I stumbled upon this book after reading another by the same author, An Abundance of Katherines. I really enjoyed Green's writing style in that book, and he did not disappoint in this novel either.
Looking for Alaska is a very interesting YA book. The story, and the title, centers around a girl named Alaska Young. The novel is narrated by Miles, who is dubbed Pudge upon his first day at his new boarding school (due to the fact that he is in fact as skinny as a twig), Culver Creek. He has decided to go to boarding school because he is tired of his life back home with his parents, where he is friendless and adventure-less and he has gone to seek "a Great Perhaps." (Interesting thing about Pudge, he memorizes people's last words. The quote above comes from Francoise Rabelais whose last words were "I go to seek a Great Perhaps". This quote makes him want to do something with his life.)
Pudge meets his new group of friends immediately at Culver Creek. There is Colonel, who is his roommate; Alaska, who become the center of his world; Tukami, who also has a thing for Alaska but becomes a good friend to Pudge; and Lara, the would-be-kinda-was-but-not-really girlfriend Pudge has for about 23 hours. The book focuses on the effect Alaska has on these group of people, particularly on Pudge who falls hard for her, even without being with her.
This interesting part of this book is the way that it is formatted. Instead of chapters, the book is broken down into a count down of days. For the majority of the book I was under the firm assumption that the countdown was leading to the ultimate prank they were going to pull. They discuss and engage in pranks previously, so it is safe to assume. However, I was wrong. Very, very wrong. The countdown is to something much more prolific, something that changes the lives of this group of friends forever.
I enjoyed this book very much. It has a very interesting plot and the writing style sucks you in and you want to know what happened. It was hard to put down because I was drawn into the search for answers just like the main characters. It is a quick read, not overly strenuous, but you do walk away with some cool quotes, verified by the author, so I thought that was cool.
I really liked how the author explored the dynamic of the different relationships within a group of friends. Anyone who had a reliable, steady group of friends versus having a close friend or two, understands that the group relationship can sometimes take on a whole new meaning when something little changes, and that there are several different relationships at play in the larger one. The author dissects this in a way that is interesting that makes the characters realize just what a large impact one person can have on several people, even people who are outside that circle of friends.
Alaska's character, in particular, I found fascinating. She is both a very strong female and very vulnerable little girl at times. These mood swings have large effects and consequences that leave you wanting to be inside her head to understand. The author wrote her with just the right air of mystery about her; it will drive you insane and fascinate you at the same time, just like it did Pudge.
Overall, this was a great book. I even liked how it ended.
The cover is pretty cool and has symbolism. Of course, if I explain the symbolism it gives away too much of the plot, so trust me, it is cool and has symbolism. :)
