From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

Looking for Alaska

John Green

Start date: July 2, 2016

Finish date: July 31, 2016

Discussion: Books of the Month

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What Members Thought

Oct 29, 2020 Avigail rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, audible, physical-book, borrowed

After reading The Fault in Our Stars, I wanted to read other books written by John Green. I found the 10th edition of Looking for Alaska in a bookstore in Greece while vacationing.
I both loved and not-so-much loved Looking for Alaska, and such a wide range of reasons. First off, though, it is a well written and *mostly* creative novel. It draws you in from the beginning and keeps a quick pace that holds onto you. I liked the characters. I liked the message. I liked the story. I didn't love any o ...more

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Dec 07, 2013 Kirsten rated it liked it · review of another edition

I'm of two minds of this book. It was a nicely paced novel with compelling characters and I enjoyed it. The story of the young teen who led a slightly sheltered life but thought there was more to life and was thrown in with a slightly wilder crowd and has a life changing experience is just getting a little old.

I suppose that for young adults, this is a fantasy. But I don't even think it was a fantasy for me when I was a young adult.

Still, I did like the book. ...more

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Feb 03, 2014 Krissy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: book2film, pgs-200-299, buddy-read, cover-color-black, read-before-2015

This book started out great. Then it just plummeted. Once you got to the day the chapters were counting down to that is basically where the book ends for me. The last 40% of the book was very repetitive and boring. By the time I got to 80% I just skimmed my way through the last of it. The Fault in Our Stars blew me away. I was eager for another John Green book but this just did not compare. Not even close. I give it 2.5 stars.

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Apr 28, 2015 Paula rated it liked it

Alaska, Pudge, Takumi and the Colonel are the lovable and exhausting band of misfit friends at Culver Creek boarding school located in Alabama. Pudge, real name Miles is new to the school and immediately falls in love with the unpredictable, selfish, beautiful and extremely self destructive Alaska Young. As the group of friends become closer, Alaska will do something one night that will turn everyone's lives inside out.

I think I was waiting for a huge 'holy shit' moment after everything changed, ...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Gremlin rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, tissue-box

A beautiful little YA with some well-rounded characters that form some pretty great relationships (Colonel and Pudge!). Explores a lot of the BIG questions in a thoughtful way. Also, I don't know how to write this review without spoiling things, so I won't. Ha!

I will say, however, that I tend to read books on the bus to and from work. Normally that isn't an issue, but in this case, at about halfway through the book, I should've stopped with that approach, pulled out a cup of tea, and just stayed ...more

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Aug 06, 2013 Amanda R rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2.5 stars. I wanted to like this more than I did, especially after recently reading and loving The Fault in Our Stars. Granted, it was thoughtfully written as the other was, but I just had a really hard time connecting with the characters.

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