This is not a tale of teenage angst written from the rose-tinted perspective of someone who has lived through “worse” or “more” Green’s conveys the characters’ feeling of guilt and shame and anger with a genuineness that is rarely found in books about younger characters. His writing validates their feelings, not just as adolescents, but as people living experiences which are intense and often difficult. Unlike some other authors of young adult fiction, Green manages to write about teenage characters’ feelings and experiences without condescension. We see the story unfold through Pudge’s eyes but still we are far more connected to other characters (as I wrote this, I actually had to check if the book was written in the first or third person which I think shows how little subjective narration Pudge brings to the storytelling).
For that reason, the plot is driven by more assertive characters like Pudge’s friends Colonel and the eponymous Alaska as they scheme and plot and smoke and drink. As a reader though, we get the impression that life almost happens to him. Pudge is the main character of the book by virtue of the fact that he brings us with him to the world of Culver Creek. ‘Looking for Alaska’ follows Miles Halter as he leaves his lonely, self-contained life with his parents behind and integrates into the fully functioning society within the walls of Culver Creek boarding school where he becomes known as ‘Pudge’ (ironically, given his slight build). Nor could it be said that it is an easy read.ĭespite its title, the book is not set in Alaska. But if ‘Looking for Alaska’ is young adult fiction, there is no sacrifice in terms of quality as a result of the book’s genre or target audience. Sometimes I hear of adult readers returning to young adult fiction looking for nostalgia and the comfort of an easy read - similar to the experience of browsing Netflix endlessly only to return where we knew we would end up, watching the shows that got us through our teens and young adulthood. “Looking for Alaska” by John Green - Young adult fiction, but don’t let that put you off
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