#BlissfulBookTalk: Looking for Alaska by John Green
The March read for #BlissfulBookTalk was Looking for Alaska by John Green, and this was actually only the second novel that I've read by him. The first was The Fault in Our Stars, which was, of course, incredible, so my expectations were pretty high for this book as well. It didn't help that every single person that I talked to said that I was going to love it and that it was one of their favorite books that they've ever read ever. So I was kind of nervous about my expectations being a little too high, but don't fear. If you're a lover of Looking for Alaska, I'm officially riding that love train with ya. I loved this book. I can't believe it was his first novel, because it was just so good.
The reason I chose Looking for Alaska was because the novel celebrated it's 10-year anniversary this year, and that's definitely an element that you see in the book. There are certain things that are considered #throwback now, like using pay phones instead of cell phones to call home. Or even calling home in general. A lot of people just text or email or Facebook message their parents and let them know they're still loving/hating school. Also, caller ID. When the main character's mom got caller ID, she was pretty much freaking out. Also, they played games on PS2, which is pretty much ancient history now since PS4 is out. I just liked those little elements of the book, because if you've read my blog before, then you know I can get pretty nostalgic.
I have tons of thoughts on this book, and if you want to hear them, check out my latest YouTube video for a full review.
Overall, I give the book 4.5 out of 5 stars. The lack of half a star is due to a few unanswered questions (a major one that I reveal at the end of my video review) and just a few random things I didn't like, such as Takumi kind of disappearing in the middle of the novel. I know it's kind of explained, but I think it's kind of unnecessary, and I may just be biased because Takumi was one of my favorite characters. Also, everything that happened with Lara in the book. I really liked her, and she was just treated pretty crappy through most of the book by everyone but Takumi, and she just disappears in the After part of the novel. There are also a few things that I can't go into because they are major spoilers, so we'll just leave it at that.
If you want to read along with me next month, the April pick for #BlissfulBookTalk is The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks. I'm a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks, but I don't really go out of my way to read his books. I usually read them before I watch the movies, and that's the reason I picked this book. I saw the trailer, and I decided that I had to see the movie, but I couldn't see the movie without reading the book first. I mean...
If y'all want to read along with me, be sure to use the hashtag #BlissfulBookTalk on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram so we can talk nerdy and bookworm-y stuff.
Have you read Looking for Alaska? What books would you like to see on the roster for #BlissfulBookTalk?
