Looking for Alaska

Content Ratings

High Romance

The novel contains a graphic sexual scene in which Alaska performs a sexual act on Miles; there are additional references to sexual activity among teens; romantic obsession with Alaska is a central emotional driver of the narrative.

Intense Themes

The novel centers on the sudden death of a teenager, survivor guilt, grief, and an unresolved question of whether the death was intentional; teen smoking, drinking, and rule-breaking are normalized throughout the story.

Mild Violence

A character dies in a car accident that is strongly implied to be either an accident or suicide; the circumstances are intensely emotionally explored but not graphically depicted.

Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Miles leaves his quiet life to attend boarding school in Alabama, where he becomes captivated by the wild, unpredictable Alaska Young and is drawn into a world of pranks, smoking, and deep conversations. After a sudden and devastating event shatters their group, Miles and his friends are left searching for meaning and coping with profound grief. A beautifully written coming-of-age novel about obsession, loss, and what it means to live a meaningful life.