Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker's Reviews > Looking for Alaska

Update- 3/10/23

Boy I was passionate 9 years ago. 🤦‍♀️ I still dislike this story but any book that gets me this worked up, deserved better from me. If you can write so well, that I become so invested into the characters, even if I hate those characters, you are a brilliant writer. Officially giving another 2 star for a total of 3 stars.

Update- 4/12/14

This review/rant receives more comments than any other book review I have. I decided to reply to a few of the comments in my review because the people that don't like my review/rant don't like it for pretty much the same reasons. First, please note there are spoilers. However, the spoilers aren't really spoilers since it doesn't affect your enjoyment or lack of enjoyment if you know the big secret. Nevertheless, a helpful few have pointed out that I have spoilers and I didn't mark them. So are you happy now?

Ok, now to another criticism. Many lovely critics bring up the same point- "maybe John Green just wanted to show a flawed character & you just don't grasp the flawed character"...blah,blah,blah, I'm paraphrasing here and kinda combining all the criticism.

All right I'll bite. Yes, Alaska is flawed. That is obvious. Ok? Did Mr. Green show how Alaska was flawed and resolve either her flaws or how others deal with her flaws if she chose not to change her ways? Nope. Still not buying my argument? Ok. Let's say for the sake of argument, Alaska was a puppy abuser. She goes around kicking puppies. Is her puppy kicking dealt with? Do any of the characters say "listen Alaska Darling, you kick one more puppy and I'm kicking your ass"? Ok, maybe that is a bit extreme, how about does Mr. Green have his characters abandon Alaska because she refuses to give up her puppy kicking ways? Nope. I know, you are saying, "listen, you stupid idiot, Alaska didn't abuse puppies, she only abused other's people's kindness, took advantage of people, emotionally manipulated people and was an all around piss poor person that used her own poor past to lash out". Oh, ok, I see what you mean, nope, not a puppy kicker...clearly I'm wrong.

Below is the old rant/review...enjoy

I'm totally going to regret putting this review in and I'll probably change it later but oh...what...the...hell....


Poor Alaska. She screwed up in her past. She blames herself for something that happened when she was a child. It caused her to be moody, withdrawn, angry, and unpredictable. It caused her to drink too much, take unnecessary risks, take advantage of other people’s kindness. One minute Alaska was fun, the life of the party, caring, and everyone’s best friend. The next minute, she was the bitch.
Poor, poor Alaska. Let’s save Alaska.

Give me a break!

Alaska acted the way she did because she could. She used her past as an excuse for her destructive behavior. Alaska’s friends enabled Alaska’s behavior because they didn’t stand up to her. In fact, they had destructive behavior that needed to be addressed as well but since this book is called “Looking for Alaska”, I’m going to focus on Alaska.

Many people had really shitty childhoods. Many people were physically and mentally abused as children. Many people were left to survive on their own as children…hungry, dirty and alone. These people didn’t grow up to use their bad childhood, their own guilt, or their past mistakes to act out, take advantage of other people, or to basically treat people like crap.

I’m not uncaring. Far from it. I have a ton of compassion. I’m too caring. But being a victim does not excuse your behavior. Being a victim does not justify your behavior. You still have to treat people with kindness, compassion, love, and honesty regardless of what struggles you survived. Get help, and then move on.

If someone is treating you wrong, call them on it. Don’t look into their past to try to explain away their behavior. That is BS. It isn’t quirkiness, it isn’t moodiness, it is abuse.

So dear Miles aka Pudge, why are you seeking Alaska’s forgiveness? You did nothing wrong except failing to recognize Alaska’s destructive behavior and failing to get away from it.

If a person is friendly, kind, caring one minute, but then angry, withdrawn the next, THEY have a problem.

If a person is drinking too much, partying to hard, ignoring authority, breaking the rules, THEY have a problem.

If you are trying to figure the above-mentioned person out, if you are trying to solve that person’s problems, figure out why they are the way they are, YOU have a problem.

I’m off my pedestal now.

I’m going to probably change this review once I stop being so irritated but for right now, I’m rolling with it. And if I didn’t “get” the true meaning of the book, well, I’m sorry; I don’t want to “get” it. I don’t care. Alaska sucked as a friend and she was a lousy human being, and she took up too much of my time by reading the book.