The Search for AlaskaLiterary Research ProjectIntroduction: The Search for Alaska is told from Miles' point of view and his experience. This leads the reader to hypothesize that John Green wrote this book based on personal experiences, to capture the experiences of his youth and conveyed through the eyes of Miles Pudge Halter. Looking for Alaska was written by John Green in 2005 and was his first book. novel. This novel is aimed at a young adult audience. It's the story of a teenage high school student named Miles "Pudge" Halter who leaves Florida to attend a boarding school in Alabama. This novel chronicles Miles' journey in search of a better understanding of life and the world around him. He calls this the “Great Maybe” (Green, 2005). Miles led an eventless life, with few friends and few "interesting or exciting" events in his life in Florida. For his junior year, Miles decides that he will attend Culver Creek High School, an elite boarding school in Alabama, in search of greater understanding and to live life on his own terms, despite his parents' belief that which is because he has few friends. Miles also likes to memorize the "famous last words" of famous people (Publishers Weekly, February 7, 2005). Miles meets and immediately befriends a teenager named Chip. Chip gave himself the nickname "The Colonel" and ironically gives the nickname "Pudge" to Miles. This is humorously ironic, because Miles is a taller, leaner young man, and not at all chubby. As Miles begins to adjust to this new school, he experiences a significant level of hazing from wealthy students called Weekend Warriors. As Pudge continues at Culver Creek, his favorite class becomes World re...... middle of paper ... themes of love, loss, grief, and finding purpose in life are easy to understand. The novel says a lot about humanity. It covers global topics that many, if not most, teens face on a daily basis. This novel represents to most of humanity, even in the face of loss or grief, that there is always "hope" and personal resilience, and a way to move forward. Even as we seek greater meaning in life and determine our personal religious beliefs, we can still celebrate someone's life, no matter how long they live. Even if it’s a “prank” to commemorate someone’s life. We can always gain something positive from the interactions of those who impact our lives. You define who you are, but can find love, enlightenment, joy, heartbreak and resilience in the friends who become your family..