Author John Green does another astonishing job of writing yet another literary piece. However, I’m beginning to think that Green has thing for writing about death or people who have gone missing. In Looking for Alaska, it just happens to contain both.

When first hearing the the title,  one may immediately think this is going to be a book within the genre of mystery, which is true, but there’s so much more than that. It involves a love story, a boy by the name of Miles Halter breaking out of the little shell he has surrounded himself with, and many interesting situations that main characters Miles Halter, Alaska Young, and Chip Martin seem to find themselves during their time at boarding school, Culver’s Creek , in Texas. However, in the middle of the book, something absolutely devastating happens, but you’re going to have to read it yourself in order to find out what it is.

The description located on the back of the book, I believe, does not do the book justice. It makes it seem like a stereotypical teen fiction that everyone has read. However, this is far from the truth. I could not put this book down once I started reading it over the summer. Green does a fantastic job of keeping one hooked by adding a majority of cliffhangers. I wouldn’t be surprised if yet another one of his books is made into a movie.

The characters within the book are very relatable to almost everyone. There’s Miles Halter, the shy guy who goes off on his own to the boarding school and wants to experience his “Great Perhaps,” so he slowly comes out of his shell by gaining a few close friends, partying, and even finds himself slowly falling in love with one of the other main characters, Alaska Young. She is described as “gorgeous, funny, clever, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating,” which is very true. She’s also the “leader” of the three. Chip Martin, the last main character, plays the role of both Miles’s roommate and Alaska’s long time best friend. However, he has anger issues which is sometimes hard for both Alaska and Miles to deal with sometimes.

The overall length of Looking for Alaska is rather short being only 221 pages. I would not say that this book is a light read, but it’s not a heavy read, either. It’s very compelling to read and the book ponders the thoughts of the individual who reads Looking for Alaska.

Overall, I would highly suggest reading Looking for Alaska if one has the spare time to read it. The book provides a rollercoaster of emotions that will keep the reader at the edge of his or her seat.