Looking for that something in life, that 'great perhaps' that we all search for, Miles decides to go to the boarding school which his father went to. He's looking for friends, fun, to find a meaning to his life and do more than just drift. Than he gets there and becomes Pudge. He also finds that he can pick two lives: he can be a weekday warrior or join his roommate, 'the Colonel', in his pranks.
Than he meets Alaska: curvy, young, vibrant, up-and-down, crazy, clever, confident, and with uncertain bursts of sadness. Maybe the pressure of Alaska is too high for Miles and he is a fool who can't help diving in.
It shows the depression of the young and free: how, if we can't love ourselves then we can't love others; and that if we can't forgive ourselves and decide that we should not regret anything then we can't live a happy life of acceptance.
It shows the dual personalities of our modern-day sadness: how we put on that we don't want to be accepted, yet want to be accepted by those we have let down.
It's just a good read because it shows youth in all its greatness, love in all its badness, and how trust can break up life. Maybe Alaska is just like us, searching for that thing that will help her get out of this never-ending world of tops, turns, society. To find that sweet escape that some of us crave; some of us fear.
I give this book a 7 out of 10, for it's simply a great book but not an AB-FAB 10-out-of-10 book.
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