John Green’s debut novel, Looking for Alaska, follows the story of 16-year-old Miles Halter as he transfers to Culver Creek Preparatory School, a boarding school located in Birmingham, Alabama, for his junior year. Seeking a ‘great perhaps’, Miles ditches his cozy, secure life in Florida in search of excitement and a deeper, more fulfilling existence. Upon his arrival, Miles meets a group of boys and a beautiful, clever, and funny Alaska Young, who he becomes deeply infatuated with.
The novel is split into two parts: the first half depicting his life as he arrives at Culver Creek and becomes intertwined with his peers, and the second half as he struggles to understand the meaning behind a completely life-altering event.
In Looking for Alaska, John Green does an excellent job of blending simple language with profound philosophical questions to which we may never know the answers. Additionally, the title is brilliantly chosen, hinting at the major event but not making it obvious until readers reach the halfway point of the novel.
The characters go through many relatable hardships like substance abuse, loss, unstable family lives, and mental health issues, but their backstories, interests, and relationships are so far-fetched that they make these universal experiences seem almost unfamiliar.
Overall, their perspectives on life and portrayal in dialogue are not necessarily representative of typical teenagers. The young women in the novel, Alaska and Lara, are unrealistically portrayed through the sexualized perspective of the male protagonists as sensual fantasies rather than fully developed characters. Despite these criticisms, I still enjoyed the novel and would recommend it to readers interested in philosophical questions and emotional depth.
Written by Haley C.
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