Why is Looking for Alaska Banned? Would I Teach it?

    While reading Looking for Alaska, it became clear to me why some schools might ban this book from their libraries. The book deals with many touchy and sometimes dark subjects that schools might not want their students reading.
    One of the subjects that could cause the book to be banned is the sexual activity that takes place and the talk of sexual activity that happens throughout the novel. There are passages of sexual activity between characters multiple times and descriptions of sexual activity as well. Some schools and parents may feel that students should not be reading books with this type of material and information included.
    Another aspect of the novel that might cause it to be banned is the use of drugs and alcohol in the book. There are many, many instances of drug use including cigarettes and alcohol and discussion of even heavier types of drugs. There is use of drugs and alcohol in the novel and when it comes to alcohol, the drinking is described as being done in excess and to a point where the characters become out of control. In a school setting, some might see this as inappropriate and as something that should not be encouraged.
    Though death is something that is a part of life, some people may feel that books involving death and especially a death due to drinking and driving should not be in schools and education. After a night of drinking, Alaska gets into her car and drives away resulting in her getting into an accident that takes her life. This dark subject could be something that people may view as inappropriate for students in schools as well leading to it being banned.
     If someone were to ask me if I would teach this or not my answer would be that it would depend on the grade level. Of course for 6th and 7th graders I don't think I would feel comfortable teaching it however, I feel I could teach it to high schoolers with pleasure. There are subjects in this book that need to be talked about and students need to be aware of. So banning it and forcing students to put "blinders" on to the realities of the world is not helping them or educating them in any way.

     

Drugs

   Throughout the world, drugs and alcohol are a present factor in many teenager's lives. In Looking for Alaska, drugs and alcohol are everywhere. It seems as though every character besides Miles has ben an avid drug user or heavy binge drinker for a good amount of time. When Miles arrives at Culver Creek he had never done any types of drugs or even taken a sip of alcohol. Well that all changed when he met Alaska. 
    Miles is introduced to cigarettes and quickly becomes addicted even though he is under the age of 18. Culver Creek has strict rules against smoking but Miles and his friends don't seem to care about the rules. Cigarettes are a minor factor in the drugs and alcohol in the book though. The biggest factor is alcohol. Miles, Chip, and Alaska all drink to excess to the point where they pass out or even get sick. Alaska reveals that she drinks so heavily to help with the pain she feels remembering her childhood and when she drinks to excess she gets out of control.
    Drinking and driving is a serious problem not only in the book but in reality as well. People don't make the smartest decisions when they've been drinking and in Looking for Alaska it causes serious problems. 
    One night, the group of friends had been drinking and Alaska as usual got out of hand and very upset for some reason. Her and Miles got into an argument and she stormed away. Miles had a feeling he should have stopped her from leaving but didn't. Alaska got into her car and tried to drive... She crashed and it killed her immediately. 
    With teenagers using drugs and alcohol so causally, the result is never something positive. Drugs and alcohol and also drinking and driving are things that need to be taken very seriously so teen readers of this book can understand their consequences. 

Relationships

Teenage Relationships aka something no one will ever be able to understand...

      In Looking for Alaska the relationships between characters is constantly on a roller coaster  The  main characters of the book, Miles, Chip, and Alaska all have relationships with one another that adds so much to the story of the three teenagers and the lives they are living.
       The whole story somehow seems to connect back to Alaska, the mysterious girl that Miles slowly falls in love with and a friend that Chip relies on in time of need. The problem with this group of friends is that both Miles and Chip are madly in love with Alaska, the girl who seems to make everything better. The relationship between the characters is what I feel makes the book so intriguing and interesting but you need to know about each individual relationship to better understand the dynamic of the group relationship.
      Miles and Alaska have a very up and down type relationship but that's what makes Miles so infatuated with Alaska. At times Alaska is the happiest person in the world with Miles and then all of a sudden she will snap and go into a dark place. This makes Miles more interested than ever and keeps him hooked and wanting more of Alaska. Another aspect of the relationship between Miles and Alaska is that Alaska introduces Miles to many new things including drugs and sexual activity that opens up Mile's eyes to a whole new world and really forces him to think about things. However, the relationship between Alaska and Miles is rooted out of friendship and that's what makes it so sweet and genuine.
      The relationship between Chip and Alaska is a bit different than that of Alaska's and Mile's but is important to the dynamic of the book nonetheless. Chip and Alaska have much more a friendship than boyfriend/girlfriend relationship but Chip wants to be more than friends and Alaska rejects the idea. Chip is tired of simply being Alaska's "wingman" but Alaska values their friendship too much to pursue anything more.
      Throughout the novel there are many other relationships that make the reader feel connected and try to understand their relationships on an even deeper level. This adds to the appeal of the book overall and is almost like a good puzzle the reader tries to solve. 

Introduction

        For my blog reading groups I am reading Looking For Alaska by John Green. 

        
       John Green instantly became my favorite writer with The Fault in Our Stars. That statement remains true. Looking for Alaska is an AMAZING book.The following comes straight from the back of the book: “before. Miles “Pudge” Halter’s whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the “Great Perhaps”(Francois Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. after. Nothing is ever the same.”

      Looking for Alaska is about a group of teenagers who quickly become friends and try to find themselves through sometimes unethical conventions such as drugs and experimentation. This book is brilliantly written. If you’re looking for a boy meets girl and falls in love and lives happily ever after….this is NOT the book for you. It has been very easy for me to put a face to both Pudge and Alaska while I'm reading. John Green does a great job at descriptive details and pulling you in. I definitely recommend reading books by John Green. I believe that this was his first book and I look forward to buying all of the books that he’s written after reading this one. Looking for Alaska is so far inspiring, smart, sad, funny, and thought provoking. Please give this one a try.