Page 37 - Digital Cornice Grade 9

BOOK REVIEW

Looking For Alaska

By: Bardaan Adhikari

Title: Looking For Alaska
Author: John Green

‘Looking for Alaska’ is an absolutely outstanding show of the award winning writer John Green. It
shows the absolute skill and imagination that John Green is capable of. John Green is a very popular
writer but, if “Looking for Alaska” does not remind you of who he is, I'm sure that the book “The

Fault in Our Stars” will ring a bell. “Looking for Alaska” is the “Goodreads Choice Awards Best
Young Adult Fiction” and “Audie Award for Teens” winning book. This book tells us the stressful,
sad yet thrilling life of our main character Miles Halter.
Miles Halter is a teen who is soon moving to a boarding school. While common hobbies of teenagers
include playing games/sports or even things like acting, his was a little different. Miles had the hobby
of reading and remembering the last words of people. His favorite was Francois Rabelais’ last words,''
I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” Just like him, Miles too wanted to find out what his ‘Great Perhaps’
was and where he could find it.

He moves to Alabama to attend the Culver Creek Boarding School and becomes friends with his
roommate Chip Martin or known by his nickname Colonel. He gives Miles a tour of the school and
shows him the rich kids nicknamed ‘The Weekday Warriors.’ The Colonel also introduces Miles to

Alaska. He is mesmerized. In short, it was love at first sight. He discovers that Alaska is trying to find
out how to get out of the ‘labyrinth of suffering’ similar to finding his ‘Great Perhaps.’

As we go deeper into the book, Alaska and Miles get closer. However, a powerful blow is delivered to
the reader when Miles and the Colonel are woken up to Alaska screaming and shouting, saying that

she has forgotten something and she must go out of the campus so she can fix it immediately. In the
heat of the moment, the two ask nothing of each other. They don't offer to drive her anywhere even
though she was drunk, nor do they ask her what was wrong. Hours go by and they do not hear
anything from Alaska when suddenly there is a knock. To their surprise, it was the dean who looked
disheartened. The book takes a turn when the dean calls them and announces something on the stage
that flips over the entire plot.

This book is the literal example of a roller coaster of emotions. Even though the outside and inside of
the book is plain, the book is wonderful in its own aspects. It's simple yet so beautifully written. The
book’s header consists of chapter countdowns, which I found extremely creative.

I don't have a particularly favorite part because the entire book was equally great. The book is well
rounded but in the end, the parts felt a bit rushed. I expected a larger plot and the rushed end did not
satisfy me. Another issue was the fact that the book did not give me the answers to some of my major
concerns. Despite these flaws, I would still say this is my favorite book of all time.

This book was the first I ever read from John Green and it has made me a big fan of his style and
writing. If I were to give this book a rating out of 10, I would definitely give this a 9.8/10.