lizpatanders

Until this past August, I always felt left out when people started talking about what a talented writer John Green is. Most bloggers seem to love his books and while I knew he makes great videos, I’d never read any of his books, even though I wanted to do so and own all of his books. I recently felt an incredibly strong pull towards John Green’s Looking for Alaska and followed it. Filled with brilliant prose, quirky characters and a heartbreaking storyline, Looking for Alaska is one of the best and most unforgettable books I’ve read in 2011.I’ve been a little afraid to post this review, to be honest. I’m worried that some people will read it and think that I’m praising this book because I want to fit in with a certain crowd, or because I think it’s what the blogosphere expects of me. What has me singing John Green’s praises after just one book is the fact that I could not stop thinking about Looking for Alaska for days afterwards.Looking for Alaska is about a teenager names Miles who goes off to boarding school and quickly becomes infatuated with a girl named Alaska. I liked Miles because even though he could be a jerk sometimes, his character read like many teenage guys that I know. I also have to say that I really enjoyed the sense of humor that Miles and his friends had.Green’s prose is stunning. He sometimes incorporates quotations, and I thought this was done perfectly. They were there just enough to enhance the story but not so enough that the reader became bogged down.Although this sounds lame, I’m not sure what else I can say to express how amazing this book is. Despite all of the rave reviews I’ve heard, I had never fathomed what a moving and thought-provoking book this is until I was sucked into Alaska’s world. Looking for Alaska has made my list of all time favorites, and I can’t wait to read everything else John Green has written and will write.