Looking for Alaska by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book just moved into my top 5 favorite YA books!



I didn't even read any of the reviews or even the inside cover of the book so I had no idea what I was reading. I was on the "quotes" from good reads and came across a couple from John Green (looking for Alaska) and thought they were really funny - so I checked out the book at the library and dove into it yesterday - I'm SO glad I did! WOW!


I was hooked from the first page - I LOVE LOVE LOVE reading books from a teenage GUYS POV - I can remember my high school days - and thinking "What is he thinking??" and yet - I never learned to read "guy" thoughts :)

Miles isn't your typical story book teen age guy - there is nothing fabulous about him, not even a good bod or witty sense of humor to look forward to - no; he's a typical regular Joe. Someone who blends in with everyone else enough that no one really knows he's there.

He decided he wanted to go to a Boarding school to try to get a fresh start, to find his "Great Perhaps"

So on his first day there - we meet "The Colonel" - Colonel has been to school for a few years on a scholarship - he knows his way around, he knows who to be friends with, and who to stay away from - he knows how to get a hold of alcohol and cigarettes. He's a funny guy with a great sense of humor. And he's willing to drag Miles (Pudge) along for the ride, if he swears to the one rule... don't rat out ANYONE.

Next we meet Alaska - Yes that's her name - she actually picked the name herself when she was 7 years old and her parents made it legal :)

Alaska is the most beautiful girl Pudge has ever seen, but she's very moody- One second she's flirty and happy, the next she's going to take your head off, or ignore everything about you. But she knows who her friends are... and The Colonel and Pudge are becoming her best friends...

The book goes along - instead of chapters, it is "days before" Because I hadn't read any of the reviews, I had no idea what the "before" was - I was up until after midnight last night wanting to know what happened on the day - because of the situation, I had thought maybe it was the relationship change between Alaska and Pudge - but OMG!!!! I SO wasn't prepared for THAT!!!!
So I stayed up later .. because there was no way I was going to be able to sleep after THAT!

SLIGHT - spoiler here because I have to talk about it...


I was SHOCKED beyond SHOCKED to find out she died! HOLY COW! Things were just getting good between the 5 friends and everyone seemed happy - even after the Barn Incident when everyone displayed their drunken feelings of "Best Day/Worse Day" But Geez! I was at hoping she would have a diary or something that explained what happened!!




Ok - Spoiler is over - got that off my chest now :)

I REALLY enjoyed this book ... in case you didn't notice :) The sense of humor had me ROFLOL - and yes I got weird looks from my kids about it too - especially the PRANK at the end! LOL - That was CLASSIC!! I have to tell my husband about that when he gets home :)

Anyways - Defiantly a great read - worth the loss of sleep I got when I found out what the "Before" and "after" was - I just couldn't find a good stopping point. But it was worth it :)