City News

Looking for Alaska is a fictional novel by John Green and it is about a boy named Miles Halter AKA “Pudge” who is interested in many poets’ famous last words. He arrives at a boarding school in Culver Creek which has many events in store for him. The novel is suspenseful but it is very sad (you might want a kleenex box!) I wish I could say more about what the book is about but it would be a spoiler so you are going to have to read it yourself. I would recommend this book to older teens as it is a kind of a mature book and the characters are around the same age. Now on to the actual review… I personally am a big fan of John Green’s writing and I love how detailed his writing is like his word choice which makes you feel like you are actually in his mind and imagine what he is envisioning. You definitely feel the emotions of the characters and you have an image in your head about the settings. The characters are unique and show development as the story progresses. John Green makes you dislike certain characters and like the protagonist which shows skill in one’s writing style. He definitely makes you feel emotions during reading the book which makes you want to read more. There is love, suspense, sadness, and everything in this book. As a disclaimer, there are some inappropriate scenes that are not subtle for younger readers which is why I said it is for mature readers. There are also some drug usage/references along with profanity just an FYI. Regardless, it is a book that you don't want to put down, the words just flow so well and you don't have to reread as you never will get confused, a lot of books for me get confusing and I will have to reread but in this case I rarely did. The book feels like a movie script the dialogues and the actions of the characters feel so realistic like you are there and witnessing the events. For example, the characters stutter and pause which are the tiny details that make the book interesting to read just for the realism writing. One of my favorite quotes from the book was “We need never be hopeless because we can never be irreparably broken” the quote just is one of those quotes that warm my heart. I am not a very sappy person but this quote really gave me goosebumps because it is so true and I absolutely believe it. Overall it is a great book and it is something you should definitely read and is worthwhile. The last page is just so touching and is a great ending to the book definitely a page I won't forget. In conclusion, I recommend this book to middle schoolers and high school students as it has some life lessons for people to reflect on and be a better person and reader.  

Checkout Looking for Alaska from the Newport Beach Public Library.