Friendship, love, grief, guilt and self-discovery
Looking for AlaskaThe author's writing style is very good and certain quotes like "People, I thought, wanted security. They couldn't bear the idea of death being a big existing, couldn't bear the thought of their loved ...
The author's writing style is very good and certain quotes like "People, I thought, wanted security. They couldn't bear the idea of death being a big existing, couldn't bear the thought of their loved ones not existing, and couldn't imagine themselves not existing. I finally decided that people believed in afterlife because they couldn't bear not to" (p. 103 ll. 26-30) struck me as very thought-provoking.
The main characters are very well developed and fully rounded. Some of the discussions of these were quite amusing as well. Also noteworthy was Miles' knowledge of last words, these were very entertaining (the author also used this to show a part of his personality, as he has been interested in this since he was 12 years old). It helped make the first part of the book very enjoyable to read.
(The book is divided into two parts with some sub-chapters, which fits the story very well).
At the end of the first part there was a surprising twist which helped to bring out the messages that John Green wanted to convey. That is, among other things, that you can be very strong and overcome hard times if you only believe in yourself. Nevertheless, the second part dragged on while reading and wasn't too exciting either.
The book is also about a teenage love story, but it is not the "typical kind" of relationship, but a darker one, which I found refreshing and varied.
So overall, it's a great book with nice messages and characters with true personalities.
(TW: Depression and dealing with the loss/death of loved ones is addressed).