By John Green
A novel that became a bestseller nearly seven years after its release features a introvert boy named Miles Halter, who falls in love with beautiful Alaska Young. Then she dies.
In part one of the story, tentatively titled 'before', Miles's very bad social standing in his school is revealed in his 'going-away' party, to which only two acquaintances show up, and even then it is awkward. Miles tells his parents that the reason he decided to leave for Culver Creek Boarding School, his father's alma mater, is because of a particular poet's last words (which he came across due to his weird habit for memorizing last words) 'I go to see a Great Perhaps'.
When he finally arrives, he meets his roommate, Chip Martin, a short and muscular boy who dubs himself 'the Colonel' and decides to call Miles, 'Pudge'. Pudge then meets Alaska Young, an extremely stunning girl, friend of the Colonel. The Colonel reveals that Alaska is moody and loves books. On a swing near the lake in the school, she tells Pudge of Simón Bolívar's last words: 'Damn it! How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!' The two make a deal: If Pudge can find out what the labyrinth is, Alaska will find him a girlfriend. The Colonel also introduces Pudge to his other friend, Takumi Hikohito, a rapper.
On his first night at Culver Creek, Pudge is duct-taped by some Weekday Warriors (the rich and cool kids in the school), and thrown into the lake, which is supposed to be some school tradition, but without the duct tape. They blame it on the Colonel, whom they assume is responsible for ratting out Paul and Marya, who were caught by Mr. Starnes, the dean of the students, nicknamed 'the Eagle' and expelled for committing all three of Culver Creek's expellable offenses.
Later, however, Alaska admits that she was the one who ratted on Paul and Marya (Marya was her roommate) because she was about to be expelled and instead chose to rat to save her own skin. She introduces Pudge to a Romanian classmate of hers, Lara. Pudge and Lara go on a disastrous three-and-a-half date (Alaska going with her boyfriend, Jake, the Colonel with his out-of-love-girlfriend, Sara, and Takumi), in which Pudge gets a mild concussion and pukes over Lara's pants. Pudge starts to fall in love with Alaska.
Alaska and the Colonel plan a series of pranks to get revenge on the Weekday Warriors. First, Pudge and Takumi set off firecrackers near the Eagle's house to lure him away. Then, Alaska and the Colonel send fake progress reports to the Weekday Warriors' parents, saying that they have been failing their classes. Lara then puts blue hair dye in the Warriors' gel and shampoo. When Alaska is drunk, she tells Pudge about her mother dying from an aneurysm when she was young, and Alaska blames herself for her mother's death as she didn't call 911. Eventually, Pudge realises that the labyrinth is a person's suffering.
When they return, Alaska and the Colonel drink. Pudge and Alaska kiss, but Alaska says she is tired and asks to leave it 'to be continued'. Then suddenly, after a phone call, Alaska goes hysterical, and says she needs to leave the school. Pudge and the Colonel distract the Eagle by firecrackers while Alaska escapes.
In the second part, 'after', perhaps not as long as 'before', Pudge and the Colonel wake up to the Eagle telling them Alaska is dead. The Colonel is devastated, but Pudge believes it is only a joke. Only after the Eagle telling him Alaska really is dead then Pudge realises that she is gone, and will never be back. The Eagle says that Alaska died of a car accident, and the Colonel and Pudge blame themselves for her death, but change track when they find out that it may have been a suicide attempt. The Colonel is sour and says she was selfish if she asked them to help her commit suicide.
He decides to find out who called Alaska, and wants to question Jake, her boyfriend. Pudge is afraid that Jake will tell him that Alaska never loved him, and so refuses to go. The Colonel argues with Pudge and retaliates saying that Pudge only loved his own idealized version of Alaska, not the true version.
As a final prank to celebrate her life, Pudge, Takumi, Lara, and the Colonel plan a prank involving hiring a male stripper for their Speaker's Day. It is a success and they escape trouble. Pudge finds Alaska's copy of 'The General in his Labyrinth' with Bolívar's last words underlined and a note in the margin: 'straight and fast'.
Takumi suddenly remembers that the day Alaska died was the day after the anniversary of her mother's death. With this, they realize that Alaska must have felt guilty about failing her mother again, and so takes her own life. Takumi then leaves for Japan, telling Pudge in a note how he, too, had loved Alaska and let her escape on the day of her death. Pudge then forgives Alaska for dying and, then, finally, lets her go.
A beautifully written story, the lightness of the first part is stark next to the darkness of the second. Pranks and death collide in this stirring novel.
Pudge is a bit of a whiner, that you kind of dislike but still want to see him win, to see him love Alaska, and then later, find out why Alaska died. The second part isn't like a Sherlock Holmes story, there's no 'how' to it, Pudge has to find out 'why' she died, has to get into her head in her car. His emotions are excellently fleshed out and he really becomes a real person in your head.
All the characters seem to have another life, one that will stretch out for more and more years. You feel as though you are living their life, a wonderful writing aspect that differentiates this book from all other YA novels.
The first part is the best, in my opinion. The slight romance and the general 'romping' through Pudge's adventures is fun and enjoyable. Jokes and pranks abound, all while narrowly avoiding trouble. If it may seem a little draggy at times, it is, but Green is to be praised for his ingenious idea of using days before and after the event as a marker, like a countdown, instead of the normal chapter system. The 'Great Perhaps', one realises, is the night where they pull off their greatest prank yet, and get revenge at the same time.
Perhaps one feels a little let down by the shunting of Pudge to Lara and Green missing out on the chance to elaborate more on Pudge and Alaska's romance, the one we all know couldn't happen and the one that shouldn't happen, but yet we all want it to happen.
The disappointing part is the second, where Pudge becomes even more of a whiny baby and whines on and on and on about how Alaska loved him, while it is the Colonel who has to bring him down to earth. Takumi and Lara hardly ever play a part, and the second part, while it may sound as though they are trying to get past that impenetrable problem, in reality it is just the Colonel and Pudge mucking about, fighting like two babies about who Alaska loved.
A brilliant novel, but one feels it could have been better.
Rating: 8.3/10
Advice: Perhaps something to read in your spare time.
The Reviewer hopes that you have enjoyed this post and invites you to comment below. Please spread the word!
In the next post, I review a book which critics have called the 'new Slaughterhouse Five': The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
In the second part, 'after', perhaps not as long as 'before', Pudge and the Colonel wake up to the Eagle telling them Alaska is dead. The Colonel is devastated, but Pudge believes it is only a joke. Only after the Eagle telling him Alaska really is dead then Pudge realises that she is gone, and will never be back. The Eagle says that Alaska died of a car accident, and the Colonel and Pudge blame themselves for her death, but change track when they find out that it may have been a suicide attempt. The Colonel is sour and says she was selfish if she asked them to help her commit suicide.
He decides to find out who called Alaska, and wants to question Jake, her boyfriend. Pudge is afraid that Jake will tell him that Alaska never loved him, and so refuses to go. The Colonel argues with Pudge and retaliates saying that Pudge only loved his own idealized version of Alaska, not the true version.
As a final prank to celebrate her life, Pudge, Takumi, Lara, and the Colonel plan a prank involving hiring a male stripper for their Speaker's Day. It is a success and they escape trouble. Pudge finds Alaska's copy of 'The General in his Labyrinth' with Bolívar's last words underlined and a note in the margin: 'straight and fast'.
Takumi suddenly remembers that the day Alaska died was the day after the anniversary of her mother's death. With this, they realize that Alaska must have felt guilty about failing her mother again, and so takes her own life. Takumi then leaves for Japan, telling Pudge in a note how he, too, had loved Alaska and let her escape on the day of her death. Pudge then forgives Alaska for dying and, then, finally, lets her go.
A beautifully written story, the lightness of the first part is stark next to the darkness of the second. Pranks and death collide in this stirring novel.
Pudge is a bit of a whiner, that you kind of dislike but still want to see him win, to see him love Alaska, and then later, find out why Alaska died. The second part isn't like a Sherlock Holmes story, there's no 'how' to it, Pudge has to find out 'why' she died, has to get into her head in her car. His emotions are excellently fleshed out and he really becomes a real person in your head.
All the characters seem to have another life, one that will stretch out for more and more years. You feel as though you are living their life, a wonderful writing aspect that differentiates this book from all other YA novels.
The first part is the best, in my opinion. The slight romance and the general 'romping' through Pudge's adventures is fun and enjoyable. Jokes and pranks abound, all while narrowly avoiding trouble. If it may seem a little draggy at times, it is, but Green is to be praised for his ingenious idea of using days before and after the event as a marker, like a countdown, instead of the normal chapter system. The 'Great Perhaps', one realises, is the night where they pull off their greatest prank yet, and get revenge at the same time.
Perhaps one feels a little let down by the shunting of Pudge to Lara and Green missing out on the chance to elaborate more on Pudge and Alaska's romance, the one we all know couldn't happen and the one that shouldn't happen, but yet we all want it to happen.
The disappointing part is the second, where Pudge becomes even more of a whiny baby and whines on and on and on about how Alaska loved him, while it is the Colonel who has to bring him down to earth. Takumi and Lara hardly ever play a part, and the second part, while it may sound as though they are trying to get past that impenetrable problem, in reality it is just the Colonel and Pudge mucking about, fighting like two babies about who Alaska loved.
A brilliant novel, but one feels it could have been better.
Rating: 8.3/10
Advice: Perhaps something to read in your spare time.
The Reviewer hopes that you have enjoyed this post and invites you to comment below. Please spread the word!
In the next post, I review a book which critics have called the 'new Slaughterhouse Five': The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
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