Where the hell is Alaksa?...that is a good question!

"Looking for Alaska" by John Green is an excellent book but questionably so for educators. I do not believe in censorship one bit so that would not be the issue that motivates me to say that it may not be appropriate for students.

Summary:

The main character, questionable is Miles or Pudge. He is a nerd, much like John Green claims to be. He went to highschool at a public school and didn't really fit in so he has been dying to go to this private school called Culver Creek. There he meets the Colonel, ironic, because he is so small and Alaska who is the other "main character." He also meets their mutual friend Takumi and his later "girlfriend" lara. they are all buddies and slightly mischevious. They like to pull pranks and annoy the Eagle who is the prinicipal of the school even though he likes them all, especially Alaska. They get into their fair share of minor troubles and try to pull pranks. At the beginning, the "weekend warriors" strip him and throw him into the lake and he could have drowned because they tied him up. The colonel Alaska and him decide they have to get them back so they plan and plot and scheme. Pudge has an instant crush on Alaska but she has a much older boyfriend. Pudge goes out with Alaska's friend lara and they have maybe one date and he throws up on her and part of what is considered innapropriate is when Green details some sexual activities between Pudge and Lara. This clearly means nothing because soon after when Pudge and Alaska and the Colonel are drinking, eventhough Pudge isn't drunk he and Alaska kiss. She then drives off to put flowers on her mothers grave and dies on the way. This is considered the before.

"After." Pudge and Takumi and Colonel find out and they are naturally distraught and are dying to find out the nature by which her death occured, suicide or otherwise. He and Colonel do not want to tell anyone that they could have stopped her but didn't and they feel guilty. They ignore takumi and he is upset. At the end of the novel Pudge finds out that really Takumi was the last to see her alive and he too could have stopped her.

I think this book is wonderful and it was probably my favorite so far, but I do not see any real value in teaching it to a class of high schoolers or otherwise. Maybe on a far off idea if and ONLY IF you go to a PRIVATE SCHOOL you can discuss the aspect of religion and how that was dealt with in the book because there is quite a bit of talk about religion, and harmony and death in this book. However, this is NOT appropriate in a public school. I think though that this could be atleast on a summer or otherwise reccomended reading list for children in high school because it such an awesome book and I believe of all the books that we have read in my YA literature class that this has the most sufficient Literary Merit. I think this because Green really incorporates huge and deep themes into very subtle cues throughout the book.

Overall, fantastic book , quick read and possible lesson plan for: understanding death, the human condition or even teenage mentalities.