Looking for Alaska (2005)

I was hoping to like this coming of age novel better, since I'm a big fan of Green's later novels, especially [b:The Fault in Our Stars|11870085|The Fault in Our Stars|John Green|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327880382s/11870085.jpg|16827462]. I can see the glimmers of later Green in this -- the quirky characters, the outsider/insider dynamic, the pop culture setting, etc. But this is definitely a "first novel," and lacks the depth and craft that Green has attained since. The plot is run of the mill -- a boarding school drama of cool kids vs nerds, and the shattering impact of a young person's death. But that's not what I found lacking. It was more that the kids just didn't seem all that troubled or interesting or perceptive. I think the author needed to dig deeper and complicate things more. For instance, Miles gets off way too quickly from his initial hazing episode. It isn't particularly scary or extreme and he resolves it handily. "The Colonel" is too friendly too soon, and again Miles doesn't really have to struggle to find a place. It's as if the place is ready for him, revealing, I think, too much authorial gamesmanship, i.e. the author needs to have the characters at a certain place in time and their development to have the plot work. The dialogue also felt too adult, and didn't really ring true. But I'm awfully glad Green has continued to write! ( )

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me.

Miles, eager for a more interesting life decides to attend boarding school where he finds a friend group and falls for the elusive Alaska.

I don’t find smoking, drinking, and pranks nearly as interesting as Miles does, I didn’t as a teenager and I don’t now. He needed boarding school in order to experience basic rites of passage that can be found at absolutely any school? If you’re sending a character to boarding school at least have him going because he’s being forced or because he’s running away from something, not just because he’s bored with his circumstances, if anyone desperately required more of a driving force for their story, like say, a significant reason for switching schools, it’s Miles.

Which brings me to my biggest problem with this book, I didn’t find Miles himself that interesting. Even in the end I didn’t feel like I knew Miles particularly well. He randomly likes famous last words and he didn’t socialize much until boarding school (not much of an explanation why), other than that, I can’t really pinpoint his personality traits, his interests, what he wants to do with his life, etc.. He doesn’t really have any issues he’s working through, there’s nothing poignant in his backstory or home life, as mentioned there isn’t even a concrete or compelling reason for him to suddenly be at a boarding school, nothing really to build a character arc on. I know this is a very much loved book by many other readers, probably who relate to these characters far more than I did, but for me, it didn’t work to have an entire book told from the point of view of someone who doesn’t really have his own story to tell.

I may have been more emotionally involved with this one had the first half come from Alaska’s point of view, she had a lot more going on internally than Miles did, she has actual problems, she’s carrying some heavy burdens and making choices that have consequences, I just feel like all of that would have been much more engaging than what the underdeveloped Miles had to offer.

Towards the end as the boys experience some guilt and attempt to solve a mystery, I became mildly more interested, still, it wasn’t enough. ( )

This is a novel about endings. The central character Miles - who is almost immediately named Pudge by his new room mate and soon-to-be best friend - has an obsession and subsequently a encloypedic knowledge of famous last words. The chapter headings announce that we are working towards a life changing event for Miles and his group of pranksters.

This is Green's debut novel. He seems to have a thing for unobtainable, mystifying, intoxicating girls that his protagonists just can't help but pursue. Because of this, I was 75% though the novel thinking this was a three star read. However, the ending of the novel brought it up to four for me. Now the sort of enlightenment that is gained by Miles maybe in no way believable for a character of his age but the sentiment is powerful and reflective. ( )

I read paper towns and the fault in our stars. the heartbreak of those books don't hold a candle to this. ( )

best john green book. i especially liked the last 2 pages. ( )