Question: Looking for Alaska

[Derek]

I really enjoyed Paper Towns and was thinking about reading Looking for Alaska because John Green's writing was fantastic.

Question: Was this book depressing pretty much the whole way through or was there funny stuff, some suspense, etc. I'm trying to understand the pace and tenor of the book before possibly getting it.

It gets such great reviews from everyone but then everyone says how depressing it is. I can deal with some depressing stuff happening in the book, but I don't like it when pretty much the whole book is depressing stuff.

Example: I did NOT like Catcher in the Rye

[Tatiana]

DD,

I think Looking for Alaska is even more depressing than Paper Towns. There was some fun stuff in the beginning primarily, then about 2/3 into it, it gets very-very sad.

"An Abundance of Katherines" is a much lighter Green's book, but IMO it's not as good as his other 2.

Hope it helps.

[Anna]

Personally I liked Katherines the best of his books as it has a nice balance of teens and also some adults that were role models.

I liked Looking for Alaska better than Paper Towns, but it is sad, but thought provoking. I think it really touched upon the long term impact of grief.

[Misty]

I just finished this yesterday. Yes, it is most definitely sad, but it is brilliant. It hurts, but there's some great funny, and some really great "thinking moments" that make you say wow.

[Neha]

I liked Paper Towns better, but that just might be because I read it first and was slightly biased.

[Anna]

Looking for Alaska was a really good book but I do agree it was sort of depressing. Also there were some really awkward (but kind of funny) teenage almost sex scenes in the book.

Anna wrote: "Personally I liked Katherines the best of his books as it has a nice balance of teens and also some adults that were role models.

I liked Looking for Alaska better than Paper Towns, but it is sa..."

I also agree with Anna. An Abundance of Katherines was a really good book that was well written and had a lot of interesting facts and characters in it. So far my favorite John Green book is An Abundance of Katherines but Looking For Alaska is also a very good and touching book to read.

[Heather]

Looking for Alaska was my first Green book and by far my favorite. The other two seem ripped off from his winning formula. Alaska was brilliant and I thought Green made a lot of great points about life, love and religion.

[Rachel]

Abundance of Katherines was my first Green book and I loved it. I am currently reading Looking for Alaska and like it, but yes there are some very sad points in it.

[Jenny]

Looking for Alaska is sad, but it is also really, really funny. You will laugh and then cry and then laugh again. It will also make you think about how guilt weighs on a person, dealing with grief, longing for answers to questions that can never be answered. It's such a great book.

I also liked An Abundance of Katherines, which is pretty funny, but it's a much lighter read than Looking for Alaska and it doesn't move you and make an impact or leave you feeling things like Looking for Alaska does.

[Hannah]

I must worn anyone who dares bashing John Green or his book Looking for Alaska, I will not talk you you in a happy, loving tone!
Looking for Alaska is my favorite John Green book to date, and sometimes I ask myself, "How will we ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?"
And I remember:
Straight and fast.

[[deleted user]]

I liked all of John Green's books so far with Abundance of Katherine's actually being my favorite. I remember reading it and thinking John Green's IQ must be really high to be able to write this book..and I love the formula at the end.

I finished reading Will Grayson Will Grayson which is one of his newer books and found myself enjoying it as well. Lots of humor but with a deep message intertwined.

[Miss Bookiverse]

Hannah, I'm with you, no bashing this fabulous author :D

Brenda, did you think JGs IQ is high because of the whole formula thing? Because he actually had help from a friend with that :) Nevertheless I do not doubt his high IQ or at least his brilliance.

I enjoyed Will Grayson, WG, too but it wasn't as hilarious and satisfying as his other books. Maybe because David Levithan (another amazing author) co-wrote it and he's more into deep and poetic topics, not always laugh-out-loud-funny.

[Lani]

I too love John Green and have actually had the pleasure of meeting him twice.

Has anyone read Let It Snow? It's three intertwined stories by Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. I really enjoyed it.

[Miss Bookiverse]

I haven't read Let It Snow yet but it's on my list and I hope to get around to it this year ;)

[Tara]

I loved both Paper Towns and Looking for Alaska for different reasons, but also because they both were witty. John Green has a gift for writing about heavy topics, but intermingling humor so that he doesn't take away from the topics seriousness while allowing the book to stay entertaining and not too depressing. I would definitely recommend Looking for Alaska, one of my favorite YA books.

[[deleted user]]

To Infinite Playlist: it wasn't just the formula but with how he portrayed his characters in Abundance of Katherines. The level of humor shown throughout the book just reminded me of someone who must have a very high intelligent mind to not only get the jokes but to come up with them to begin with. I enjoyed the footnotes almost as much as the main story.

[Lani]

If you like John, he and his brother Hank have their own channel on youtube. It's called the vlog brothers.

I agree Brenda. He's very witty and intelligent. His characters always remind me of people I went to high school with and Paper Towns was the first book that actually made me laugh out loud!

[Julie]

I liked An Abundance of Katherines but really disliked Looking for Alaska.

[Miss Bookiverse]

Why did you dislike Looking For Alaska? I thought it was just as great.

[Julie]

SPOILERS!!!

Infinite Playlist,

I disliked Looking for Alaska because honestly, I had my expectations too high. I had loved An Abundance of Katherines, so I was excited to read Looking for Alaska. Then it was just a major letdown. Awkward guy who goes to a bizarre boarding school where he meets an odd girl who he absolutely loves. I did not understand what was so great about Alaska, but he over-idolized her, which was annoying. I was constantly told how great that Alaska was, but he never said why.

Then, the random adult content was awkward for me to read. I don't mind the cursing as much because I can just skim over that. But what really annoyed me was the random sexual acts that he and that foreign exchange student have. If he really cared for Alaska, then what was that about?

[Anna]

I just got Will Grayson, Will Grayson--any comparison to Looking for Alaska?

[Miss Bookiverse]

Nope, I'd say it's pretty different, probably because it was only 50% written by John Green. It's still a great book though. Both of them :)

[[deleted user]]

I love John Green's books but I just couldn't finish Will Grayson, Will Grayson both times I tried. I hate to sound like an old stooge but the language was way too much for me and actually turned me off.

[Lani]

@Brenda-I'm sorry to hear you didn't like WG,WG. It's one of my favorite John Green Books!

[Claire]

I loved Paper Towns! And I'm follow the vlogbrothers with a passion, so I love John Green too. I haven't read Looking For Alaska yet though. I'm not sure if I should, because some people say its pretty much the same as Paper Towns.

[[deleted user]]

Claire.....I would agree with what people are saying....however, if you liked Paper Towns, you will really like Looking for Alaska.

To say the books are the same is like saying all of Janet Evanovich's books are the same, or all of John Grisham's....or Stephen King.....or Caroline B. Cooney....or Nixon.

They have the same style but different situations and characters.

[Claire]

True, but I've heard many mixed opinions about this book and that Miles is basically Q and Alaska is basically Margo. But then again I'm quite sure I'd love this book, so I think I'm going to pick it up :)

[Anna]

I read Will Grayson Will Grayson--definitely not at all like Looking for Alaska. I enjoyed it (Katherine is still my fav); however, I kept having Glee flashbacks. Anyone else have that experience?

[Tarryn]

I didn't think about it when I read the book, but looking back, it does remind me some of Glee.

[Alyssa]

I really didn't like An Abundance of Katherines so I'm not planning on reading this one.

[Claire]

I just read Looking For Alaska. It was actually really good. It's really thought provoking.

[Tarryn]

I thought it was amazing. That last line is one of my favorites.

[Julia]

I finished Looking for Alaska last night. I've read An Abundance of Katherines. Haven't yet read Paper Towns. I'm looking forward to Will Grayson Will Grayson because I also love David Levithan's novels.

[Anna]

I am getting read to readBoy Meets Boy. I am interested to see the comparison to Will Grayson Will Grayson.

My 14 year old has read The Katherines and has Paper Towns; Looking for Alaska, and Will Grayson Will Grayson.

She was asking for a recommendation on order of those three--any advise?

[Patricia]

Anna wrote: "I am getting read to readBoy Meets Boy. I am interested to see the comparison to Will Grayson Will Grayson.

My 14 year old has read The Katherines and has Paper Towns; Looking for Ala..."

I'd read Looking for Alaska yourself before you let your kid read it,but that's just me. It's kinda sexual, and deals with heavy issues..some kids are more immature than others, though.

[Mila]

Looking for Alaska is my favorite book of John Green's. I've also read Paper Towns. Does anyone know or think Abundance of Katherines or Will Grayson, Will Grayson is better? Should I give them a try?

[Miss Bookiverse]

If you like John Green's style you should give his other books a chance as well, Mimi. I think Looking For Alaska was my favourite, but Abundance Of Katherines is very close up.
Will Grayson Will Grayson wasn't that great but still very good, also David Levithan's writing in it was really enjoyable.

[Claire]

I enjoyed Will Grayson, Will Grayson but it definitely wasn't John Green or David Levithan's best. It took me a while to get into An Abundance of Katherines, but I eventually loved it :) Not as much as Paper Towns or Looking For Alaska though....

[[deleted user]]

Hi!
I absolutely LOVED this book.
There were a few sad parts, but it definitely wasn't sad all the way through. It was a pretty funny, well-written book. You should definitely read it!

-Sam :)

[Daniela]

I really loved Looking for Alaska. I don't think it was that sad... it was a great story.

[NJ]

Looking for Alaska is everything.

Sure, a big part of it is sad (I wouldn't say depressing) but the ending offers a good resolution. I'd say it is a very satisfying read and you should not hesitate about reading it. It's really great, considering it's John Green's first.