Thoughts: Looking for Alaska

Title: Looking for Alaska
Author: John Green
Year: 2005
Length: 221
Source: Owned
First Lines: "Everybody was sitting on sleeping bags, Alaska smoking with flagrant disregard for the overwhelming flammability of the structure, when the Colonel pulled out a single piece of computer paper and read from it."

Summary from goodreads: Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

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 Looking for Alaska is, perhaps, one of the saddest books I have ever read.  Beautifully written, but overwhelming tragic.  This was my John Green novel.  I have only heard good things about his work.  I was not disappointed, just left feeling extremely sad for these characters.  Looking for Alaska felt very real to me, portraying one of the worst ways to come of age.  I think these kinds of situations happen all too often in today's world. 

On a lighter note, I loved that Miles could quote the last words of famous people.  It is that kind of quirky trait that makes characters enduring and memorable to me.  I look forward to my next John Green novel.  

I started Looking for Alaska without realizing how devastating the plot would become for Alaska, Miles, and the Colonel.  Although I hope for happier outcomes in Green's other books, I am choosing to remain in the dark about their storylines.  I think my lack of information about Looking for Alaska made the emotional impact that much greater, and it is refreshing to be that moved by a book.     

Note: I read this book in January.  I just found the thoughts I had written, but never posted.  I know it seems like I've abandoned the book blog.  I don't want to give it up completely.  I've just been more focused lately on trying to keep track of life in general at By Hand With Heart.