Looking for Alaska by John Green

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.

Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A stunning debut, it marks John Green's arrival as an important new voice in contemporary fiction. [via GoodReads]

This was such a great book. Told in two parts the "Before" and the "After". Throughout its pages we meet Miles "Pudge" Halter. He's recently left home and is now enrolled at Culver Creek a boarding school - seeking his "Great Perhaps." Looking for Alaska chronicles his ordinary life - leaving behind his former Florida high school and moving out to Alabama. There he finally feels that he fits in. He makes friends with the Colonel, his roommate, Lara Buterskaya, Takumi, and last but definitely not least, Alaska, the girl he immediately falls for.

Mr. Green does a superb job in really capturing the lives of these teens. Their feelings, emotions, actions were all relateable, realistic, we have all been there, we have all done these same things. I really commend him for not only introducing us to these characters but, if you're anything like me, you'll feel like you not only got to know them by the end of the book, but that they're also your friends. Pudge, the Colonel, Alaska, Lara and Takumi are just living their lives - but doing whatever possible to amuse themselves along the way. Even if it means irritating their teachers, playing pranks on the Weekday Warriors and all without getting caught by "The Eagle", the dean. They learn about alcohol and just how good it can make them feel, and then exactly how bad it can also make them feel, they learn to smoke cigarettes and experience sex for the first time.

This is their story of growing up, of loving and losing, of dealing and eventually just living life to the fullest. Mr. Green's writing is witty, entertaining, thought-provoking. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. And I guarantee it will stay with you long after you are done with it. A great story and one that I think should be required reading for teens.