Miles lives in Florida and he doesn’t have very many friends, or actually no one. Miles is obsessed with famous last words: “Francois Rabelais. He was a poet. And his last words were "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." That's why I'm going. So I don't have to wait until I die to start seeking a Great Perhaps.” (Green 2005, p. 5). With that said, he moves away from Florida to Alabama to attend high school and to start something new. (I promise, don’t let this typical teenage story frighten you!). In Alabama he gets a friend with the nickname “The Colonel”. Soon after that Miles meets, according to himself, the most beautiful girl ever seen, named Alaska. She’s everything he’s not. “So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.” (Green 2005, p. 88).
This book is very well written and I
was inspired by it. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why, but I do know that
there was something mysterious and inspiring about this girl, Alaska. She talks
a lot about a labyrinth:
 |
| (Green 2005, p. 54) |
Which I think is a sad but beautiful simile to life. She’s also a feminist and says a few smart things about this in the book. That, I like for two reasons: 1. I think everyone should be feminists. 2. A lot of young people read this book and maybe they will get inspired by her as well.
The central character Miles is very likeable
too. Maybe because I can relate to him: “I
hated sports. I hated sports, and I hated people who played them, and I hated
people who watched them, and I hated people who didn't hate people who watched
or played them.” (Green 2005, p. 45). Well, that is stretching it way too far, but I think
it’s a funny quote.
As previously mentioned Miles has
this thing for famous last words. Which I know the author also has and I got
pretty interested in it. There are a bunch of them, i.e. famous last words, in
the book. Some of them are totally meaningless last things to say, which is
funny in a weird way. Some others are fine or heartrending.
“Looking for Alaska” is a novel by John Green. He’s
number one on The New York Times list of best selling authors right now. No wonder why. I’ve been
so moved by this and other of his books. Since this text reveals almost nothing
about the plot I highly recommend you to find it out. If you’re soppy like me,
you will probably shed a lot of tears.
 |
| (Green 2005, p. 54) |
Reference: Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. New York: Dutton Books.
