Summer 2005 Review:

Looking for Alaska is a book about a kid named Miles Halter who goes form Florida to Alabama to seek something called the Great Perhaps at a private school. When he arrives, he is greeted by his roommate, Colonial, Takunami, who becomes a good friend, and a girl named Alaska.  Right form the start, Alaska turns Miles's world upside down. He immediately falls in love with her and allows her to manipulate him to whatever she wants him to do. However, Alaska holds some dark secrets that cause her to be a very strange woman. The first half of the book is real sexual and has a lot to do with drinking and mischief. Then all of a sudden, Alaska dies in a car wreck!! Now during the second half of the book, Miles, the Colonial, and Takunami must figure out what happened to cause her death. All in all it is a good book. 

This is a book that would suit kids grades 10-12. The book has sexual situations in which younger kids should not be allowed to read and deals with a lot of drinking and smoking. Alaska is a girl who fears nothing and is slightly crazy which attracts her to you and makes you want to help her in any way. When she dies there is crying and sadness for at least 20 pages. John Green goes a little too long with the sadness part of the book. When the guys finally try to figure out what happened to Alaska, the book becomes very good. It is a powerful book that shows the dangers of drinking and driving, bending rules, and the affect of one person’s life on another’s. All in all I would definitely recommend this book for people who are very mature and can handle these serious subjects. 

~ Vincent Calautti, grade 10, Boardman High School

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