Monday, January 6, 2014

Audiobook Review - Looking for Alaska by John Green

How did I come into possession of this book?
I previously read The Fault in our Stars by this same author, and have heard nothing but praise for him all year.  Even though the previous book I read by him was quite depressing, I thought I’d give another one of his a try for the long drive to Tahoe for the holidays.

What is it about?
Miles (aka Pudge) starts going to boarding school a couple states away from his parents. Immediately upon getting to school he falls into a crowd with his roommate.  One of their closest friends is a girl named Alaska.  The book follows his experience in his first year there and all the drama and fun that comes with boarding school.

What did I think?
I really liked this book. Again, it was quite depressing and after the pivotal part of the story I felt like there was quite a lot left and not sure how it would end.  When it all finished up I decided that I did like the end but for a while thought it would just be upsetting and sad the whole way through.  There were times in this book where I laughed and there were also touching moments.  I really enjoy his writing and although I’m not sure I’d act the way many of his teenage characters do I thoroughly enjoy reading his books.  This audio was great (as compared to the other book I listened to by him, which I though was very poorly narrated) and it kept my attention.

Who would I recommend it to?
This is first and foremost a young adult book.  But I could see it being one that can cross over to adults because the writing isn’t just aimed at young adults.  I think that is why I like his books.  The topics are a bit more young adult but the way the book reads doesn’t make me feel like I’m reading a quality level below what I should be reading.  I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good read, it is also pretty short a nice in between for longer books you may be reading.

2 comments:

  1. "Looking for Alaska" was my first introduction to John Green and I loved this book. It reminded me a lot of my teenage years without being predictable. Not to give anything away, but that thing that happened (you know the thing, lol) was so unexpected and depressing. It kept me on my toes and I loved the ending.

    I haven't read anything else by him yet. I got a sampler, though. So, I'm trying to narrow down my options. I have a large reading list this year.

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    1. You should read "The Fault in our Stars". I loved it (although it was quite depressing), and I think it was one of the most popular books of last year. I listened to the audio version, which wasn't great, but I think reading it would be awesome!

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