When adults say, 'Teenagers think they are invincible' with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born, we cannot die. Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations. They forget that when they get old. They get scared of losing and failing. But that part of us greater than the sum of our parts cannot begin and cannot end, as so it cannot fail.
I picked up Looking for Alaska by John Green at the library, in the Italian translation by Lia Celi. The title in English made me think of a guy going on an adventure in Alaska, searching for the "Great Perhaps". And indeed, Miles Hunter, the main charatcer in the book, does search for the "Great Perhaps", but the Italian translation of the title made it immediately clear that Alaska was a person, not the US state.
Sixteen-year-old Miles Hunter is bored and lonely. He loves to read biographies and discover the last words attributed to famous people. He's particularly intrigued with the dying words of poet Francois Rabelais: "I go to seek a great perhaps." Miles decides to leave his Florida hometown to go to an Alabama boarding school at Culver Creek, where he joins a group of pranksters led by his roommate Chip "the Colonel" and Alaska Young, a smart and sexy feminist. 
Miles, now ironically named "Pudge", is intrigued by his new group of friends, and expecially by Alaska, on whom he has a huge crush, although there are hints that her troubled past sometimes causes her to be self-distructive. The ominous chapter headings (40 days before, 10 days after) hint at something tragic happening later on.
I won't reveal what the "something tragic" is, because I was spoilered on knowing this from the start by reading the book jacket (why, oh why do I still read book jackets? You'd think I should have learned by now), and let me tell you that if you decide to read the book, you're better off not knowing it.
I loved this book. It's fresh, young, and makes you think. The characters feel alive, the narrating voice is startingly real. A book I'd recommend to older teens and adults alike.
Other blog reviews:
Miles, now ironically named "Pudge", is intrigued by his new group of friends, and expecially by Alaska, on whom he has a huge crush, although there are hints that her troubled past sometimes causes her to be self-distructive. The ominous chapter headings (40 days before, 10 days after) hint at something tragic happening later on.
I won't reveal what the "something tragic" is, because I was spoilered on knowing this from the start by reading the book jacket (why, oh why do I still read book jackets? You'd think I should have learned by now), and let me tell you that if you decide to read the book, you're better off not knowing it.
I loved this book. It's fresh, young, and makes you think. The characters feel alive, the narrating voice is startingly real. A book I'd recommend to older teens and adults alike.
Other blog reviews:
7 Comments:
I loved this book as well! If you can find John Green's second book, An Abundance of Katherines, I'd recommend it too. It's lighter than Looking for Alaksa, and so not as powerful, but still very, very good.
I hate when there are spoilers on the book jacket. Thanks for the warning!
Great review, I read Looking For Alaska just last week and was really impressed. I liked how real this story was and felt the author did a terrific job creating teen characters that are very believable in thought and actions.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! It's a such a great book. I got An Abundance of Katherines just last week and I'm really looking forward to reading it.
And that's too bad about the spoiler in the book jacket!
I enjoyed this book too. I wrote a review of it a week or two ago.
Thank you to everyone for their comments! Book jackets are evil, that's for sure.
That's a pretty intense book review. I think I'm going to have to check it out.
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