Looking for Alaska is John Green's first novel, published by Dutton Juvenile in March 2005 in America. It’s a young adult novel.
Summary
Since Miles Halter has had enough of his lonely life and boring school in Florida, he decides to attend Culver Creek boarding school in Alabama. At his new school, he makes a couple of friends: Chip Martin, Takumi Hikohito, and Alaska Young. There grows a strong bond between them and they even involve him in mischief-making like smoking, drinking, and skipping classes.
As time passes by, Miles falls in love with Alaska, even though he knows she has a boyfriend in college. He also continues to take part in the shenanigans such as pulling an epic prank on “the Eagle”, a strict man who enforces the rules on
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Miles couldn’t ask for more, but then Alaska gets a phone call from her boyfriend, reminding her it’s their eight-month anniversary. This results in Alaska freaking out and leaving campus in her car.
The next morning the world stops when Miles hears the news that Alaska has died in a car crash. He and Chip are consumed with guilt and sadness, but also with questions: How did Alaska die? Did she commit suicide?
They search for the answers by doing everything in their power, but they have to give up on unravelling the mystery of Alaska nevertheless; they have to focus on their studies. The teacher of religious studies assigns Miles a final exam essay with the question of how each student gets out of their own labyrinth of suffering. While answering the question, he writes himself out of his own labyrinth of suffering about Alaska.
Personal appreciation
The main reason why the novel spoke to me is the characters, which is odd since it’s normally the biggest problem I face; I find it difficult to relate to the main character, as their choices and actions differ so much from what I would do. Moreover, since they aren’t afraid of anything and consequently always speak their mind, they seem implausible. Luckily, the protagonist of this book is
After April and Roger search desperately for Cheryl, they look for several weeks, and have no idea where she has gone. One night Cheryl’s friend Nancy calls April, and explains that she was leaving with her, but she had left suddenly and believes she is going to do something bad. April remembers that Cheryl told her how their mother committed suicide, by jumping off the Louis Bridge. When they arrive at the bridge a group of people say they saw a women jumped off and commit suicide about five minutes before they arrived.
Once he get’s there he makes friends with his roommate the Colonel and his group of friends Takumi, Lara, and Alaska who all end up nicknaming him “Pudge”. They also introduce him to cigarettes, alcohol, and pulling pranks on the teachers and the weekday warriors. Even though Alaska has a boyfriend Miles falls for her and her mysterious, beautiful character. One night, Alaska, Miles, and the Colonel were all drinking and Alaska starts freaking out because she forgot about the anniversary of her mother's death which she would always go and visit her grave. She didn’t explain to Miles or the Colonel about why she needed to leave, but they helped her Alaska’s death is foreshadowed quite a bit in the book.
The novel is told from the perspective of Miles Halter (known in the story as Pudge) as he seeks his great adventure in an out-of-state boarding school. He finds it in Alaska Young, a headstrong, impulsive, messed-up girl who is best friends with his roommate. She has a history of a bad relationship with her father, cheating on her boyfriends, and she is often drinking alcohol and/or smoking a cigarette. She dies while driving drunk halfway through the novel. The plot then shifts to the question
With the various characters introduced throughout the plot of the book, the characters voice their opinions and their thoughts. The wording and emotions
Charlie engages with Sam and Patrick’s group of friends and begins experiencing a new life. During the course of the school year, Charlie has his first date and first kiss, he deals with bullying and begins to experiment wi...
Once Miles has realized and forgiven himself he has ultimately matured and faced the fact that what happened was real and final finds the true meaning ‘being present’. Green shows Pudge’s determination not give up on himself and to stick with what he ultimately wanted, ‘the great perhaps’. As Miles's truly acknowledged the truth he has set a pathway for him in a science that he wasn't going to stop and he was going to keep persevering and this subsequently helps him mature more into an adult. By taking the advice of his professor Hyde he truly understands what he meant when he said you need to be present” (Green). Green shows the true meaning of being present as Miles embodies that very meaning and has ultimately upheld the meaning of being mature and being an adult. To be an adult Miles needed to understand and exactly compared how in life anything can be given as quickly as it can be taken away. Only through forgiveness Miles could overcome her death and only through forgiveness could he truly become self-aware. Had this not happen, Miles would be lost, had this not have occurred he would be able to mature and ultimately fail the test of maturity and could’ve ended up like his friend
... with your boyfriend in a pick-up truck driving across the country could be a bit overwhelming. This trip solidified Jackie and Devon’s relationship. It gave them the sense, and knowledge that they could get through a lot of problems and be okay with it. Even though they would argue and disagree while on this trip, they got through it together. “It was like trial by fire. We could’ve had a huge argument on that trip. But what could we have done about it at that point? We were stuck in this car for 5 days,” she said as she laughed about it. Looking back at the trip, the only thing that Jackie would do differently is leaving earlier so they would have enough time to go sightseeing, and take a couple detours. After they had lived in British Columbia for a couple months, they decided to come back to the East Coast. “We loved British Columbia, but home was calling us.”
This book teaches the importance of self-expression and independence. If we did not have these necessities, then life would be like those in this novel. Empty, redundant, and fearful of what is going on. The quotes above show how different life can be without our basic freedoms. This novel was very interesting and it shows, no matter how dismal a situation is, there is always a way out if you never give up, even if you have to do it alone.
His grades are increasing because of the extra credit work. Tyler is happy that his grades are increasing. Tyler can join the Beta club and the National Honor Society club. Tyler has always wanted to be a part of something at school. Tyler is grateful for his teachers and friends. Tyler starts on his first project for the National Honor Society club. Tyler’s friends are also in the National Honor Society club. They love the club. It has been very beneficial to their studies and social life at school. Tyler and his friends work on their projects together. After the group finishes their projects, they decide to go to the movies to celebrate. They see the new Harry Potter movie. Tyler is thrilled to celebrate with his friends at the movies. While they are at the movies, Tyler’s parents barge into the theater and join them. Tyler and his friends enjoyed the movie and the snacks. Tyler’s parents did not enjoy watching the new Harry Potter movie, but they are happy that Tyler and his friends enjoyed the movie. Tyler’s friends and family drive home. While Tyler’s parents are driving home, they get into a car wreck. They are killed instantly. Tyler is devastated to hear such news from the police. Tyler goes to the scene of the accident and he sees his parents are dead. Tyler is scared and doesn’t know what is going to happen next. The police check the scene. The police tell Tyler that he will have to go into Foster Care. Tyler is scared to go into Foster Care, but he knows that it is what’s best for him. Tyler rides in the back of the police car to a new foster home. When Tyler gets to the home. The parents introduce themselves and they talk about the accident. Tyler is worried about his school and his friends. The police tell Tyler that he will have to switch schools and make new friends. Tyler hates this idea of changing schools and making new
She says some enthralling things and has a spur of thoughts here and there that lead her to start asking questions about it. On page 44 Alaska says, “Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die.” Due to the guilt that consumes her from her mom’s death, Alaska participates in self-destructive activities like smoking. The substances provide her with an escape from her sadness. After reading a novel by Simon Bolivar, Alaska is fascinated with a specific question and she tells Miles that she wants to try and answer. Alaska says, “It’s not life or death, the labyrinth. Suffering. Doing wrong and having wrong things happen to you. That’s the problem. Bolivar was talking about the pain not about the living or dying. How do you get out of the labyrinth of suffering” (82)? This quote relates perfectly to Alaska because her pain is her mom’s death. She suffers every day of her life and she wants to end all that suffering but she doesn’t know how to yet. While her friends are trying to figure out how to live, she is figuring out how to escape from
This is an odd little book, but a very important one nonetheless. The story it tells is something like an extended parablethe style is plain, the characters are nearly stick figures, the story itself is contrived. And yet ... and yet, the story is powerful, distressing, even heartbreaking because the historical trend it describes is powerful, distressing, even heartbreaking.
Miles “Pudge” Halter’s entire life in Florida is built on the belief that he is unordinary, and unimportant. However, all of this changes once he is sent to Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama, where it is anything but boring. In Looking for Alaska, by John Green, Miles meets several new people including his roommate Chip Martin (A.K.A. The Colonel), Takumi Hikohito, Lara Buterskaya, and Alaska Young. Intoxicated with Alaska’s beauty, intelligence, and wild heart, Miles sets off on a wild adventure called life, until something tragic happens. The demise of their beloved friend, Alaska, devastated them. Throughout the novel characters are on a search for identity, love, and forgiveness.
Looking For Alaska, by John Green, is a creative literary work detailing the issues of love and loss in teenage life. The book’s unique point of view, dialogue, and themes help to make it an excellent work that is well-worth the read. While many other examples of literature include these elements, Looking For Alaska does it a little differently, and for the better. This is an excellent novel, and its unique elements only add to the story.
When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton, the protagonist of the story, is into girls with the name “Katherine.” And when it comes to dating a Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Ironically, the day that Colin graduated high school, Katherine XIX had dumped him. Colin was beyond upset. Katherine XIX was the only Katherine he had truly ever loved out of the other eighteen he had dated in the past. Just as any other dumpee, (the person being dumped), Colin spends his days locked in his room, doing nothing, but think of Katherine XIX. One day, Colin’s best friend, Hassan, comes over to visit him since he last saw Colin on graduation day. He sees that Colin is depressed and Hassan does not like the idea that his best friend thinks his life is over just because of a break-up. While trying to cheer Colin up, Hassan says that there is one simple solution to solve his sorrow. But before Hassan could say anything, Colin interjected “What about a road trip?” Hassan found it to be a great idea, but his parents were not liking the idea. His parents had tried to talk him out of him by saying that if he wanted to become smarter, he needed to stay home. Colin still didn’t budge and before he knew, he was already packing his stuff and heading to Hassan’s car. Hassan too, needed to inform his parents about the road trip. Hassan was afraid that if he tried to persuade his parents to let him go, they would still not allow. Colin insisted that he just lie to them and say that he was g...
... through her hug, squeezing the life out of him because of her own fears of the supposed ghosts. Miles response is so ambiguous it leaves the reader with only theories with no way of knowing for a fact what really happened.