Rating: 
Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.
Literary Award: Printz Award (2006)
*****
My feelings while reading Looking for Alaska: anticipation. boredom. exhiliration. denial. disappointment.
I liked the story, but you won’t catch me reading this again. My GR friend Monique told me this is a normal story, meaning there are no supernatural or paranormal peeps here (she knows i usually read UF or PNR). I said that’s ok. after all, i did like Rachel Cohn’s and David Levithan’s Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Jennifer Echols’ Forget You. But Looking for Alaska just depressed me. I didn’t connect emotionally with the characters.
I was expecting a deeper meaning on the ‘Great Perhaps’ of Miles, but i just didn’t get it. Or maybe, i was expecting too much?
Miles is a pretty likeable guy, nerd but good-looking (although i did not read any reference on how he looks, Alaska says he’s good-looking). I honestly forgot his real name because all through out the book, he was called Pudge. I found his gullibility to vices (smoke and booze) relatable, because he wanted to be accepted by his peers in his new boarding school. I also found his attraction to Alaska very real – nerds tend to obsess over unattainable girls, right?
Alaska – sometimes i hate her, sometime i pity her. but did i like her? i’m not sure. She’s too complicated.
I love the barn scene (Best day/Worst day game) and the prank scenes, especially the last one. 🙂
I don’t think John Green is my cup of tea, but i will try to read Paper Towns. in a few months or so.
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.: maria :.
“giving up is the ultimate tragedy.”
reading is the ultimate aphrodisiac. 