Looking For Alaska

I have no idea on what to think or say about this book. On the whole I enjoyed it, but (as pessimistic as it will sound to those who have read the book) I enjoyed the 'after' section significantly more than the 'before' section. I preferred Paper Towns (by the tiniest of amounts), but that's just me. UPDATE: Now, after a few days, I've grown to love it even more! Especially the last, beautifully-written chapter! John Green=one amazing author... Maybe I now like it the same as Paper Towns... Well, almost as much!

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

My Thoughts:  I really loved the way last words were tied in with this book, and the concept of 'the labyrinth'. That's the real reason I enjoyed the book, not because of the plot, but because of the thoughts it provoked. I'm rather a nerd (hey, nothing to be ashamed of!) when it comes to clever books, and I suppose the only reason I preferred Paper Towns to this one is because it involved a lot more of the philosophical side of things. But anyway, enough of my comparisons, I'm here to talk about Looking For Alaska. First off, the characters:

To begin with, I really hated the character of Alaska, she just annoyed me too much... But she grew on me towards the end of the book (much the same way Margo did -- although I preferred Margo to Alaska)... Anyway, I also didn't really like the Colonel that much at the beginning either... To be fair, I didn't really like any of the characters to begin with as they were all just too messed up, but at the end, I loved them all. I think I'll remember each of them for their own reasons – Takumi in particular for his fox hat! UPDATE: I've just read through this paragraph, and have just realised how idiotic I was when I originally wrote this. The reason Alaska initially annoyed me is because I didn't get her... Now I've realised that you don't need to get her. She's completely screwed up–but that's just her! The same with the Colonel... The reason I loved them in the end was because I understood that the best way to live is the completely ridiculous way. As Alaska Young quoted, "I may die young, but at least I'll die clever"... And I suppose that's the way the characters choose to live their lives–to be completely cliched, they live like there's no tomorrow... Literally!

The ending to this book was great, it concentrated a lot more on the philosophical side of life and I loved the way the book rounded off. I think that, even though I wasn't too fond of the beginning, the ending suited the book perfectly. I don't really have anything else to say; this book was happy, sad and most importantly thought-provoking... Yes, I know I said I preferred Paper Towns... But I genuinely do recommend Looking For Alaska!
The Word: 

Why? 
This book swept me off my feet and completely confuzzled me (in the best possible way)! It was thought-provoking and shocking... It's different to anything else I've read! I chose this word because it relates to the book in the same way it relates to Alaska. You don't get it, but you love it anyway! I this chose this word, not because I'm crazy, but because it refers to a quote in the book: "So I walked back into my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk,thinking that if people were rain I'd be a drizzle and she'd be a hurricane."