Read this when
Looking for Alaska
For when someone's gone and you'll never know why. 'How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!' 🌀
Who it's for
The 'before' and 'after' structure counts down to Alaska's death and then counts the days after it, which makes the reader feel how a single night divides a life.
Guilty / Ashamed→Forgiving / At Peace
Feelings it meets
What it is
John Green's 2005 debut novel follows Miles Halter, a teenager fascinated by famous last words, who transfers to Culver Creek, a boarding school in Alabama, in search of a 'Great Perhaps'. There he becomes friends with Alaska Young, the Colonel and Takumi.
Where to find it
In print; widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla, where held) and as an audiobook. Not public domain. Adapted as a 2019 Hulu miniseries.
Before you start
Heads up: A teen's death, possibly by suicide.
Age: Ages 14+
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, “On Joy and Sorrow”
