This was John Green’s first novel and, after reading it, I decided that I would try to read every other book that he wrote. ‘Looking for Alaska’ is divided into two sections: Before and After, although to start with we don’t know before and after what! The first half of the book is a bit slow as Green takes time to set up the characters and lay ground for the second half. Miles (the main character) is a 15-year-old boy who leaves home to go to boarding school, where he gets into all sorts of adventures with his friends. But their adventures end along with his friend Alaska’s life. How and why did her death happen in such a close-knit group? Could her friends have stopped her? What will happen now? Sadness, guilt, anger and starting again – all these issues are dealt with in this book. http://www.sparksflyup.com/ Check out John Green interviews on YouTube as well. He’s really funny! Mrs K