Book Thoughts - Looking for Alaska by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green
published 2005
223 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy 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, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same.

My thoughts -

Okay, now I get it. I understand what all the hype is about. After reading The Fault in Our Stars, I questioned a bit why so many people seemed to be so crazy in love with this guy's books. I'm glad I gave him a second chance, however, because Looking for Alaska was an excellent read.

It's clear that Green's "thing" is writing about smart, funny kids who are outside the accepted norm, for one reason or another. While the dialogue in TFIOS seemed forced at times - like he really needed us to understand just how clever these characters really were - Pudge and Alaska and the Colonel always felt like real kids saying real things. I believed in these characters, and because of that I came to care about them.

 I enjoy Green's style of writing, and understand why it resonates with readers - he tackles tough questions honestly, and doesn't give trite answers. I think the subject matter of this novel in particular - big questions about life and the nature of suffering, the longing to understand more about yourself and the people around you - are what make it so powerful, especially to Green's target audience. I'm sure if I had read this book as a teenager, it would have been one of those life-changers that I spent all my time quoting to my friends and copying word-for-word on my school notebooks.

"The Colonel ran ahead of me, gleeful at his ejection, and I jogged after him, trailing in his wake. I wanted to be one of those people who have streaks to maintain, who scorch the ground with their intensity. But for now, at least I knew such people, and they needed me, just like comets need tails." (p.49)

As an adult, I've tackled these questions and ideas on my own, and so while I didn't personally feel a sense of revelation, I can understand why it could be that type of book for a young person. I know some parents will struggle with letting their kids read this novel, because it does include profanity and frank discussion of sexuality. While it won't be for everyone, I do think it's an excellent read, and will look forward to my next visit to John Green's world.

Finished - 8/25/13
Source- South side library
MPAA rating - R for language, adult situations, and sexuality
My rating - 8/10

Book Thoughts - The Color Master by Aimee Bender

The Color Master by Aimee Bender
published 8/31/13
240 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

In this collection, Bender’s unique talents sparkle brilliantly in stories about people searching for connection through love, sex, and family — while navigating the often painful realities of their lives. A traumatic event unfolds when a girl with flowing hair of golden wheat appears in an apple orchard, where a group of people await her. A woman plays out a prostitution fantasy with her husband and finds she cannot go back to her old sex life. An ugly woman marries an ogre and struggles to decide if she should stay with him after he mistakenly eats their children. Two sisters travel deep into Malaysia, where one learns the art of mending tigers who have been ripped to shreds.

My thoughts -

I remember the first time I read the ACTUAL story of Cinderella - not the Disney version, but the Grimms tale where the stepsisters have to chop off parts of their feet to try on the slipper - and thinking, Wow. This story took a turn I didn't expect.

I felt very similarly about most of the stories in this collection. I would be reading along, thinking the story was heading in one direction, and then all of a sudden, "Wow. How did we wind up here?"

And honestly? I kinda liked it. It was entertaining to read a collection where I had (literally) no idea what was coming next. And I realize that at some point, I probably should have stopped being surprised - I mean, that is clearly her thing - but somehow I never was. Which is clearly the mark of a really good writer.

Highlights from the collection for me were Tiger Mending, about two sisters investigating a very unusual seamstress position; The Fake Nazi, about a woman investigating the life of a man claiming to be a war criminal; The Color Master, about a woman who must learn how to put anger into her work; and The Devourings, about a human and an ogre, and how that marriage works.

I do not think this collection will be for everyone - I think if you are not already a fan of the short story as a genre, this would be a tough sell. But if you are willing to take a chance and be a bit astonished, you just might find yourself enjoying Bender's slightly bent world.

Finished - 9/2/13
Source - review copy from publisher via Netgalley - thank you!
MPAA rating - R for adult situations & some violence
My rating - 8/10

Book Thoughts - The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
published 2006
audiobook read by Rupert Degas - published 2008

Synopsis from publisher -

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food — and each other.


My thoughts -

My first official read for RIP and it left me weeping. Perhaps I should just quit while I'm ahead??

I was even prepared for it. I've seen the movie, so I knew what a gut-wrenching story this was. I knew it was bleak and grey, and I know it most certainly was not a happily-ever-after story. But I was not prepared for the absolute beauty of Cormac McCarthy's words, and how that would make the tragedy of the story so much more real.

“The soft black talc blew through the streets like squid ink uncoiling along a sea floor and the cold crept down and the dark came early and the scavengers passing down the steep canyons with their torches trod silky holes in the drifted ash that closed behind them silently as eyes.”

More than anything, I think this book is a love story about a father and a son. It's about choosing to go on when there is nothing you want more than to give up. It's about protecting what you love the most no matter what, and then giving what you love the strength to go on. It is spare and harsh and absolutely stunning.

“All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes. So, he whispered to the sleeping boy. I have you.”


Rupert Degas was the perfect narrator for this book. His voice carried the emotional weight of the story but never let it overtake him. I was absolutely mesmerized by every word. I realized that I somehow managed to find an abridged version of the book - normally that would upset me, but now I'm just excited that I have the chance to read it again and see if I can pick out the differences.

The Road won the Pulitzer Prize in 2007, and I can't imagine a novel deserving it more. For me, this book is perfection.



Finished - 9/21/13

Source - audiobook from South Side library

MPAA rating - R for violence, language, despair

My rating - 10/10

This novel is 1 of 4 for the RIP challenge.