Book Review : Looking for Alaska

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Title: Looking for Alaska
Author: John Green
Place: United States
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publication Date: 2005
Genre: Young Adult
Edition: 2013 
Pages: 268 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-0-00-752352-8

Goodreads blurb - Click here

My thoughts - 

When I read 'The Fault in Our Stars' earlier this year, I was hooked to John Green's work.  It made me look up his other books and want to read them all. A close friend further added to my excitement when he said that reading 'The Fault in Our Stars' made him purchase other books by the author. Thus I ended up reading his debut novel (the book in review), only to fall in love with him once again.

'Looking for Alaska' - the title of the book made me assume that the protagonist is in the search for Alaska, the country. Until I read the synopsis at the back. Miles Halter is the narrator cum protagonist of the book and Alaska Young is one of his friends. I know, silly me! :p

And maybe that's the realization which kept me wondering about the story line thereafter. This book has been a fresh wave of reading after all the heavy fictions that I read early this year like Dan Brown's Inferno and Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller. 

One of the best points about 'Looking for Alaska' is the style of story telling. The first thing I noticed on the first page was the word - 'BEFORE' with a small image of a heart below it. I was immediately thrown into a thinking fix left to imagine and wonder about the 'event' which is yet to take place. The first words of the book - 'One Hundred and Thirty-six Days Before' further builds up the suspense so you are hooked you from the start. Once you reach the 'AFTER' section of the book, believe me you want to finish reading the book at breakneck speed to know what happens to the beautiful characters in the story.

The author's efforts of character portrayal is mesmerizing such that you find yourself relating to them at some or the other point during the book. At least I did. Every incident, every twist of plot made me reminisce the different friends I have in life and the quirky experiences that have occurred till now.

If I loved how every time Miles Halter landed himself in messy situations, I admired the way how the Colonel supported him. If Takumi played the perfect sidekick, then Lara was impressive as the silent push-over. But at the end of the day, Alaska Young is the one for whom your heart goes out to. Her zest, vigor and unabashed nature makes you want to hug her and tell her - 'It's ok. Everything is going to be fine.' 

I didn't cry while reading this book but there are times when that 'lump in the throat' situation arises out of nowhere.

There are many quotes that I marked as favorites and want to read forever and ever in this life. I would rate this book as 5/5 given this book has a different take, a different story, a different ending with a touch of mystery. Go read it, you will love the book too.

Have you already had the chance to read this book? What were your thoughts? :)

Yours' truly,

                   **Linking to the Ultimate Blog Challenge for July 2014 and BlogHer - NaBloPoMo**