Looking For Alaska

Major spoilers!

Want to know the way to a girl's heart? Give her books. Or maybe that's just me... But imagine my surprise and utter joy as I unwrapped my latest conquest - John Green's Looking For Alaska.

So there I was, holding in my hand a new book, and I couldn't wait to dive in. I did what any sensible person would do - I read the whole thing in one day, basically pulling an all-nighter. I found myself devouring the entire Before section. And then came the After, and it was 3 AM and I hated that book. It was 3 AM and Alaska was dead and I was about to throw the book at the wall.

My first thought, why did she have to die? And so suddenly? I couldn't believe it. I had heard much praise about this book from my friends, yet when I read it I couldn't help but hate Mr. Green himself for killing off who I thought was the most important character. I did not see that coming at all.

And then I was just frustrated and angry. I mean, you spend all this time falling in love with this person as a character and reading about that character's idiosyncrasies and hopes and dreams and adventures, only to have that character die later. For the love of God, John, why did she have to love books? I love books. You made me relate to her and then you just killed her.

But when I finished it, I realized that her death was necessary. Because it answers the question: How do we get out of this labyrinth? Alaska got out, whether her death was a suicide or an accident, she got out. Sometimes a character's death is necessary not because it is a catalyst for conflict or events, but because it brings further insight and metanoia to the other characters. Miles realizes that he must forgive himself for letting Alaska go, come to terms with the fact that he isn't to blame for her death, and learn that forgiveness is one way out of the labyrinth of suffering.