Looking for Alaska by John Green
Paperback, 256 pages
Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
December 2006
before. Miles "Pudge" Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (Francois Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creak Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.
after. Nothing is ever the same.
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I went into this book expecting a love story, when, in fact that is not what this is. This is more like the story of Pudge's journey to self discovery, in a way. The boarding school is displayed unlike any boarding schools you may see on tv or in other books. They break the students into two groups, "Weekday Warriors" and not. Pranks, alcohol, and smoking are big things in the book. As that all comes more into Pudge's life you see him start to evolve and begin love Alaska.
The book begin and caught my attention slowly then once it had my attention SLAM it lost it again. It is broken into two parts Before and After. Obviously, Before Alaska and After Alaska. However, unless you read the book you won't really get that.
I do have to share one small tidbit that I loved. It was one of their last pranks where the entire Junior class worked together. They were having some guest speakers and the Junior class paid for a male stripper to pretend to be someone else and strip. I can't say anymore on the prank without giving spoilers. I can say however, it would make for an awesomely amazing high school prank.
I can only give this book 3.5 stars because of it losing my attention after it had it.
Thanks for the review, it stinks to go into a book expecting it to be one thing and to learn disappointingly that it's not-though sometimes you get welcome suprises and it turns out better than you thought.
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