Summer Reads: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Subtitle: Kentucky and Louisiana Bust

This past weekend was spent with my husband and his family. It required a plane trip and therefore I got to do some reading! Now it wasn’t the reading that I know it should have been. I did indeed read a few more pages from Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker until I realized that I knew what was going to happen. Well I decided to experiment my theory and went to the last 15 pages and read them. I know you would like to say, “Ryn, you are so childish” and “I bet you were surprised.” I, dear friends, was correct in my prediction.  Queen of Kentucky would be a great book for YA reluctant readers as it is a quick, summer read, but after nine weeks of starting and re-starting, I had to let this one go back to the library.

The Louisiana selection, Arise by Tara Hudson, had some promise to it. Ghosts, mystery, romance. The plot sounded intriguing, but then after some research I discovered that Arise is not the first in a series, but a sequel. After that epiphany I decided to return this book to the library as well because “ain’t nobody got time for dat!”. Again, to repeat from previous posts I have read more than 20 YA books this year alone (this is counting those in addition to the challenge) and they have all started to kind of blend together. I just need a little break to recharge. After chronically not-finishing four of the selections from the list thus far, I have 30 more titles to investigate.

Back to the airport conundrum. I needed a book! I decided to go with some John Green.

Summary via goodreads. Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

I was a little worried that this book was going to turn into a boarding school story like many other YA novels, but then I remembered that this is John Green. As much as the boarding school setting is prominent, it is not the focus. I enjoyed this book very much. From the school pranks, to the search for self-discovery, then finally to the mystery behind Alaska, it was all very enthralling to read.

It didn’t make me tear up like The Fault in Our Stars did, but it wasn’t meant be that level of story. I would definitely recommend this to those readers who loved The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It has the shy boy looking for himself and getting caught up with a free spirited female. Additionally, the shy boy deals with all the symbolism in the world that has now seeped into his no longer cookie-cutter existence. I kind of love this type of book. Perhaps this is because I, too, am a shy person and would love no more than to lose control in search of the “Great Perhaps.”

Also, in John Green signature style this book was filled with great quotes. Not just the last words from dead historical figures (some of which are hilarious), but also from the smartest sounding students from around the country.  A few of my favorite are below:

“The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive.” – This quote is used throughout the novel and very much represents one of the core themes.

-"Yeah, Pudge. My fox hat."
-"Why are you wearing your fox hat?" I asked.
-"Because no one can catch the motherfucking fox.”

-Conversation between Pudge and Takumi. I had to stifle a guffaw when I read this dialogue.

“They love their hair because they're not smart enough to love something more interesting.” – A reference to the bratty, rich Weekend Warriors.

“Francois Rabelais. He was a poet. And his last words were "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." That's why I'm going. So I don't have to wait until I die to start seeking a Great Perhaps.” – Miles’ explanation for going to Culver Creek Boarding School.

And so many more. I had to look up a few of these to remember the exact words, but these were my faves.

I can’t wait to get my hands on more John Green books! Should I read Paper Towns or An Abundance of Katherines next?