The Great Perhaps

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Rating: 5 Stars
More Info

                John Green has effectively broken my heart twice now. And for that, he is officially my new favorite author. After reading The Fault in Our Stars, I knew that I had to read Green’s other books as well. If I’m being completely honest, this book started out a little slow for me and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish it. And then, all of a sudden, it picked up and I couldn’t put it down. The adventures of Pudge and his friends will have you wondering where this book has been all your life and why exactly these people aren’t your best friends.  

Looking for Alaska manages to tell the story of Pudge’s seemingly unrequited love for Alaska Young and be incredibly insightful at the same time. This book poses several subtle philosophical questions, as well as some not so subtle questions. I loved this entire book, but my favorite part is the very end, the second to last paragraph. I won’t say anything more than that, because it would spoil the book if you haven’t read it. But, I will say that, to me, that paragraph IS The Great Perhaps.

                 

Next post: August 4^th, 2014

Okay? Okay.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Rating: 5 Stars
More Info

                I put this book off for a really long time. As in, it probably sat on my bookshelf for a good two months. Why? Because I’m the type of person who gets emotionally attached to the characters in a book (given the author is good enough to pull me in to begin with) and knew that tears would be shed with this one. So, I put off reading this book, if only just to spare my emotions.

                After I finally convinced myself to go ahead and read the book, I couldn't put it down. I sat down and read this book in one day. And let me just tell you… John Green broke my heart. Green managed to make me, and many others, fall in love with Augustus Waters in less than 300 pages. There’s something to be said about great character development in this day and age, when characters tend to fall flat and just become another name on the page. The characters in The Fault in Our Stars are beautifully developed, making you feel as if they've been your neighbor for your entire life. This isn't the kind of book that you just read; you don’t just sympathize with the characters, because you are the characters. You are Hazel Grace, you are Augustus Waters, you are Isaac, and you feel whatever they feel. This book was, by far, one of the best I've ever read and was completely worth the tears.

             

Next post: July 21st, 2014