Summer Reading Assignment: Entry 4

Looking for Alaska is a novel written by John Green. After reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green last summer I was hopeful and read Looking for Alaska for this summer because of John Green's writing. You could say I chose this book purely because John Green wrote it, but I also heard good things about this book from friends. The characters go to high school (boarding school) like me (shocking). I wouldn't say I live the kind of lifestyle as the characters in this book but I still found ways to relate to the characters while reading. This novel drew my attention also by the way it is written, the set up is weird and it is separated in two parts due to the events with Alaska Young.

Making recommendations to a certain audience is hard for me, I can't really generalize a book towards a certain group of people. Considering John Green is a young-adult/ teen book author I would recommend Looking for Alaska to that group of people, teens and young adults. Although anyone could enjoy this book considering the events in this book considering it being a more "mature" book. For example, The Fault in Our Stars (another teen book written by John Green) was enjoyed by my own mom. Looking for Alaska focuses around the importance of self discovery and about love isn't as clear as it may seem. This book drives askew from John Green's cliche type of books.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry 3

"How could i abandon my parents, who were nice enough to pay for my education at Culver Creek, my parents who had always loved me, just because i maybe like some girl with a boyfriend? How could i leave them alone with a giant turkey and mounds of inedible cranberry sauce?" (pg 78) Pudge (formally known as Miles), the main character who from the beginning gave the reader the hint that he likes Alaska Young. I think that in this part of the book, he realizes it. He also realizes how crazy it is to like her and to want to be with a self-destructive girl like Alaska who also has a boyfriend already.

"I go to seek a Great Perhaps" A quote that Miles seems to live by, which is the last words of Francois Rabelais. In the book I got the idea that Alaska Young is the "Great Perhaps". Going with that quote it could mean that anything could happen. I think the quote on page 78 about how Miles left his parents to spend Thanksgiving with Alaska is an important quote in this book because it is the point where Miles actually realizes what he has gotten into.