Entry Four: Looking For Alaska

I chose this novel because I had already read The Fault In Our Stars by John Green and loved it. I figured that I would love this book just as much. Also, my friend who introduced me to The Fault In Our Stars, told me about Looking For Alaska. I was very excited to read it. Personal connection that I have with this book, is that I love pranking and I can be very good at it. Another connection that I with Looking For Alaska is that I have lost many loved ones just as Pudge and the Colonel did. I would recommend this book to anyone who has lost a loved one. They understand what it is like to lose someone special, just as Pudge and the Colonel did. I would also recommend this to someone who like romantic books. I would also recommend this to teenagers who understand the life of school and drama. The only bad things about this book, in my opinion, is the amount of cuss words and drugs represented, but that is happens in college now in days. Overall, this was a great book and I loved every bit of it. It shows the real troubles in everyday life.

Entry Three: Looking For Alaska

Looking For Alaska has many hooks involved. One of the most obvious hooks, is the way the book is structured. The book is structured like a journal with two parts, Before and After. During the Before section of the book, you are wondering what happens in the middle of the book. This makes the reader want to continue reading the book. Another hooking in the book is when The Eagle wakes Pudge and the Colonel up. This is at the very beginning of the After section of the book. In Looking For Alaska, it says, “‘Something terrible has happened,’ the Eagle said, and then closed the door” (page 138, Green). This shows that something bad has happened and it makes the reader want to continue reading. Another hook in Looking For Alaska, is all of the pranks the characters do. The author does a great job at building up the pranks to keep the reader’s interest. In Looking For Alaska it builds up the pranks by  the Colonel saying, “‘Well, first we gotta find a stripper. And second Pudge has to work some magic with his dad’” (page 201, Green). This quote shows how extraordinary and crazy this prank is going to be and leaves you wondering what will happen.

Entry Two: Looking For Alaska

Everyone has wants and desires. In my opinion, John Green did a wonderful job creating and explaining the major characters’ wants and desires. He carried them all throughout the entire book. Pudge’s desire is to find his Great Perhaps. That is why he went to Culver College, to find his Great Perhaps. Alaska’s desire was to find the way out of the labyrinth. She found it, that’s why she allegedly killed herself. The Colonel was more difficult to decipher his desire. I think that his main desire was to find answers. After Alaska died, he wanted to know everything. The answers to the what, why, how questions. All of these desires and wants lead to the themes developed in Looking For Alaska. The themes include, the Great Perhaps, the labyrinth, drugs, and pranks. The Great Perhaps and the labyrinth are themes because they are mentioned in the book multiple times. Drugs and pranks are somewhat of a theme because they are meaningful. These are the two things that became rituals when Alaska died. In Looking For Alaska it describes the ritual for Alaska and cigarettes, “The Colonel pulled a cigarette out of his pack and threw it into the water. ‘What the hell?’ I asked. ‘For her,’ he said” (page 193, Green). When Alaska died, they pulled a prank and started the annual Alaska Young Memorial Prank. That is why I think pranking and drugs are somewhat themes, because they are meaningful. The structure of Looking For Alaska is a journal type of organization. This book is separated into two parts, After and Before, referring to the death of Alaska.

Entry One: Looking For Alaska

The major characters in Looking For Alaska are Pudge, Alaska, and the Colonel. Miles Pudge Halter was nicknamed Pudge at Culver College. Pudge is the narrator in this particular book. He was tall and scrawny. He was awkward, but he fell in love with Alaska, just like any other guy. Alaska was a character that everyone loved. Pudge made a great deal about her beauty and her mood swings. Alaska died in the middle of the book, where Before ends and After begins. The Colonel introduced Pudge and Alaska. The Colonel was a friend to both Alaska and Pudge. He was introduced as a small, but a don’t-mess-with-me type of person. Takumi, Lara, and The Eagle were all important characters, but not as important as Pudge, Alaska, and the Colonel.

The main setting is Culver College where Pudge, Alaska, the Colonel, Takumi, and Lara attended. This is where most of the book was located. Two other settings that show importance is the Highway I-65 and Pudge’s house. Highway I-65 is important to the story because that is where Alaska died. Pudge’s house is important because that is where the story began and where he found his desire for the Great Perhaps. The main conflict in Looking For Alaska was that Alaska died. In Looking For Alaska it states, “‘Last night, Alaska Young was in a terrible accident.’ His tears came faster, then. ‘And she was killed. Alaska has passed away’” (page 139, Green). Throughout the book, I had predicted that Alaska was going to end up dying and I predicted that Pudge would fall in love with her. I predicted that Alaska was going to die because the author, John Green gave little hints (foreshadowing). An example of John Green’s foreshadowing is when Alaska said, “Y’all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die” (page 44, Green). Another example in Looking For Alaska is, “‘I may die young,’ she said. ‘But at least I’ll die smart. Now, back to tangents’” (page 52, Green). Connections from this book include the book/movie, The Vow. They are connected because in both books there was a terrible accident. Another connection is The Fault In Our Stars and Looking For Alaska because in both books a major character dies. Some questions I had for the author include, Why did you continue the book after Alaska died and why did you make the part after she died as long as before?, Why did you not tell whether Alaska committed suicide or not?, and my last question is, Why did you choose to end the book with Pudge’s exam answer?.

Pretty Little Liars: Book 2

Characterizing:
The main characters are Emily, Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and A. A is the main conflict in this story, he/she is torturing the girls with their secrets they told their dead friend, Ally. The girls are cautious of A, but they try to figure out who it is. This tells me that the girls are strong, brave, and curious. They feel antagonized by A and they do what A tells them to, but they still try to figure out their own little mystery. In a way, they remind me of Nancy Drew because of how they try to solve a mystery on their own. Also, Nancy Drew is young and Emily, Spencer, Aria, and Hanna are young.

Pretty Little Liars: Book 2

Predictions:
I think that in this book Aria will tell her mom about her dad's cheating with his student. I also think that Aria and Ezra will become a couple again. I think that Hanna will get back together with Sean. I think that Emily will end up dating Maya and something will happen with Ben, not sure what though. I think that Spencer will end up dating Melissa's boyfriend like she did with Ian. I can't predict about A, because A is unpredictable. A know everything, the only thing I can say is that the girls might get closer to figuring out who A is. I am very excited to read this book. I loved the first one and my friend says they only get better.

Pretty Little Liars: Book One Finished!

My book review for Pretty Little Liars:
     Pretty Little Liars is a series of books about four girls whose best friend is murdered and they are getting tortured by texts and emails that they get from A. The first book was very good and I read it whenever I could. It was very slow though. It was only the first two episodes of the TV series. Each character is very interesting and they each have their own secrets. Each character is dealing with a few challenges in their everyday life. Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna are very different, but come together by one person, Alison and The Jenna Thing. It is an easy read and it keeps you guessing. It was a very good book and I look forward to reading the next one.