Looking for Alaska

Oh. My. GOD.

This is probably going to sound really cheesy or something, but...This book changed my life. I'm completely serious in saying this, too. It's a long story, but I connect with this book so much. And it made me cry like no book other than Deathly Hallows.

John, I loved you before, because you were sweet and funny and, with Hank, started the amazing Nerdfighters group. I had way too much fun watching you on YouTube. But....I couldn't ever find your books at my Barnes and Noble (which was weird...) So I was resigned to thinking, "Hey, John's amazing, and so many people love his books, they must be good." But I couldn't ever truly say, "John Green is an amazing author," because (*blushes*) I hadn't actually read your books.

Anyway, after Terminus I've been thinking even more about his books and how I wished I could have gone to the Nerdfighters meet-up on 8/8/08 at the library. And, like fate, I was sitting in the school library with two of my friends eating lunch on Tuesday. Staring at the shelves, there, before me, was a black hardcover book with purple smoke on it. Oh my god, I thought, Is that REALLY Looking for Alaska?? It was. I recall saying to my friend, "I can't believe they have this," and then immediately checking out the book, which is something special in itself because I NEVER check books out from the library. Like, ever.

So, I started in on Wednesday and I was done by Friday. At one point, it was so good that I was overwhelmed and upset that school is started now and I couldn't stay up all night to finish the book. I cried so much during the book, and I related so much to the (SPOILER!!!!!!!!!! BEEP, BEEP, BEEP...........) death of a really good friend and how it could physically make you hurt inside. But the book was just so amazingly beautiful....It was awe-inspiring, and, like I said, a little overwhelming because I KNOW I'll never in my life write a story for young adults as well as John's book.

I'm completely serious in saying that Looking for Alaska changed my life. It did, in so many ways that I can't really even explain and that probably wouldn't make sense to anyone even if I could. So, John, you are AMAZING. And I love you.