey's Books Reading Challenge, and it was totally awesome (do I sound like I'm reverting to teenager-hood? I don't mean to.). So awesome, in fact, that I ran out and bought John Green's other books. And I can't wait to read them.

Technically, this is a YA book. But other than the fact that it's about teenagers, it doesn't read like a YA book. Actually, I'm not really sure why I said that, since most YA books these days don't read like the stereotypical YA book. Not that I'm trying to stereotype them.

Looking for Alaska is about a group of friends at a boarding school. Pudge (his real name is Miles) is our protagonist, and this is his first year at Culver Creek. The Colonel (his real name is Chip) is Pudge's roommate. He introduces him to cigarettes and Alaska. Alaska (and her real name is Alaska) is a sexy, experienced girl with a reputation for pranks. She also has a roomful of books:

"I call it my Life's Library. Every summer since I was little, I've gone to garage sales and bought all the books that looked interesting. So I always have something to read. But there is so much to do: cigarettes to smoke, sex to have, swings to swing on. I'll have more time for reading when I'm old and boring."
The novel starts of with a Before section. It is 136 days before. Before what we don't know, until a little more than halfway through the book, when it's After. And I can't tell you anything else about the book, because that would totally spoil it.

Well, I can tell you that it's a Printz Award winner, if you like that sort of thing. And that this is way more than just a story about life at boarding school. I especially loved the character of Dr. Hyde ("I have a first name, of course. So far as you are concerned, it is Doctor.") and his religion class.

Anyhoosie, this is one of those books that you have to have faith in. Or you have to have faith in me. Because I highly recommend it, and it is totally worth reading without knowing anything about it. Like totally. And I swear that's the last time I'll say totally tonight.(less)

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"What is an "instant" death anyway? How long is an instant? Is it one second? Ten? The pain of those seconds must have been awful as her heart burst and her lungs collapsed and there was no air and no blood to her brain and only raw panic. What the hell is instant? Nothing is instant. Instant rice takes five minutes, instant pudding an hour. I doubt that an instant of blinding pain feels particularly instantaneous." More quotes...