Looking for Alaska by John Green

ISBN: 978-0-525-47506-4
Dutton Books, NY
2005
221 pages

Plot Summary

Miles Halter leaves his family and public high school in Florida behind to board at his new prep school in Alabama. Culver Creek was his dad's alma mater but Miles wants to attend because he's hoping to start fresh and make some friends, maybe even meet a girl. His roommate, Chip, introduces Miles to Alaska, the prettiest girl he's ever seen. Miles falls for her but they're just friends and fellow pranksters because Alaska has a boyfriend. The school year takes a tragic turn when one of them is killed in a car crash and the group spend the rest of the school year trying to figure out how it happened. Was it an accident or suicide?

Critical Evaluation

I'm probably not the most impartial person to evaluate this novel because the setting is near my husband's home town and the name of the school is his last name! The author is also from Alabama and his description of the heat and humidity, especially at night, is right on. This book is both funny and profoundly sad - I have to say that I did not see the accident coming - it took me by surprise just like the characters in the book. This is a good book for teens to read to realize the impact they have on each other.

Reader's Annotation

As high school junior Miles Halter starts his new life at a boarding school in Alabama, his claim to fame is that he knows the last words of many famous people. He starts living life (instead of just quoting from biographies) at Culver Creek with friends Chip, Alaska and Takumi.

Author Info

Author John Green is from Alabama and attended a boarding school similar to the fictional Culver Creek. After college graduation he moved to Chicago and is a commentator for National Public Radio's All Things Considered. Looking for Alaska was his first book but he's since written others, including An Abundance of Katherines.

Genre

YA coming-of-age

Curriculum Ties

it would be good for a Life Skills or high school reading but may be too controversial

Booktalking Ideas

1. Miles meets Alaska for the first time.

2. Miles, Chip, Lara and Takumi pull off the greatest prank in the history of Culver Creek.

Reading/Interest Level

high school for both

Challenge Issues and Defense

many challenge issues in including smoking, drinking and driving, drugs, sex, suicide

realistic portrayal of high school students - definite anti-suicide slant

good reviews, including from other acclaimed YA authors

Why I Included This Book

We used this book in our presentation on controversial YA literature - there was a buzz about this book and the author's books are some of the best I've read.