Bibliographical information:

Green, John. Looking for Alaska. New York: Penguin, 2005.

Brief summary:

Miles Halter heads to boarding school in Alabama in search of the Great Perhaps. There, he finds a circle of smart but rebellious friends who initiate him into their life of pranks, hard drinking, smoking, and serious wrestling with life. He is particularly drawn to the mysterious and self-destructive Alaska, whose actions have consequences for her friends.

Comments:

This is a tough but beautiful book. The characters are serious kids who read and think, but they're also wild and self-destructive. I suspect that the bright high schoolers at whom this book seems to be aimed will be fascinated by these kids who cross lines that they themselves would not.

Grade/Age level:

 Grades 9-12--this is a young adult book.

Cautions:

As I said, this is a tough book in which things do not always turn out okay.

If you like this book, you might also like . . .

John Green, An Abundance of Katherines 

--Lisa Gordis

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