Hey everyone!
So, I'm new to the Fandom Magazine, and this is my first article. I'm Ash, and my article is going to be about one of the insightful, brilliant works of the popular teen fiction author.... drumroll please.... JOHN GREEN!
I recently read one of his earliest works, "Looking for Alaska" and can I even express how much I LOVED IT? It was totally fantastic! So.. I don't want to spoil it too much for anyone who hasn't read it, but here's a short summary in case you HAVEN'T read it: it's about this kid, Miles (but his nickname is Pudge), and he's not popular, average kinda guy, doesn't really have any friends. I totally relate to Miles in that way since I mean.. how many of us can say our life is a blowout adventure, right? He goes searching for something called "The Great Perhaps" by entering a boarding school called "Culver Creek Prep" and well, he finds a stocky, adventurous guy who's his roommate + best friend, a Japanese guy who's also a great MC, a cute girl, and a girl who's EVERYTHING- hot, adventurous to the max, gorgeous, clever, hilarious, messed up, amazing girl who launches him straight into "The Great Perhaps" and steals his heart- Alaska Young, everybody.
Today I'm going to do five things I wish I could've changed in Looking For Alaska. I mean, that book was tearjerking.
Five things I WISH I could've changed:
1. Alaska having a boyfriend. I mean, did you SEE Alaska constantly flirting with Pudge and making out with him (sort of) at the end? I know it was a dare, but... they're just so cute!!! Ahhh! Pudge has this obvious crush on her which is C-U-T-E if I can't even express enough, and I love the parts where he asks the Colonel tons of questions about her, because I've obviously done that stuff before when I've had a crush. I was really hoping that somehow Alaska would break up with Jake and then Pulaska (that's a terrible ship name, I understand, I just have no clue what to call them) would be a real ship? Most of you probably think that's so cliche, and yeah it is, but it's terribly cute! Also, there's barely any Jake x Alaska moments, so I really can't ship them that much. All Jake seems like is a friendly, kind of clingy boyfriend.
2. Sara not being such a !@#@$@#$!!!! I mean, she was pretty awful. Once again, this is terribly cliche, but I wish she would've just become nicer at the end to The Colonel and their relationship would've meant a lot. Maybe they got back together and Sara would've been nice, which kind of says that broken couples can be fixed again? That would've been a nice message. I feel like if Sara wasn't the way she was then it would just kind of turn into one of those cheesy thingies saying that "people from different groups can mix" since OBVIOUSLY Sara is so high class and The Colonel is more... well, you know how he is.
3. ALASKA DYING ABASJDHFASDKDASDFKAKSDJ!!! Sorry guys, that was me breaking down and typing simultaneously. I think WE ALL would've really loved it if Alaska wasn't dead. I mean, even if Pudge and Alaska didn't go out afterwards, it would've been A M A Z I N G if Alaska was, I don't know, mysteriously alive? Maybe if she just sent a postcard one day with three words on it, telling them she's alive... yeah, the Eleanor and Park has finally gotten to me. Anyways, what I mean is that it would've been a really interesting plot twist and HUGE cliffhanger if she just happened to be alive. I can kind of understand why John Green killed her, to sort of end Pudge's I guess... love for her, when she probably didn't feel the same way? Maybe she did, or..... I just wish Alaska didn't die. That was just cruel.
4. Takumi not having a girlfriend/boyfriend if he was gay which I'm pretty sure he wasn't. I mean, this isn't a HUGE thing I just feel like if Takumi had a girlfriend or boyfriend it would make the story pretty interesting, or if he got together with Lara near the end of the book (seeing as Pudge wasn't really that interested). Also, I wish Takumi was involved more- not that he wasn't, he was involved in the plot plenty enough but near the end, like, it was mostly just Pudge and The Colonel so…
5. The END. I wish they would've added a small epilogue or at least not made the end so... vague, I guess? I didn't understand the last couple pages that well. Like, maybe in the epilogue they could add how everyone turned out to be, or like all of them visiting on January tenth (I believe that was the day Alaska died) and remembering it or something. I would just love it if they included something small to say what the future held for them.
That's sort of it! Hope you guys enjoyed. See you next article! ^-^
John Green
By Ash