Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska – John Green

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words, and tired of his safe, uneventful life at home in Florida. Inspired by the dying words of the poet François Rabelais, who spoke of seeking a Great Perhaps, he leaves for Culver Creek, a boarding school in Alabama, in search of something more.

At Culver Creek, Miles, nicknamed Pudge, falls in with a group of misfits and pranksters led by his roommate, the Colonel. And he meets Alaska Young: clever, funny, beautiful, reckless and deeply troubled. Alaska draws Miles into her world of late-night conversations, smoking, drinking, elaborate pranks and philosophical questions about life, suffering and how to escape the labyrinth of the world. Miles falls hard for her, even as she remains an enigma.

Then everything changes. The novel is divided into Before and After, counting down to an event that will leave Miles and his friends searching for answers and struggling with guilt, grief and the meaning of loss.

Looking for Alaska, John Green’s debut novel, won the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature and established him as one of the most beloved voices in the genre. It was later adapted into a television series.

Funny, heartbreaking and thought-provoking, it is a powerful coming-of-age story about friendship, love, grief and the search for meaning, perfect for teens and adults alike. It deals with mature themes, including substance use and loss.