Before and After
I’ve already mentioned on my blog that my PR team had tough times choosing a new book, because we didn’t want to miscalculate about it.
Aaaand… on the 9th of February we chose a book by John Green called “Looking for Alaska”. Hurray!
So, why did I choose this book? It’s an interesting question to answer because at first I was strongly sure that I didn’t want to read a book for teenagers (and LFA is a real book for teenagers). Frankly, I have a contradictory opinion of such literature.
However, after spending several days fighting a losing battle while trying to find an appropriate book, I looked at the teenage literature from another perspective.
Firstly, it’s written for teenagers, so there would be a lot of colloquial words/collocations/phrases. Secondly, the plot of such books is quite captivating and full of unexpected (expected, actually) moments.
And I called to mind John Green and his books and thought “Why not?” (“That’s a good reason for almost anything — a bit used perhaps, but still quite serviceable”, thanks to “The Phantom Tollbooth” for such a great quote). The first book which came to mind was “Paper Towns”, but it had been already taken by another PR group. And then I saw “Looking for Alaska”, and I understood I longed to read it.
Moreover, I’ve heard John Green’s writings are usually filled with metaphors, cultural references and a lot of good stuff which is designed to make you think. What can better? My groupmates agreed, and I started reading it almost on the same night.
By now I have read the first 50 pages, and I can strongly say that I enjoy reading the book (finally). The most remarkable thing is the characters. They are fresh, and more importantly, relatable. That is rich, but almost every character might remind you of at least one of your friends, as they kind of generalized, but still have some unique features. That makes “Looking for Alaska” really endearing. Moreover, I find the book engaging because of the style. It is deeply emotional, funny and intelligent at the same time. And that combination creates a great atmosphere of the novel.
As for my expectations of the book, honestly, I always avoid expecting something from books because I would be dejected if it didn’t match. So I just seize the day and enjoy reading.
And I’d like to share with you some words from the book.
Mull sth over — to think carefully about something for a long time
Nonchalantly — in a calm manner, often in a way that suggests you are not interested or do not care
Malicious — intended to harm or upset other people
Festoon — to decorate a room or other place by hanging coloured paper, lights, or flowers around it
To sum up, I’m looking forward to continuing uncovering the plot and figuring out what is the main idea of the book.
