If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this post coming.. 😉

By now, you’ve most likely heard of the award winning, extremely popular author, John Green. He’s written an array of best sellers from The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns, and the novel I am focusing on today, Looking for Alaska.

Looking for Alaska was John Green’s first novel and was published in 2005. From Green’s recent explosion of popularity from The Fault in Our Stars (which also was a hit movie), he has been honored with numerous awards, his books have topped best sellers lists, and he has become an iconic role model for young adults everywhere.

Even though Green’s work is primarily for a young adult audience, featuring stories of coming of age characters, he hits home with readers of all ages.

Looking for Alaska is one of those books that sticks with you. I do want to say that Alaska is actually a girl (not the state), and this book divided into two distinct sections surrounding the life of a high school aged boarding school student, Miles, and his new group of friends.

I don’t want to ruin this story for you, but it’s an important one. While the story line hit extremely close to home once the division of the story happened, it was a gripping read. It teaches and reminds us of important lessons, and how one moment can define the rest of your life.

The first part of the novel revolves around Miles’s life as he moves to Alabama to attend boarding school. Miles is a loner in his home state of Florida and hopes to gain friendship and a sense of purpose in his new home.

Upon arrival, he meets his strong willed roommate, and his roommate’s friends, including the beautiful Alaska Young. Miles falls quick & hard for Alaska, but as he gets to know her, as well as himself better, he realizes there’s a lot more to people’s lives than what meets the eye. Once you hit that moment of “after”, stick with the story. It unfolds beautifully.

If you’ve read this novel and want to speak to me about it, please be mindful of the other readers who have not yet experienced the brilliance of Looking for Alaska. Feel free to comment below (NO SPOILERS, PLEASE!) or, if you do want to talk “the great perhaps”, email me at MelissaWithTheGreenPalateLife@gmail.com.

Past book reviews you may enjoy:

Gone Girl

What’s Currently on My Nightstand

The Giver