If you've never read Looking for Alaska by John Green, don't read any further. You've been warned so don't complain when you read major spoilers.
Premise of Looking for Alaska as told by google: "Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words–and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young."
Characters
-Miles was ironically nicknamed, "Pudge" by his friends even though he's tall and skinny. Watch out for irony. Irony is huge in this book. As I reread the book, there's also a ton of foreshadowing and symbolism that I missed.
-The Colonel is Pudges new roommate.
-Alaska Young is described as stunningly beautiful. If you pay attention to how she talks, you will notice that she's very philosophical. She is emotionally unstable and this becomes apparent later.
Throughout the book, there appears to be a countdown. It never says to what and the reader has to keep reading to find out what it's for. As the countdown continues to go down, the book seems to be about regular high school life and they do series of pranks, partying, and drinking.
One night Alaska talks about the death of her mom. Her mom died of an brain aneurysm and Alaska was the only other person in the house. Even though Alaska was very young and didn't understand what was going on, she feels guilty that she didn't call 911. Especially when she heard about stories on the news where a parent suffers some sort of medical emergency and the child gets medical attention and she wishes that she did that. It definitely didn't help that her father blamed her.
The day after Alaska talks about her moms death, she gets a phone call that makes her very upset. She tells Pudge and The Colonel to send off some firecrackers to serve as a distraction, so she can get off campus. After they sent off the firecrackers, Pudge and The Colonel head back to their dorm and go to sleep. When they wake up, they are quickly ushered to the gym and receive the news that Alaska is dead. Alaska died when her car crashed into an empty police car. After Alaska's death, it's up to the reader to find out if her death was an accident or if it was a suicide. The rest of this will be biased because I think Alaska killed herself.
^^^this quote heavily foreshadows Alaska's death. How did Alaska hit the empty police car? Straight and fast.
Why I think Alaska killed herself
She was incredibly drunk. Four times the legal limit to be exact. Pudge and The Colonel tried to get as drunk as Alaska was that night, and they agreed they were in no shape to drive. However Alaska drank a ton and she probably had a tolerance to alcohol.
Not only was she very drunk, but she was very distraught that she forgot to go to her moms grave on the anniversary of her mom's death.
She had white tulips in the backseat of her car. The meaning behind white tulips is forgiveness. I'm thinking the tulip is one of the symbolism because she wanted forgiveness from her mother, since she feels responsible for her mom's death.
She was going very fast and in a straight line when she hit the empty police car. She didn't even swerve.
Quotes by Alaska that make me believe that she was suicidal:
Looking for Alaska is currently in the makes for a movie. Looking for Alaska is my favorite book by John Green and Hollywood had better not mess it up. Personally, I would definitely read it more than once even though I know Alaska dies and that I believe it was a suicide. This book I should filled with symbolism, irony, foreshadowing, and philosophical quotes. And I love a good philosophical quote.
What Girls & Guys Said
Opinion
2Opinion
I realy want to read this after seeing your post. It sounds very interesting. John Green seemsto betotally the polar opposite of Nicholas Sparks
I haven't read any of John Green's stuff but Sparks is just to sappy at times
You should totally read it. It's a great book. My personal favorite of John Green
Sparks is very sappy. Also his books are very formulaic. All his books seem to follow the pattern of boy and girl meet, boy and girl like each other, they start dating, they start having problems, they have a major problem, and then they make up. All of his books are love stories and there's only so much you can do with love stories.
When I get paid Ill order it from Amazon
Plus Sparks tends to add hidden religous meanings
When I read it I wasn't sure if it was suicide or accident. Right now, I think it was a combination. Like it was originally an accident, but she decided not to do anything about it.
That's how I feel about it. You don't always have to make a drastic decision to end your life. Sometimes you can be driving in your car and you hope that you get in a terrible accident and the airbags fail.
Or even just be driving and see an empty car and just, not swerve. I think that's what happened to Alaska.
' Hollywood had better not mess it up. '
They will
Also Kurt Vonnegut smoked unfiltered pall malls for his whole life and called them, 'a classy way to commit suicide'