Review Response

After finishing this book and reading the opinion of the reviewer as well as my hearing the opinion of my peers who read the book, I think it’s safe to say that there are quite a few differences to be found depending on how you look at things. I loved reading this book. This book kept me on the edge of my seat fort the first three quarters and, in my opinion, did offer a satisfying ending in a way that taught me a lesson in life about questions and answers. The book was unlike many others that wrap up all the loose ends towards the ending of the book by leaving the biggest question dangling in front of us. Due to our natural craving for answers, it is upsetting not to really know what happened or why it happened however, the point of this ending was not only just to contrast Miles and his love of last words (which he would never know for Alaska) but also to show that in life things aren’t always just laid out for you and that you just don’t always get the answers you’re looking for. I find this empty answer for an ending really made me think and more of a good change since it creates so much reflection on your own life and what happens in it. I would definitely recommend the book to my friends.

As for the review by “The Super Librarian”, I think they make some very good points about the story and found myself agreeing to many comments in their review. I found the language in used in the book to be very raw and real. Reactions were real and not given a sort of sugar coding to make them seem more appropriate for a novel, the characters were a bunch of teenagers and he actually let them speak as a bunch of teenagers. The characters definitely were not the perfect examples for how to behave but it was because of this that they were such relatable and enjoyable characters. Miles was not the perfect guy, he barely tried to be, her wanted someone who didn’t want him back, he cursed and smoked and drank with the rest of them, but he was more relatable that way. It’s hard to relate to a cookie cutter character that has everything going for them, if you give us someone who is imperfect then it gives us a chance to connect with how they feel and see things which I did. The reviewer also mentions how chasing the Great Perhaps is unpredictable and while you open yourself up to friends and pranks you also open yourself up to love and disappointment. I really like that point because I feel it is well backed up by the book and by life; if you live closed off nothing exciting will ever happen but when you open yourself up you’re going to get the good and the bad and all the emotions in-between. In conclusion, I feel the review for “Looking for Alaska” was quite well said and think it has become a book I would truly recommend.

-Lauren

Novel Review Response

            I agree with this review completely. I really liked the way that it summarized the book, adding the key points and interesting things about the book, without spoiling any important events. I really liked how he added that Pudge’s way of looking at things were changed after going through everything he went through with both Alaska and the Colonel. It was clear to us after reading it what he was talking about. The fact that Pudge had no friends at his old school and then went to Culver Creek and had great moments, but also very sad moments, it is quite obvious to us that he is no longer the same boy that he was on the first day.

            I really enjoyed reading this review because it put in to perspective things that I hadn’t previously noticed. He said “The novel is populated with anti-stereotypical characters such as the sex loving girl, Alaska,  the Asian rap-master Takumi, the poor yet loving-mothered Colonel, and a headmaster who punishes the young prangsters, but cares deeply for them.”  I had never really thought about the fact that all of these characters were anti-stereotypical, I understood their character, but never realized this. I love the way that the critic wrote about this specific element of anti-stereotypical in a way that makes it sound exciting and different to read. In my opinion, many books these days include characters that are very stereotypical in one way or another. I enjoyed this book so much because it is unlike anything I’ve read before, and this review speaks about that key point of the book.

            The final thing that the review mentions is that this novel “will have teens thinking about the meaning of life and relationships,” and “the story is told in such a realistic way that readers will be sure to relate”. I agree completely with both of these statements. Many times during this book I stopped and just thought about life and the value of relationships. It really made me open up my thoughts about how other people and I look at life and death. When it comes to understanding the meaning of friendship, I think that the most important thing that I got out of it was that you shouldn’t take your friends, or anybody, for granted because you’ll never know if that will be the last time you see them. In summary, I really liked the review chosen and I could very easily relate to what the author wrote about the novel, Looking for Alaska.

Kira

Final Opinions

I don’t know if this review gives a formal recommendation about this book, but I will and I’d say that it isn’t my favorite book and in my opinion, I wouldn’t tell my friends to read this book. My biggest pet peeve about this book is the ending. I thought it was very unfulfilling and left a lot of questions unanswered. Even though leaving these questions hanging would be the true “ending” to a real life event, I think books should conclude with all the important questions answered and this book didn’t do that. I know this book has won awards for being well written and everything else technical, but I didn’t really like the story line. I thought it was quite boring after the big event of Alaska’s death. I found Pudge and the Colonel were searching for unanswerable questions for the last half of the book and it never went anywhere, again, at the ending.

I do appreciate that this book was written well. I think if the author didn’t write so well, I wouldn’t have been as intent to get to the end of the book. I like his perspective on things and I agree with the review saying that all the characters were anti-stereotypical and this was quite an interesting view on things. I find when I’m reading a book about kids of school age, the characters are all the same but John Green flipped that all around. When reading his Looking For Alaska, and learned more about a characters way of thinking and personality traits, then you realize they aren’t the person you thought they were. I thought that was very creative and made the story more interesting to read.

Overall, my impression of this book isn’t so great; although it was well written, I couldn’t get over my frustration of the end and the particular monotony the last half of the book held. I’m glad I read it because it allowed me to see my dislikes in literature for the future, but I would never read this book again.

~Amanda

Looking For Alaska Book Review by "The Super Librarian"

Plot Summary
Loner Miles Halter, (later known as Pudge,) leaves his public high school to seek “The Great Perhaps,” which may or may not include shenanigans, mischief, and much learning. He is a smart boy, who has a fascination with last words. He culls these from the biographies of famous persons. At Culver Creek Boarding School, Pudge meets The Colonel and Alaska, two friends who change his life and the way he looks at things, forever.

Critical Evaluation
Looking for Alaska deals with death, finding your place, history, and being present in time and place. The language is realistic and Pudge’s voice is honest and relatable. Life is portrayed through Pudge’s eyes as an exhilarating, invigorating experience. The novel is populated with anti-stereotypical characters such as the sex loving girl, Alaska,  the Asian rap-master Takumi, the poor yet loving-mothered Colonel, and a headmaster who punishes the young prangsters, but cares deeply for them.
Pudge’s questioning mind and escapades will have teens thinking about the meaning of life and relationships, and while there is a message (the characters experience much sadness,) the story is told in such a realistic way that readers will be sure to relate.

Reader’s Annotation
Pudge seeks his “Great Perhaps,” which he assumes is pranks and mischief, as well as real friends, at his new boarding school. But what he comes to find, is that the Great Perhaps is much more unpredictable. By opening himself up to the Great Perhaps, he also opens himself up to real love and disappointment.

About the Author
John Green is the New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Paper Towns. He is also the coauthor, with David Levithan, of Will Grayson, Will Grayson. He was 2006 recipient of the Michael L. Printz Award, a 2009 Edgar Award winner, and has twice been a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Green’s books have been published in more than a dozen languages.
Green’s book reviews have appeared in The New York Times Book Review and Booklist, a wonderful book review journal where he worked as a publishing assistant and production editor while writing Looking for Alaska. Green grew up in Orlando, Florida before attending Indian Springs School and then Kenyon College.
Retrieved on September 24^th, 2010 from http://johngreenbooks.com/.

Genre
-Realistic Fiction
Curriculum Ties
-Biographies
-Philosophy
-Should be included in every school counselor’s office
Booktalking Ideas
-Last words, boarding school, pranks, deep friendships, and belonging
Reading Level/Interest Age
16+

Challenge Issues
The book depicts students smoking, drinking, and engaging in sexual exploration, though these are definitely not central to the book’s themes of philosophy, death, and friendship.
The book clearly demonstrates that these behaviors do have dire consequences. By depicting things realistically, teens may think twice about the reality of behaviors they are currently engaging in or that their friends are engaging in. So while the book does not provide a rosy view of perfectly behaved students, it does provide them a framework from which to understand consequences and real life experiences such as death, and relationships, with honesty.
This title was the winner of an Edgar Award in 2009, and has twice been a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

Why did you include this book?
John Green won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2006 for Looking for Alaska. According to Horn Book Magazine, it “got high marks for both literary quality and teen appeal (Hunt, 2009, p.399)”.

Found here: http://thesuperlibrarian.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/looking-for-alaska-by-john-green-2005-new-york-dutton-books-isbn-10-014241221x/

Looking For Alaska journal entry 4

The final quarter of this book was a very enjoyable read. In this quarter of the book Miles finally gets some sense of freedom when he writes the note to Chip about Alaska suicide. He writes that he knows Alaska forgives him for everything that he did to her, and that gives him a sense of relief after a long time of trying to figure out what truly happened to Alaska. I think that “ the great perhaps” that Miles so desperately wanted, was in fact Alaska. In the end of the book Miles is a completely different person then when we first started reading. I think Alaska is the “great perhaps” because she made Miles into the person he wanted to be. Alaska got him a beautiful girlfriend, she took him out of his comfort zone and made him the person he wanted to be, making him a happier person. Before Miles had no friends and had no self motivation, now he has many great friends that he will probably be friends with for life. I know my mom has told me many times that when you go to summer camps and other things much like Culver Creek, you come back having unforgettable memories and life long friends. I think after reading this book I could see myself going to a boarding school just for the experience like miles has had in this book. When Miles leaves the note for Chip, you get this sense of feeling that you have just been through this huge adventure right along side with Miles, Chip and Takuimi. Its almost a sad feeling knowing the book is over and the adventure is over.

Corey ;)

When I saw this picture it had such an impact after just finishing the story. It made me feel kind of eerie since that was what Alaska said was her solution to escaping the labyrinth and, in the end, how she died.

-Lauren

Journal Entry #4

Personally, I didn’t really enjoy this last part of the book as much as the last 3 quarters. I found it rather dull for the most part. A majority of this part of the book was Pudge and the Colonel looking for answers of Alaska’s death. They search for the how and why answers and try to decide whether or not her death was a suicidal or accidental. They went to the police station and called Jake and got some clarity, but still did not know whether or not it was an accidental death or a suicide. They search for the warning signs of suicide and find that Alaska only shows 2 of the many warning signs. Ever since I learned of Alaska’s death, I believed that it was a suicide, and I still think so.

            Pudge and Colonel got into their first big fight in this quarter of the novel. Pudge told Colonel that he didn’t want to know what Jake had to say about Alaska’s death, and the Colonel got upset with him. He started to talk about how Pudge doesn’t even care about her and that he was just lost in his fantasy romance about Alaska. It’s obvious that Pudge reacted to this very badly and stormed off. I don’t think that this was fair of the Colonel to say. They have just both lost a very close friend, and he didn’t consider Pudge and his feelings when he was talking to them, and ended up hurting him very badly in consequence.

            I found it very immature of Pudge to just ignore Lara, his girlfriend, after Alaska’s death. They pretty much officially ‘broke up’ through their mutual friend, Takumi, which I thought, was quite lame. Eventually he talked to her and they became friends again, which I thought was great. Pudge and Colonel were very isolated from their friends for a long time, and even excluded Takumi on many occasions. It was clear to us that Takumi was bitter about this even when they stopped excluding him and told him the truth about the night Alaska died. Near the end we find out that Takumi also saw Alaska the night she died, after she asked Pudge and the Colonel to help her escape. He kept this to himself for the longest time because he was upset with them for excluding him for the longest time.

            Another very important part of this quarter was the end of the year prank that they did in memory of Alaska. It was a prank that Alaska had preplanned for their senior year. Pudge and the Colonel organized her plan with the help of some other students. I thought this was very sweet and a great way to celebrate the life of Alaska. I truly believe that if Alaska was watching them execute her prank, she would have been so happy and proud of them. I thought that her idea was brilliant, and hiring a male stripper to strip in front of the school was hilarious. In summary, I really liked the book but the end was sort of dull. I enjoyed the style of writing and the story line and I think that I will read another book from the author, John Green.

-Kira

Journal Entry #4

During this section of the book, Miles and Chip were really trying to find out the why Alaska died, either suicide or accident. They were trying to piece together the incidences before her death to try to figure out what was going through her head right before she hit the police car head on. Miles really wanted to find out her last words and wanted to get to know her in the most intimate way possible even in her last moments. I think the Miles is trying to find out more about Alaska is very typical when someone close to them has died. I know from past experiences when people die in your network of friends, even if you aren’t close to them, you feel regret and guilt for not spending time with them, or getting to know them better. I’ve felt the same way as Miles trying to find out as much as possible about a person and the way they think.

            Miles, Chip, Takumi and Lara make a prank happen that Alaska planned for her senior year. They get together a fake speaker that is really a stripper and in the end, he takes off most of his clothes in front of the school and the Eagle. Personally, I don’t really think this was the best prank, and honestly I think it was quite simple and not hard to execute. I think Alaska could have come up with a more complex prank with a better reaction from the person at the receiving end of it. I do like the way the Eagle didn’t punish the group of friends for the prank, even though he well knew it was their doings. I thought that was a good thing for him to do, and a better way to end the prank.

             In the end, Miles and Chip find out Alaska was on her way to see her mom’s grave for the anniversary of her death. I don’t really like the way John Green ends the book because you never fully understand what happens or what went through Alaska’s mind at the time of the accident. I feel like the ending is kind of a let down in that perspective, but it is a well written book, just not to my tastes. I don’t think I would recommend it to anyone, but it was good exposure to different kinds of books.

~Amanda

Journal Entry #4

        The final quarter of Looking For Alaska was really interesting. As Miles, the Colonel, Lara and Takumi attempt to figure out whether Alaska’s death was intentional or an accident, their lives start to relax back into the normal routine. The gang also finally reaches the realization that they just aren’t going to be able to figure out what really happened to lead to Alaska’s accident, even with all of the clues they think they’ve found. With this realization, they all agree that her name should always be remembered by a prank that’ll go down in Culver Creek history. I thought the prank they did was pretty hilarious. The group got all the juniors in on choosing a made up guest speaker who would really be a male stripper in disguise who would scream Alaska’s name as he “performed” quickly in front of the whole school. I like how this prank had been Alaska’s idea and how even though they should probably have consequences, the Eagle just let them off because it was all done in her honor.

        I think it was a good decision that the author, John Green, didn’t tell the readers what happened in the car that night and how, when asked about it himself, he says he doesn’t know either. It creates the feeling where you as the reader have to put together the pieces of what happened and if you still don’t know then it just contributes to the point in the book, being that sometimes in life there are questions that just cant be answered or don’t have an answer to be found. As much as the group all loved Alaska, there is no way for them to know what happened or to prove any of this was their fault (even if Miles and Colonel think if they hadn’t let her leave the room they could have saved her or if Takumi thinks he could have stopped her when he talked to her before she got in her and saved her), they just have to accept that they don’t know the answer.
         “I knew when I started the book that we would never be inside Blue Citrus with her that night, and so I still don’t have any idea what happened to Alaska—which is to say that I genuinely don’t have an opinion. I really believe that your reading of a book I wrote is just as legitimate as my reading of a book I wrote. (It’s possible you can even read the book better than I can.) I know that’s not a terribly fulfilling answer, but it’s the only answer I have. Frankly, I kind of want you to be haunted by the unansweredness of the question, because I think being haunted by such things is a valuable part of being a person.” – John Green.

-Lauren

      When I was reading this book and came across this quote, I loved it immediately. I thought that it really summed up the relationship between Pudge and Alaska. Pudge represented the gentle drizzle and Alaska came into his life as a wild, crazy, hurricane. Alaska came into his world and changed it upside down, just as a real hurricane would.

-Kira

Disscution Questions #4

1. Question: At the beginning of this section, Miles and Chip were looking up warning signs of suicide trying to figure out what happened to Alaska. Although Alaska showed a couple of the signs, Miles and Chip couldn’t decide on if her death was accidental or suicide. At this point what did you think was the real reason, why?

Answer: At this point, I thought it was suicide because whatever Alaska heard on the phone pushed her over the edge, and she decided to finally take her life. I thought she had been planning her death for a while, but didn’t have a reason to do so until she got that phone call.

2. Question: Miles is told by Chip that he wasn’t the only other guy Alaska kissed, which makes him wonder how special he was to her, and if she really loved him. Do you think that Alaska really loved him or was she just playing Miles?

Answer: I think Alaska was just playing him, she said constantly that she loved Jake and she had no reason to really love Miles. I think the whole love thing was something Miles made up in his head because that’s what he wanted to happen.

3. Question: Miles described Alaska as his “Great Perhaps”, what qualities or attributes do you think he saw in her to make her his “Great Perhaps”?

Answer: I think Miles saw her as a mystery; she was something that he wanted to find out more about, and he couldn’t stop trying to understand her. I also think she pushed him out of his comfort zone, which he was searching for in his “Great Perhaps”

4. Question: Miles and Chip had kept the truth about the night Alaska died, from Takumi for a longtime, why do you think they made that decision?

Answer:  I think they were scared of his reaction to the truth. In their minds they probably thought Takumi would always hold that against them and their friendship would never be the same.

5. Question: Miles and Chip constantly get angered by the way people, who didn’t know Alaska very well, act like they were best friends when in reality they don’t know them very well. Do you think this happens in real life, why or why not?

Answer: Yes, I think this happens in real life, and I think people do this for two different reasons, either to gain attention from other people or to bury their guilt about not spending enough time with the person that has passed on.

6. Question: Miles compares his understanding of Alaska to the Buddhist koan, where a man realizes there is no best or worst, only what is and he reaches enlightenment. He wonders if his understanding of Alaska will happen in an instant, do you think it is possible to understand a person fully and/or in an instant?

Answer: I do not think it is possible to understand a person fully, but I do think you can understand them better than anyone else on. For example, a married couple for 60 something years will know each other very well, but I think there is still some mystery to everyone. I do not think it is possible to know every part of someone in an instant.

7. Question: Do you think the prank was a good commemoration to Alaska?

Answer: No, I don’t really think it was a good commemoration of Alaska because I find the prank was very simple, and I expected there to be a much more complex prank, but I think the end result and reaction of the Eagle and students was a good commemoration of Alaska.

8. Question: Miles wrote for his religions class this quote “maybe ‘the afterlife’ is just something we made up to ease the pain of loss, to make our time in the labyrinth bearable” How do you feel about this statement, do you agree or disagree?

Answer: I think this holds some truth, because it’s easier to get over the death of a loved one if you think they are in a better and happier place vs. rotting away in the ground. I do not agree with the fact that we made it up, because in the religion I follow and believe in, it’s a fact not a made up place.

9. Question: What are some themes of this book?

Answer: Some themes shown throughout the book were: Friendship, Love, Regret and Loss

10. Question: An example of a theme is “There is more to a person than you will ever know”, when was this shown throughout the book?

Answer: Alaska was the main example of this, because no one ever really figured out why she got into an accident, what her last words were or if she loved Miles. Takumi is also another example, you don’t figure out that he saw Alaska that same night, and you would have never known that without the note he left.

~ Amanda

Journal Entry #3

            I think that this quarter of Looking for Alaska was the best part of the novel so far. It revealed many new things about the characters and had many unexpected twists and turns. I could not stop reading this book, eager to find out what happens next. This quarter was an emotional roller coaster for the characters, and me. The emotional part started when Alaska revealed the story about how her mother died. This story surprised me because she had talked about stories of her mother before, and never mentioned anything about her death. I felt bad for Alaska because she was quite young when her mother died, and should never have to lose a parent at that age, let alone witness it happen. It broke my heart that her father blames her for the death of her mother because she did not call 9-1-1 when she should have.

The mood got romantic later that same night when Pudge and Lara were sleeping next to each other. They began to kiss, and then later on he asked her to be his girlfriend. I was surprised that Pudge asked her to be in a relationship with him, because of his obvious feelings for Alaska. I felt as if Pudge was just using Lara to attempt to get over his true feelings for Alaska. I personally did not think it was going to last very long as I didn’t find that they shared a very strong bond. It turns out that I was right with my guess, as Pudge cheated on Lara with Alaska one night. They made out in his dorm room during a game of truth or dare. Alaska told him ‘to be continued’ and then fell asleep on his chest, which is when, Pudge told her that he, loves her. I thought that this was the beginning of a new relationship between Pudge and Alaska. I thought that they’d both end their current relationships and pursue one together.

The biggest, saddest, and most shocking event that took place in this quarter is the death of Alaska Young. It all started when she burst into the Colonel and Pudge’s room extremely upset in the middle of the night that she and Pudge madeout, asking them to distract the eagle and get her of campus. I thought that she had come to the realization that she had cheated on Jake and was freaking out. She then took her car and left campus. The next morning the Eagle told the school that Alaska died in a car accident last night, and I was shocked. At first I didn’t believe that she was really dead, I thought that she ran away and staged her own death. I was crushed when I found out that she really was gone for good. Colonel and Pudge started to look for the hows and why’s of her death right away, which I completely understand. If somebody I knew died, I would search for answer and closure as well. This part of the book reminded me a little bit of a murder mystery, but without the murder. All in all, this quarter of the book was very good, but also super emotional. It really took me off guard and surprised me at many moments as well.  

Kira

3rd Discussions Questions

Q.  Alaska revealed a very important story about her mother's death. What was revealed about her character in this scene?
A. This revealed that there is more to Alaska then just a tough girl. It helped us see that there is a softer side to Alaska. It also helped us to understand why she is the way she is.

Q. It's clear to us that Pudge has strong feelings for Alaska, so why do you think he asked Lara to be his girlfriend? What did this reveal about he character?
A. I think that this reveals that he also had feelings Lara, but not as much as Alaska. This shows that he is trying to move on from Alaska because he feels that he doesn't have a chance to be with her.

Q. The Eagle seemed to have no idea that Pudge, Alaska, Lara, Colonel and Takumi were responsible for the prank.  Do you think that he actually had a feeling it was them or do you think that he really had no clue?
A.  I think that he really had no clue it was them because they covered their tracks so well. Even if he had a feeling it was them, he had no proof to back it up and therefore would be unsuccessful of accusing them.

Q. Did you find it odd test Kevin and his friends really didn't seem mad about the prank? Why do you think they didn't really care, and what did this reveal about Kevin's character?
A. I didn't find it that odd that Kevin didn't react very much. After all, he knew that there was a prank coming his way because of the pranks that his gang did to them. I think that this reveals that Kevin is a good sport and excepts things when they happen. Also, their prank was nothing compared to wrapping Pudge up in duck tape and throwing him in the lake.

Q. How did you feel about the blow-job scene? Do you think it revealed something new about Pudge or Lara?
A. I thought that this scene was particularly funny. It was a good to break up the action and drama in the book. I was surprised when Lara offered this to Pudge so early in their relationship. I think that it reveals that Lara has a sexual and a not-so-innocent side to her that we were not aware of before. On the contrary, it revealed a certain amount of innocence that she had no clue how to go about the situation.

Q. When Alaska asked Pudge to hook up with her, what did this reveal about who she is as a person and how she values her current relationship with Jake?
A. I think it reveals many things that we already knew about Alaska. It shows that she acts on her instincts and doesn't think twice most of the time. She and Pudge were making out for a long time so she had time to remember Jake and stop, but she when she finally stopped she said to be continued. Even when Pudge said, what about Jake and Lara, she shhh'ed him and continued to kiss him. I think that this shows that Alaska would sacrifice her relationship with Jake for Pudge, although we will never know what her intentions with Pudge really were.

Q. Why do you think that Jake wasn't at Alaska's funeral? Does this show anything about Jake's personality?
A. I was surprised that Jake didn't attend Alaska's funeral. It made me wonder whether or not Jake knew about Alaska's make out with Pudge and was angry with her. I also think that it might have been too hard for Jake to attend the funeral. Some people can't cope with attending a funeral of somebody that they loved.

Q. Do you think that Alaska's death was an accident or a suicide? Why?
A. I think that Alaska's death was a suicide. I think the fact that Alaska had written 'straight and fast' next to the question, 'how do we get out of this labyrinth of suffering' shows that she thought that the best way to leave this world was straight and fast. She died by running into straight into a police car very fast with her car. Also, Alaska is known to make very sudden decisions without thinking them through, and I believe that in that moment she didn't want to live anymore, so she took herself out of life.

Q. Do you think that Pudge truly loved Alaska? Why?
A. Yes, throughout the entire book I think that Pudge kept falling more and more in love with Alaska. He thought so highly of her and they shared a connection that is hard to explain. She was beautiful and exciting and something that Pudge needed in that stage of his life.

Q. Why do you think Alaska brought tulips with her on the night that she died?
A. At first, I thought that she was going to Jake's house and brought them with her because he got them for her on their anniversary. I thought that she was either going to use them to signify that she was giving them back to him and breaking up with him, or apologizing to him about what she did with Pudge that night. Either way I thought she was bringing them with her to Jake's house.

   -Kira

Looking For Alaska Journal Entry Three

The third quarter of this book was groovy! This quarter of the book was an emotional roller coaster! For example when Miles and Alaska are kissing and Miles says “ I love you.” It brings you joy because we as the reader know this is how Miles felt all along. Then within the next few pages we learn that Alaska has died in a car accident, which really brings you down because we just experienced this emotional love scene. I find that this event further connects us to Miles because we see how he reacts in tough situations.

Also in this quarter of the book, we learn a lot about the characters. When the group is sitting in the barn drinking wine. Alaska comes up with the idea to play a drinking game where each person has to tell a story of their best day, and their worst day. During This game we learn much about the characters. We learn that Alaska indirectly killed her mother. And that Lara had to help her parents through the immigration process. We learn that Takumi never got to see his grandmother alive, and that Chip wants to buy his mother a nice big house one day. I think this part of the book is very important. I think that John Green purposely made us connect to the characters more, so that when Alaska dies we are more emotionally connected to it.

When Alaska dies Miles gets very upset and thinks to him self that he knows so many peoples last words, but he will never know hers. This really shows the friendship that they had and possibly more then just a friendship. I think that although Miles was dating Lara, and Alaska was dating Jake. I think Alaska and Miles both were attracted to each other and wanted to be together. I find that when Miles and Alaska are making out, it shows their true feelings for one another.

Corey ;)

Journal Entry #3

In the third sections of the book we are introduced to the "after". Up until this point, each "chapter" was titles as ___days before but now say the number of days after the event instead. This is because in this chapters an event changes everything for the stories main characters. Alaska, in an attempt to leave the campus and drive somewhere, gets in a fatal car accident just after seeing Miles and the Colonel who now felt guilty and responsible for her accident.

This quarter of the book was very emotional as we watch how the characters handle Alaska's death. The Colonel screaming while tucked in a bundle of the bench that he was sorry, girls who knew Alaska sobbing, people who we wouldn't have guessed to have cared over the death of Alaska were even shown in stages of grief. Miles denied everything, he couldn't believe it had happen and just thought it was another prank. The reactions of the characters seemed very raw and real, just like how I see people in real life once they learn that someone dear to them has passed away. When someone who is a big part of your life dies, you are hit with strong waves of sadness, anger, fear, denial and other emotions while you try to figure out what happened. It was for this reason that I felt sympathy for characters in the book with the unfolding of this event since it obviously took them by surprise and hit them hard.

Before the passing of Alaska, we see new development with the characters as they grow and new relations form. Miles and Takumi start talking more, work together on their part of the prank and seem to be a lot more comfortable with each other. Miles also finally asks Lara to be his girlfriend while the group is camped out in the barn after they've all been drinking. Miles and Alaska further their relationship as well once the group returns to campus and him, Alaska and the Colonel spend the night drinking in their room. While playing truth or dare, Alaska and Miles forget about their relationships and kiss each other before falling asleep together the night before Alaska gets in her car accident. However, the new relationships built all shatter after the news of Alaska's passing is brought up at the school assembly. I felt really bad for Miles and the Colonel because they both new Alaska probably shouldn't drive and yet because of the heat of the moment they still let her go and now feel the overwhelming guilt of it. The weight they're putting on themselves by taking responsibility for her accident is unfair and a very heavy burden to carry around. That being said, if I was in their place, I would blame myself too. When a friend passes away you can't help but ask the question, “If I was there or if I had stopped her, would she still be alive?”

- Lauren

Journal Entry #3

During this third quarter of the book, Miles, The Colonel, Alaska, Takumi and Lara were still hiding in the barn after they did their prank to get back at the Weekday Warriors who flooded Alaska’s room. They started playing a drinking game called Best Day/Worst Day which was made up by Alaska. Alaska recounted the night where her mother told he to go do her homework so later she could watch TV, and during this time Alaska heard her mother scream and fall and Alaska saw her convulse on the floor and moments later fall silent. In Alaska’s mind, she thought she had fallen asleep, but when her father came home, he was extremely angry because Alaska failed to call 911. Alaska said that her father blamed her for the death of her mother. On one hand, I understand why Alaska’s father blamed her for letting her mother die, but on another, I don’t know how he was able to blame a child for being scared and not knowing what to do. I really don’t know how I’d react in this situation, but I can understand both Alaska and her father’s reaction to the situation.

After this people hookup, blah, blah, blah, but the most important thing is when Alaska gets a phone call from a mystery person and comes back into the room hysterical, saying she needs to get out of the school and Miles and The Colonel must distract the Eagle while she does so. Alaska succeeded in getting out, but the next morning there is an assembly announcing the death of Alaska and obviously the whole school is devastated, but most of all Miles and the Colonel. They both are grieving, and after the funeral, Miles finds the book “The General in his Labyrinth” with a quote highlighted saying “How will I ever get out of this Labyrinth” and next to that was written by Alaska was “Straight and Fast”. Later on the Colonel comes up with a theory for why Alaska died; he thinks she committed suicide and Miles and the Colonel try to figure out if that’s true. Personally, I think this theory is very plausible in relation to the quote Alaska wrote in her book, but I don’t see how that makes any sense with the phone call Alaska received right before she left. I think there was another reason Alaska left and later died and someone wanted to hide it with the excuse of suicide. I’m excited to read what happens next and to find out the real reason for Alaska's death.

~ Amanda

This quote and part of the book was so great. The message is so true and it really made me think so when I saw this I just had to post it.

-Lauren

Journal entry #2

This second section of the book was incredibly interesting. We really started learning a lot more about the characters as well as got introduced to new ones. This quarter gave me a deeper understanding to the behavior of certain characters while still keeping up with the exciting plot that keeps you wanting to continue reading and not wanting to put the book down.

During this section, we are introduced to Jake (Alaska's boyfriend) and Lara, a girl who Alaska is trying to set up with Miles (also known as "Pudge"). The actual bond and relationship between Alaska and Jake was truly surprising. Though the story describes them to be a great match for each other, by the way Alaska would subtly or not-so-subtly flirt with Miles, you would have expected them not to be so into one another. Even with Alaska's excuse every time she flirts with Miles ("don't get me wrong, I love my boyfriend"), I still assumed there were problems with the relationship since she still flirted with Miles frequently and knowing that he liked her. Then we are reintroduced to Lara, a girl from Romania with a cute accent who apparently likes Miles. Miles seems interested enough in Lara as well and Alaska said she was going to help set him up with her however on their triple and a half date (the three couples and Takumi) she asked Miles to sit on the other side of her instead of sitting with Lara. Later after their date, Miles gets hit with a basketball, receives a concussion, throws up on Lara's jeans and spends time in the hospital for the night before going back to Culver Creek.

Besides these new characters, we also see much more character development. When Pudge decides to stay at Culver Creek for Thanksgiving instead of going home, we see a deeper connection form between Miles and Alaska. They dig up and drink wine together at the edge of the forest, snoop other dorm rooms and do other activities together that bring them closer as friends and also reveal that Alaska might like Miles as more than a friend. Also, we start to understand the hatred the Colonel has for the “Weekday Warriors” when he invites Alaska and Miles over for Thanksgiving and we as readers find out that he lives in a small trailer with his mom. Because the “Weekday Warriors” have so much and don’t really realize the opportunity of Culver Creek as well as are snobby and very rude, the Colonel, who has barely anything, is very disgusted by their lifestyle while probably also a bit jealous.

-Lauren

Section 2 discussion questions 

1) why do you think Alaska and Colonel took all the blame for the smoking incident?

 
Alaska and Colonel take the blame for the smoking incident in order to show their loyalty and trust to the group.

2)while on the date, why do you think Miles "wanted to hate Jake" ?

Miles wanted to hate Jake because he is jealous of what he is like, and in a way admires him.

3) why is Colonel upset about his break up even though he and Sara fought a lot?

Even though Colonel and Sara flight a lot he misses the fact that there is no one their for him even if it just for fighting, also he lost his virginity to Sara.

4) why did the weekday warriors flood Alaska's room? 

They flooded Alaska's room in order to get back at her for a previous prank.

5) why is Colonel not embarrassed by his mother?

Colonel is not embarrassed by his mother because, he is proud of who she is.

6) why does Alaska say that she is great full for having the best thanks-giving dinner in a decade?

Alaska says she is great full for the thanks giving dinner because, although she has family they don't act as though they are family.

7) what causes Alaska to come crying into miles room while on break?

The fact that she lost Colonels trust by admitting to ratting on her friends for getting drunk upsets her.

8) what does Miles mean when he says " you don't have to care about her- screw her."?

Miles says this because he knows its is his personal choice to caring so ,much for what Alaska does, its not his job to care. But he cares because he wants to.

9) what does Miles mean when he says " the great perhaps was upon us?" 

I believe miles says this because he is experiencing the feeling that he came to Culver Creek for.

10) why is the prank such a big deal to the group?

The prank is a big deal to the group because they want to get back st the weekdays warriors and show them who is boss on campus

 Corey ;)

Journal entry quarter 2

This quarter of the book was a great delight to read! This quarter of the book really touches on the feelings and emotion that teenagers experience. For example when Miles is feeling upset that Alaska and Colonel leave him out of the planning of the prank. Miles realizes that he doesn't have to be upset over Alaska and that he is only upset because he chooses to care about her. I think a lot teenagers can relate to this feeling when we get upset over some one we care about but but still choose to care about them because we feel it is worth it.

Another feeling that is very well expressed in the quarter of the book is when Miles “ wants to hate” Alaska's boyfriend Jake. I think most people have had a similar experience where we want to hate someone, but we don't really hate them. We just hate the idea of them having what we want. For example in Miles case he wants a girlfriend like Alaska and in a sense wants to be Jake. John Green does a great job at creating emotion through out the book. By doing this John creates a strong connection between you and the characters in the book, which makes you never want to put down the book in order to find out what happens to the characters.

When the group pulls the prank in the last portion of the book, it takes you even deeper into the story. It makes not want to put down the book at all. It gives you a sort of adrenalin rush. The way John Green describes the actions and feelings of the characters really puts you into the situation along with the group. You can imagine your self in the scenario. Heart pounding from running away from the Eagle, the sting of thorns cutting deep into your leg.

Corey ;)

Journal Entry #2

          The second quarter of this book was amazing. During this part we discover more about some of the existing characters and are introduced to a few new characters such as Lara and Jake. I was shocked to see how in love Alaska seemed to be with her boyfriend, Jake. I thought that their relationship would not have been as strong as it seemed because of Alaska's persistent flirting with Pudge. I found it very amusing when Pudge got hit with a football, suffered from a concussion and accidentally puked on his date, Lara. We see that there is a friendly, yet very flirty connection that continues to grow between Alaska and Pudge while they were the only two students to stay on campus during the Thanksgiving break. The Colonel picked up Alaska and Pudge from campus and brought them to Thanksgiving dinner at his house with his mom. I was shocked to find out that the Colonel lived in a tiny trailer with his mom. This helped me understand why Colonel has such a strong hate for 'Weekday Warriors' who are mostly rich with very large houses. I also understand now why he is so scared of getting expelled and having to live there with an education that wouldn't even compare to that at Culver Creek.
          In addition, there is also a very exciting, high tempo and adventurous event that takes place at the end of this quarter that had me on the edge of my seat. This event consisted of Pudge, Colonel, Lara, Alaska and Takumi pulling off a giant prank on Kevin and other 'Weekday Warriors' at the end of vacations. They had a very precise plan which involved; Pudge and Takumi setting firecrackers to lure the Eagle from campus while Lara switched out certain of the 'Weekday Warriors' hair products with blue dye, and Colonel and Alaska sent out letters to their parents stating that they're failing certain classes. I enjoyed how there was humour even in this intense part, which was when Pudge was bitten in the butt by a crazy swan. The fact that this quarter tugged on many of my emotions and made me understand the characters on a deeper level really made this quarter of the book a wonder for me to read.

-Kira Bombay

Journal Entry #2

Right at the beginning of this section, Alaska, Miles, the Colonel and Takumi were sent to Jury (12 elected students plus The Eagle who decided the punishment for no expellable offences) for being caught smoking on school property, or at least Alaska and the Colonel were. The punishment for Alaska and the Colonel ended up with 10 hours of work in the kitchen cleaning dishes, and nothing but a warning for Miles and Takumi. I think this punishment shows a kind of softer side to The Eagle because he didn’t interfere in the punishment given to four friends, like he could have being the judge. He allowed the students to pick a fair punishment without allowing his personal dislike or prejudice effect his decisions.

Miles was convinced by Alaska to stay during Thanksgiving with her on campus while everyone else when home. Miles phoned his mom asking permission to stay over break and she agreed, but with some reluctance. Miles reconsidered his decision, but when he called his mom he didn’t quite get the answer he expected. They had quickly booked a trip when they heard Miles wasn’t going to be home for the holiday. When Miles heard this, he was quite disheartened, and I relate to that feeling. I’ve often been in the same situation as Miles, regretting a decision and trying to reverse it without any luck. I think that’s one the of the worst feelings, its as if you let yourself down by making a wrong decision and having no way to fix it.

As time went on, someone pranked Alaska when it was raining by diverting water from a drainpipe into her room and therefore flooding her floor and ruining her books. Alaska, being the queen of pranks had been planning to get the weekday Warriors back for doing this. Alaska arranged a prank for the weekend coming up with the Colonel, Miles, Takumi, Lara and herself were to get an excuse to be away from the campus for the weekend, but in reality they were all going to be at the barn near The Eagle’s house. They were going to release two pranks, knowing The Eagle wasn’t going to expect that. As I read through the pre-prank, I’m wondering how much worse the actual prank will be, I’m questioning if Alaska’s idea for two pranks was really a good call for the group of friends to make. I’m excited to see what happens next.

~Amanda

Journal Entry #1

At the begining of “Looking for Alaska” we are introduced to Miles Halter. Miles seems to be the average teenager but doesn’t exactly fit in as his High school in Florida. Due to this, and the fact that Miles wants a bit more adventure and freedom, Miles decides to attend Culver Creek private school in Alabama. Miles seems like a very relatable character just by his introduction in this first quarter of the book. He is described to be a bit scrawnier, not too popular, trying to fit in and a really good guy. Just reading the first few chapters, you really start to find yourself liking Miles as well as rooting for him.

Once Miles arrives in Culver Creek, the author creates the picture of the school campus with great success. It’s very simple to see the image and scenery that the author is trying to create due to the order in which he describes the school grounds. The six dorm buildings all in a circle, the school building just outside that, a lake nearby, bits of forestry and lastly, the “Eagle’s” spot within the dorm circle ( concluding the tour). After Miles is dropped off and his parents leave, Miles is introduced to Chip Martin (the Colonel) and then also quickly introduced to the beautiful Alaska Young followed by Takumi the following morning. Miles, along with us readers, are also introduced to the idea of “Weekday Warriors”. This is the group of student who live at the school solely on weekdays and then run back home to air conditioning. They’re described as the stereotypical rich snobs and are also immensely disliked by the Colonel and many other students outside of the warrior group.

During his first few days at Culver Creek, we see Miles beginning to take up smoking in order to fit in better with his new “group” and to help him look a bit cooler. I think the way that Miles talks himself into smoking was a great example on how there can be pressure to do something whether your peers or anyone else tries to purposely pressure you or not. Simply being around a certain action can influence someone to think it would possibly be a good idea for them to join in as well to help fit in or create their ideal image.

Reading the first 55 pages of “Looking for Alaska” has been very excited to continue reading the rest of the book.  John Green has done a fabulous job at capturing my interest and attention as a reader and has made me look forward to seeing everything that will happen next. Whenever I pick it up, I can never seem to put it down. I can’t wait to see what else unfolds.

-Lauren

Questions for Section 1 of Looking For Alaska

Questions:1) Where is the private school, that Miles Halter wants to attend, located?
2) What is the name of the new private school and what reason do Mr. and Mrs. Halter think Miles has for switching schools?
3) What is the layout of the Culver Creek campus?
4) Who does Miles get assigned to dorm with and what is his nickname?
5) Who else is in the group of people that Miles is first introduced to when he arrives at Culver Creek?
6) What was the welcoming prank pulled on Miles during his first night at school?
7) What was the reason for the extra cruelty used in his "welcoming" prank?
8) What special talents do Miles and the Colonel possess?
9) Why were Miles and Alaska kicked out of their religion class?
10) What opinions does the group have about the religion teacher, Dr. Hyde?

Answers:
1) The new private school that Miles wants to go to is in Alabama, farther away from his home in Florida.
2) The new school Miles wants to attend is Culver Creek. His mother thinks his reason for switching school is his lack of friends while his father thinks that he is trying to follow in his footsteps.
3) The Culver Creek campus is composed of six tall door buildings all facing in towards the center of the circle. It has the one building for classes just passed the dorms, a lake, and the residence of "The Eagle" in the dorm circle.
4) Miles gets assigned to dorm with Chip Martin, a.k.a. the Colonel.
5) Upon his arrival at Culver Creek, Miles is also introduced to Alaska Young and Takumi.
6) The prank pulled on Miles was that Kevin and his two friends wrapped him up in duct tape and threw him into the water, wearing nothing but his underwear.
7) The average welcoming prank involves no duct tape, Kevin and the others were especially cruel to Miles because he is a friend of the Colonel and they think he ratted out their two friends Paul and Marya.
8) Miles has a unusual talent of being able to repeat the last words of a great number of people due to his adoration of reading biographies. The Colonel has the special talent of being able to memorize the names of states, countries, cities and capitols just by reading about them.
9) Miles was kicked out of religion class for not paying attention while Dr. Hyde (also known as "the old man) was talking. Alaska got kicked out as well since she tried to stand up for Miles and made a bit of a scene while being rude to Dr. Hyde.
10) Alaska, Takumi and the Colonel all have fairly negative opinions of Dr. Hyde. They think he's rude, strict and a little bit scary. Miles, on the other hand, thinks that Dr. Hyde is a complete genius and wants to absorb as much information in that class as he can.

Journal Entry #1

This part of the book starts out with Miles Halter in the midst of leaving his school in Florida, which he hates because of the different social groups that he doesn’t fit into. Miles wanted to go to Culver Creek boarding school to find his “Great Perhaps” and he knew he wasn’t going to find it in his old school. He was hoping to find this “Great Perhaps” before he died, unlike the write Francois Rabelais who said he was going to find it once he passed on. In this book it doesn’t specify what this “Great Perhaps” is, but I think it means a person who is searching for happiness, belonging or maybe their meaning in life.

Also I feel like at the beginning of the book, Miles is trying to leave his life in his former school for a new, more exciting school where he hopes to fit in. he also mentions all the social groups a his old school that he doesn’t fit into, but what I don’t think he realized at the time was that every school had their social divisions, and even Culver Creek had “groups”. Regular boarder and Weekday Warriors was the division between borders. I think every school has its division and presumptions about those groups and I think Culver Creek is no different from this idea.

I really relate to Miles with his liking of Mr. Hyde, because I tend to be more interested and engaged in class where someone is talking at me, as long as they have something interesting to say, rather than class work and group projects. I respect the actions of Mr. Hyde when he gets mad at Miles for looking out the window during class. I know that he wants his students to be involved in the class, but I also think that he went overboard in his reaction when Alaska stood up for Miles, but I think the principle of the thing is fair. 

~Amanda 

Looking For Alaska Journal One

This quarter of "Looking for Alaska" is a real hoot! This quarter of the book took me right into the foot steps of miles. I felt almost as though I had been right there with miles, entering Culver Creek. In the first quarter of "Looking for Alaska" we learn that Miles is not the most popular guy at his home in Florida, and by attending Culver Creek he will find his "Great Perhaps." When Miles arrives at Culver Creek he meets his roommate Chip, and makes some new friends, Alaska and Takumi. I found these characters easy to relate to which helped me place myself in the book. John Green has done a great job with the introduction to the characters and the over all plot of the story. When Miles first arrives to his new school, his parents tell him to stay away from trouble and not to mix in with the wrong crowed. Miles befriends the "bad" kids. The exact thing Miles parents wanted him to stay away from. I think this one of the reason this book is so addictive to read. It gives you an insight on what it might be like to break the rules and be a rebellious teenager. The first quarter of this book gives a great look on what the rest of the book will be like. John Green does a great job of describing how the characters feel during certain moments within the book. For example he really goes out of his way to explain how Miles and his parents are feeling when they have to say their goodbyes when the drop Miles off at Culver Creek. I found this book almost addictive while reading. Its one of those books you never want to put down. It always has you wondering what will happen next. I can't wait to keep reading this great book! 

Corey ;)

Welcome!

Welcome to our page! This blog revolves around our findings on Looking for Alaska by John Green. We'll each be updating journal entries on our thoughts of the 4 sections of the book as well as sharing what we find relevent. Hope you enjoy!

- Lauren, Corey, Kira & Amanda