Looking for Alaska by John Green

 

Title: Looking for Alaska

Author: John Green

Publication Date: 2005

ISBN #: 0142402516

Number of Pages: 221

Trend: Trend: John Green, Tough Girls

Publisher: Speak

Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. New York, NY: Speak, and imprint of Penguin  

Summary: This book has two parts to it: a “before” and an “after.” The “before” part of the book opens with the depressing going away party of Miles Halter before he leaves for boarding school, but Miles does not care as he prepares himself for the next chapter of his life and his search for what he calls “the Great Perhaps,” a phrase he coined after reading last words of Francois Rabelais. When he gets to Culver Creek Preparatory High School in Alabama his life will never be the same as be becomes best friends with his room mate, and meets Alaska Young, his first love. Though crazy, spontaneous, moody, and self-destructive, Alaska steals Miles’s heart. The first part of the book is counting down to something that the reader can only guess is some big event, and the anticipation grows as the reader nears it. The “after” part of the books begins when Alaska dies in a car crash. Miles spends the rest of the year trying to figure out if it was suicide. John Green’s realistic fiction-debut novel weaves us through falling in love, losing the love, grieving the love, and finally finding acceptance.  

Curricular connections: This book is a great look at teenage angst, and problems that one might face without knowing how to seek help. This would be a good book to compare to something like Catcher in the Rye.

Review Sources: Peter D. Sieruta of Hornbook Magazine declares that Looking for Alaska a, “mature novel, peopled with intelligent characters who talk smart, yet do not always behave that way, and are thus notably complex and realistically portrayed teenagers.” Kirkus Review also comments on the authenticity of the characters, “utterly real gaggle of young persons, full of false starts, school pranks, moments of genuine exhilaration in learning and rather too many cigarettes and cheap bottles of wine.”

Personal response:

I thought this book was amazing, and sad. I remember the days all too well of being a teen just like these ones. It is good to read and get the nostalgic feeling so strongly from a book. John Green’s writing is amazing.

Works cited

Works Cited 
Adams, L. (2002, September-October). * M. T. Anderson Feed. The Horn Book Magazine, 78(5), 564+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA91711368&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=699f0ea5c664c063c2d073b549b7d305

Airborn. (2004, April 26). Publishers Weekly, 251(17), 66+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA116187718&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=ef5f765dedb063fad436234c5bd2cacb Rohrlick, P. (2005, March). Patterson, James. Maximum Ride: the Angel experiment. Kliatt, 39(2), 15. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA130568813&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=d79f278d805792fd8b26b0b3466d0801  

Blasingame, J. et al. (2009). The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Vol. 52, No. 8 (May, 2009), pp. 724-725. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/stable/27654335

Bliss, L. (2011, May 15). Riggs, Ransom. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Library Journal, 136(9), 77+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA256863325&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=9b1e0b7975a62fbbbdf7b58ba9a16e30

 
Bradburn, F. (2002, October 15). Anderson, M. T. Feed. Booklist, 99(4), 400+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA94079962&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=3589e0a146c0775cdbd073cca60782da

Cart, M. (2010, November 15). Making noise about Chaos. Booklist, 107(6), 42. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA243277308&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=7c38a8596e51eb195a290b300ebb9bab

Cart, M. (2011, May 15). Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Booklist, 107(18), 17. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA257511697&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=2052818fef9b3be2eb83d62d1352abc8 

Cart, M. (2011, January 1). Tiger's Curse. Booklist, 107(9-10), 100. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA246534330&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=16f7822f0961491f98fbc9b4df150e2c

Chipman, I. (2009, September 1). The Maze Runner. Booklist, 106(1), 84. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA207943602&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=6cc593aa25fbb3011651d0541470e2c8

Corbett, S. (2010, July 19). In praise of 'chaos': excitement builds for Patrick Ness's dystopian trilogy. Publishers Weekly, 257(28), 26+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA233050271&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=a7a2019d3691eddd4fe51cfe539924f6

Daughter of Smoke and Bone. (2011, July 25). Publishers Weekly, 258(30), 55. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA262884878&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&

Galuschak, G. (2006, November). Yang, Gene Luen. American born Chinese. Kliatt, 40(6), 32. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA155401679&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=77c45d471ef31104286ef8a916ec6ed1 

Green, John: Looking for Alaska. (2005, March 1). Kirkus Reviews, 73(5), 287. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA130346331&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=e5581ab36a6f627f34b2cf9334622672

Goldsmith, F. (2008, September 1). The Hunger Games. Booklist, 105(1), 97. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA185166292&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=90059b25f24e230e3c30365f68953701

Karp, J. (2006, September 1). American Born Chinese. Booklist, 103(1), 114. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA151763705&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=823855c61154b3153dbc9847102137ffsw=w&asid=0c3cef46592951a7ecbf1ab47871984f 

Kirkus Review (2009). The Maze Runner; Dashner, James. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA208572053&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=d949ac9ed0f994cf94f40f07d1c8bee1
Martin, J. (2012, January 1). Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Library Journal, 137(1), 56. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA276895318&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=d2591e29642e8ebf507de9acd4164d3f

"Maximum Ride: the Angel Experiment." Publishers Weekly 21 Mar. 2005: 52. Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 May 2014. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA130975298&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=1bcbbe93a179d9e995f32b1020800993


Rohrlick, P. (2004, May). Oppel, Kenneth. Airborn. Kliatt, 38(3), 12. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA116526262&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=435371015aeea66ac54f1b76676afc02 

Sieruta, P. D. (2005, March-April). John Green: Looking for Alaska. The Horn Book Magazine, 81(2), 201+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA130340144&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=758832e6242ec4e7ffc399c2b3dabd7a

Tiger's Curse. (2010, November 8). Publishers Weekly, 257(44), 61+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA242297207&v=2.1&u=mont99430&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=9c43f7ccd0cbed72d147800565fa438d

Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

 

Title: Tiger’s Curse

Author: Colleen Houck

Publication Date: 2011

ISBN #: 1402784031

Number of Pages: 448

Trend: Tough Girls, romance, teens with abilities

Publisher: Splinter

Houck, C. (2011). Tiger’s Curse. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Summary: A few years after Kelsey's parents died, Kelsey finds herself puttering through life.  Just graduated from high school and working at a temp. agency to pay for community college, little did Kelsey know that when she lands a temporary job at a circus that her whole life is about to change. When she meets the circus's tiger, she feel immediately drawn to the creature, and when a wealthy Indian business man buys the tiger, he offers her a job with all expenses paid to India to help care for the tiger. In India though she ends up being abandoned with the tiger on the streets of India and he runs into the jungle. Kelsey follows to discover that the tiger is no ordinary tiger, but a 300-year-old Indian prince (who still looks nineteen), who has been cursed to live as a tiger for the last three centuries. He can change into human form for only 24 minutes every day. Kelsey was some how chosen to help him break the curse and return him to human form forever. They begin a perilous journey that can lead them to their death or lead them into each others arms. 

Curricular connections: Certainly in regard to the setting of the book, India. There are many implications for readers to explore another part of the world through this book. In the library, especially right now since our summer reading program theme is “paws to read,” we have this book set up in display with other animal themed books. 

Review Sources: Publisher’s Weekly reviews Tiger’s Curse with a critical eye regarding Houck ambitious, but lagging, writing. This review also comments on the childish narration from a character that is supposed to be a high school graduate. Michael Cart of Booklist states, “Houck’s first novel is part Twilight, part Indiana Jones, and part fairy tale. Although her book--the first in a proposed series--is sometimes derivative, she tells a good story filled with chaste romance that will keep readers turning pages to the inconclusive ending”

Personal response:  I think that this novel dragged and I thought the characters were far too childish.  Everything seemed all too easy. It is hard to see that a book with a character, who is a high school graduate, 18 years old, would be written more for a 12-year-old reader. I also found that the idea that Ren’s clothes magically change form with him, so he’s never naked when he turns into a tiger, is a major copout.  That said, I am impressed that this author was able to self-publish her work, and then it get picked up for a publishing contract. I am sure her subsequent novels evolve with her craft.