Looking for Alaska Book Review
image from wikipedia |
I
finally finished reading the first YA book of John Green, Looking for Alaska.
And I must say it has been a great read but compared to The Fault in Our Stars,
it was not much of a tear-jerker. But I was pretty much amazed on how the story
wound up to a rather haunting end.
BE WARNED.
The following review would be much of a spoiler considering the need for
summarizing the story and pointing out the highlights of the book.
You
might wonder why the book’s title is “Looking for Alaska”. I thought that the
story will center on the journey of two friends searching for their inner
selves and venturing into an unexpected adventure set in the country of Alaska.
But I was wrong.
The
book is plotted in a chronological manner starting from the date before and
after the fateful incident happened.
It
starts with the main character, Miles Halter leaving his family and Florida to
go to a boarding school in Alabama(Culver Creek Preparatory School).He meets
there Chip Martin, Takumi Hikohito, Lara Buterskaya, and Alaska Young, his new
set of friends.
The
book chronicles the lives of Miles and his friends and their participations in
the rollercoaster ride of high school life.
Miles
then realized that this was the life he has always wanted, the long-awaited
freedom to explore his individuality with the company of his friends and the
opportunity to try different things at a tender age.
The story continues with the growing
interest Miles has for Alaska. In their daily routine Miles and his friends
willbecome closer to each other creating a friendship bonded for life. And one
fateful night a tragic incident will shake the very foundation of the groups’
integrity and will later on create a ripple effect too inevitable to avoid–the
death of Alaska.
(Read
the book for the details of Alaska’s death.)
Alaska’s
death scarred and left them a mystery: how Alaska died and what series of
events led her to her tragic death. And from there, Chip, Takumi, and Miles
started their own investigation to unravel the reason behind the demise of
their friend. From that moment until the very last page [of the book], the
characters will face a life changing turn in their lives and would later on
realize the significance that the incident has brought to them.
One
of the many highlights of the book is the fascination of Miles for “famous
last words”. You will be able to encounter Simon Bolivar’s"How will I ever get out of this
labyrinth!”,Francois Rabelais’ "I
go to seek a Great Perhaps." and many other notable person’s last
words.
John
Green employs his impressive knack of incorporating real life experiences to
cement the portrayal of each character. He also makes each character vividly
real.
In
this critically acclaimed novel, Green gives us a sensible explanation of how
frail and uncertain life is. And his point of view on the many complexities of
life successfully transcends in this heart-wrenching and inspiring read.
Looking
for Alaska also tackles issues faced by teenagers nowadays, from the journey to
self-discovery, the freedom and the highs and lows of being a teenager to
controversial concerns such as drugs, premarital sex, and many more.
And
as the story reveals its unexpected twist, expect yourself to pause for a while
to internalize and absorb the thoughts and ideas revealed by the book.
Comments
Post a Comment