Looking For Alaska by John Green (Book review)

Title: Looking For Alaska by John Green
Publisher:  Speak; Reprint edition 
Release Date: December 28, 2006
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Drama
Medium: Paperback, bought

How I came to decide to read this book: I was at my best friend's birthday party. When it came time to give gifts, I have him a card and a $20 bill. (Pretty lame, I know, but I suck at picking out birthday gifts, and money always seems to make someone smile.) Anyway, my friend Abby had gotten him a book and I couldn't help but think "Why didn't I do that? I'm the reading-obsessed friend." He pulled out Looking For Alaska out of a giftbag, and I vaguely can remember hearing and reading about the book online, but I wasn't completely sure what it was. When I asked, Abby said that her and my friend Bryson had been speaking of John Green and how they had never read one of his novels, but wanted to. She had bought this novel for him. I then went home to search for it, and when I found it on a shelf in a bookstore, I couldn't pass up the chance.

So here we are. I read the book, and I am pleasantly surprised. Looking For Alaska was everything I had expected and more. The novel was funny, passionate, coming-of-age novel, a perfect example of a Bildungsroman novel. Full of psychological and moral growth of the characters, you see as the characters mature from youth to adulthood. Definitely a great novel to read in this day in age. We see the effects of drinking and the consequences of drunk driving. The novel is full of friendship, romance, conflicted emotions and relationships, funny scenes and deep dialogue, and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and could not put it down.


This is the first novel of John Green I have read, and right away, I could tell I was going to read more by him. His writing is perfect. Sensual, nail-biting, emotional, and even tear inducing. Seriously, is it bad to say that I was crying (AKA, tears puddled up in my eyes, and I was all choked up) in the middle? Well I did, and it made sense, because his writing was that emotional. This novel was a great, refreshing read, and I recommend it to everyone.