Dutton Books for Young Readers
Looking for Alaska
Couldn't load pickup availability
The award-winning, genre-defining debut from John Green, the #1 international bestselling author of Turtles All the Way Down and The Fault in Our Stars
Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award - A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist - A New York Times Bestseller - A USA Today Bestseller - NPR's Top Ten Best-Ever Teen Novels - TIME magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Novels of All Time - A PBS Great American Read Selection - Millions of copies sold!
First drink. First prank. First friend. First love.
Last words.
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 François Rabelais called "The Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young, who will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.
Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A modern classic, this stunning debut marked #1 bestselling author John Green's arrival as a groundbreaking new voice in contemporary fiction.
Share
Book Details
ISBN:
9780525475064
EAN:
9780525475064
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
240
Authors:
John Green
Publisher:
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Published Date: 2005-03-03
View full details
Excellent, thoughtful and sincere. The importance of imagining others complexly is a driving ethos behind a lot of the author's work (both in and out of literature). This novel gives us a scenario where the main character creates a sort of manic pixie dream girl out of one of his friends and then has to deal with the consequences when faced with a larger reality. It's natural to see only what we want to, or what's easy to see in the people around us. To recognize that everyone has depths beyond our purview - things we will never know- is an admirable goal.
I love John Green, but this one was a little sad. Still recommended, but not for the faint of heart and probably for more mature readers.
'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.'Looking for Alaska is one of those books that leaves a lasting impression, even if the overall reading experience didn’t fully hit the mark for me. I loved the introspective tone and the themes of loss, identity, and the search for meaning. The quote “I go to seek a great perhaps” meant so much to me, I even included it on my graduation cap—a testament to the emotional connection this story can create.That said, while the first half pulled me in, the pacing and character development felt uneven at times. Some plot elements didn’t resonate as deeply as I’d hoped, and certain characters felt more like symbols than people. Still, it’s a meaningful read, especially for those navigating the messiness of growing up and grief.A solid 3 stars for its impact, even if the execution didn’t fully land for me.
Think.if I was younger I would be more into it.The story kept me reading but I found it still a bit unoriginal.
I would have loved this book at 17. But I love and appreciate it more at 50. With kids on the cusp of this general age. It’s beautiful. And honest. And inspired laughs and tears and grief.And hope and perspective.And the greatest reminder of friendship is to be there for the people you love so at their toughest times they look in on themselves as opposed to folding and falling into themselves.What an amazing read. I’m emotionally moved beside myself as a work of fiction has rarely been able to do. I believe it’s because in these pages I see my kids, their friends …. Scary lovely beautiful childhood.If you ever find this review, remember: Your mistakes are mine. It’s your achievements that are yours.Love, Daddy
