Looking for Alaska by John Green (2005)

A book suggested by my goddaughter as a popular book for young adults. I can see why. It tackles all those heavy questions about life in an entertaining story. Miles has no friends in his high school, so he is ready for something different when he goes to Culver Creek Boarding School, and ends up rooming with the Colonel, who doesn't care that Miles - nicknamed "Pudge" - is a nerd. Alaska is this crazy girl into smoking and drinking and doing crazy things, but it makes Miles come to life. They ask many of the deep questions we have in our youth, and if we don't get too busy with everything, we continue asking throughout our lives. Author Green uses the religion class to insert Islamic, Christian and Buddhist ideas about some of these questions. The story is mostly about the group of students getting through a year together, making mischief where they can. There are two parts to the story, the Before and After part, and instead of chapter numbers, each chapter begins with the number of days before or after the breaking event. I enjoyed the way this book tackled a big issue I have seen students around me dealing with. No wonder it got an American Library Association award.