Green, John. Looking for Alaska. Dutton Books, 2005. 221 pages/ MS/HS
Obsessed with famous last words and socially awkward, Miles Halter is sent to a prepatory school
in Alabama to find himself. What he discovers instead, however, are other individuals who have
complex interests like Miles; but, more importantly, he discovers Alaska Young, a girl surrounded
by thick emotional walls, but fascinates anyone she interacts with. Split into two sections as
“Before” and “After”, the story explores coming of age in a new environment, navigating through
love—romantic and platonic—, and finding hope as we try to understand “The Great Perhaps”.
This story encompasses all main themes of Young Adult Literature, but Green’s writing provides a
complexity of the raw emotions associated with the teenage experience, and the ramifications of
life’s decisions. (Isabelle Jordan)