After Alaska's funeral, the Colonel and Pudge has started their journey to unravel Alaska's death. After talking to the cop and going through her things the Colonel came up with a theory she had a fight with Jake and had to go to talk to him otherwise they would break up. Even though it was a good theory it couldn't be tested until they called Jake but Miles didn't want to because he would have to ask about her while his last minutes with her were making out. They both get into a fight but later apologized with each other. Then, they wanted to test Alaska's level of drunkness so they stole the breathalyzer and came to the conclusion she was asleep during the crash but it didn't made sense since she crashed in straight line. Next after some discussion between Miles and Chip, Miles agreed for Chip to call Jake and ask him what she told him that night. He said the call was for their eight month anniversary and that everything was fine, she told him she was doodling and then freaked out. A few days later they tried to get a hint from the call with Jake but could't find anything until Miles called his mother and found a sketch in the payphone journal of a daisy. Even though the daisy meant something for a while they couldn't figure it out so they left the investigation on hold and decide to created the best prank ever to honor Alaska Young, a pranked she had created called '' Subverting the Patriarchal Paradigm'' On Speech Day and striptease actor would fake pretend to be an psychologist that studied sex and teenagers and later get almost fully naked. The prank went exactly as pranked and Takumi, Lara, Chip and Miles were very proud about it. After the whole drama passed Takumi and Chip came up with a new theory why Alaska drew the daisy, when she was a kid her mom used to put flowers in her hair and later remembered yesterday (January 10th) had been her death anniversary; so she freaked out and when with the white tulips to her graveyard and maybe accidentally or on purpose crashed. The theory the got explained pretty much everything so for a few months they started focusing on school because finals were coming. Then Dr. Hyde, their teacher tells them his final paper will be on Alaska's questions, how do you get out of the labyrinth. As Miles wonders his answer he gets a note from Takumi that was leaving for the summer to Japan that tells him he saw her that night, she was very anxious and frenzy, he helped get the white tulips but never expected for her to drive 3 AM in the morning and how guilty he felt all this time. When Miles read this he understood the way out of the labyrinth is through .......(NOT GOING TO TELL) and writes down his paper about and accepts Alaska's death.
After that drunk night in the barn, the Colonel, Alaska, Pudge, Takumi and Lara, went back to school and burst into tears looking at the new smurf weekday warriors. To celebrate their accomplishments once again Miles, the Colonel and Alaska went to the barn. Between Alaska and the Colonel they got really drunk. At somewhere between the middle of the night Alaska and Pudge hooked up. The made out but Alaska was too tired and told him ''to be continued?'' and fell asleep. Later in the night Alaska woke Pudge and Chip (the Colonel) very anxiously and desperate. She told them to help her drive off campus somewhere she didn't say. Chip and Miles didn't argue and just did what Alaska said, the blew up some firecrackers at the Eagle's house and went back to sleep. It was typical Alaska.....
AFTER
The next day the woke and went back to their dorms, but all students were called for an assembly. At first Chip and Miles thought they were caught with the fake reports and would be expelled, but then they couldn't find Alaska. They told the Eagle if they could wait for her for the announcement to be said but he just told them to wait and see. Alaska had died in a car accident last night. When the two friends received the news their hearts almost stopped, it wasn't something you heard everyday especially from Alaska Young. They couldn't believed what happened, they were in complete denial, Pudge feelings were everywhere. Did she meant what she said last night? What happened? Did she love me? Did she even care about me? Everything had changed And as for the Colonel he had learned every capital from every country, have walked 84 miles and learned the population from every country. They were going insane. They first attended Alaska's funeral and later went back to school and the Eagle told them to clean up anything Alaska's aunt shouldn't find. It was really hard for them to go back to her dorm. To look at those mountains of piled books, her Life Library, to smell the candles in her desk. Yet they did it and Pudge looked for her favourite book The Labyrinth, even though it was very blurry due to the water from the weekday warriors prank it was readable. Pudge went through a few pages that had different side notes and find one that was written after the flooding, it said ''straight and fast''. What did it meant? Chip decided he needed the truth. Therefore a few days later he and Miles went to the police station and asked a few questions to the cop that saw her crash. He told them the car in which she was driving never tried to avoid the crash, like it was a suicide mission. They also asked if there was any weird item in the car and he told them there were some white tulips. Then everything made sense, she killed herself without even blinking, as the cop said. Neither the Colonel or Pudge could accept what they were told, they both knew the answers they would get wouldn't be good but they needed the truth, they need normality.
''Pudge, what you must understand about me is that I am a deeply unhappy person'' (Green, 125)
I would never imagine Alaska was sad, her personality was so outgoing and fascinating. When she was first introduced in the book her whole existence sounded like a perfect daydream. She had friends, a boyfriend, she was smart, people liked her, she was a risk-taker but never sad. This quote makes me think that from the outside everything will always look better, in the show Gossip Girl, girls inside the Elite were rich, famous, had hot boyfriends, lived in pent houses in Manhattan, attended the best schools, yet as the show started developing you could see how sad their lives were, everything they ever had was drama. People have to learn not to judge people because they don't know their story and to appreciate their own life, because no one's life is perfect.
''I just looked past him, looking across the too-quiet dorm circle, wondering if it had mattered to her, and I can only tell myself that of course, she had promised .To be continued. (Green 146.)
I think the worst part when you are into someone is the extra analysis we do intro everyting they say. No matter if it was just a ''hi!''or a complete question, we wonder around and look for every possible hint we could get. It is terrible that we humans do that since our minds can fantasize the worst-case-scenarios and crack our heads all day from it.
After the basketball game, Thanksgiving was coming up and Alaska begged Pudge to stay with her at campus and even though he knew she had a boyfriend. Miles did anything Alaska told him, so he stayed with her. During break Miles and Alaska had some deep talks between each other and Pudge only fell for her even more. Also during those free days they went to explore the Weekday Warriors rooms to learn about them and plan a prank, they had to avenge themselves after flooding Alaska's room and almost drowning Pudge. Later when Takumi and the Colonel came back from vacation the Colonel and Alaska planed the pre-prank, therefore for the weekday warriors no to expect the real on but excluded Pudge, allowing him to study for finals that were coming up soon. Afterwards they had the master idea ready, they shared it with Pudge, Takumi and Lara that were involved in the project too. Takumi and Pudge were assigned to blow firecrackers next to the Eagle's house; while Alaska and the Colonel sneaked into the Weekday Warriors' dorms and added industrial blue dye into their conditioners, shampoos and hair gel. Afterwards, they would hacked the school system and sent their parents some fake failing reports. While of this would happen, Pudge and Takumi would ran for their lives through the woods, so they Eagle wouldn't get them until they reached the barn, where Lara was waiting for them. Then some time would pass and the Colonel and Alaska would arrive. Luckily the prank went exactly as predicted and that night they celebrated with a drinking game called ''the best and the worst day ever.'' As they started playing Alaska told them some deep secrets and how she saw her mother die from a heart attack when she was eight and didn't do anything about it. Through that story everyone learned why Alaska acted the way she did and why she was always so impulsive. Alaska feared not being in control and the fact that she stayed there not doing anything when she could have saved her life. "Suffering is universal (Green 82)" I completely agree with this quote but I think that suffering is what makes happy moments in life meaningful. If there wouldn't be any suffering we wouldn't know happiness either so everything would be the same making life meaningless . ''But I lacked the courage and she had a boyfriend and I was gawky and she was gorgeous and I has hopelessly boring and she was endlessly fascinating. So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.'' (Green, 88) When Pudge said this it made me wonder how wonderful is love and how much Pudge cared for Alaska. It's amazing how John Green is able to provide such insightful details to the story making it much more interesting and relatable. I really liked how he uses comparisons to describe the love Miles had for Alaska.
The novel "Looking for Alaska"by John Green, recites the tales of Miles Halter, also known as Pudge. Pudge is a shy teenager, sometimes insecure and obsessed with people's last words. He starts his story when he enrolles in Culver Creek Boarding School and leaves his parents down in Florida. On arrival day he meets Chip Martin, nicknamed the Colonel, his roommate that later introduces his friend Takumi and Alaska Young. Alaska is the hottest, smartest and funniest girl around campus and her whole life is just one huge party. Part of being the newbie around means some silly pranks but for Pudge it isn't that fun when he is thrown into the lake, tied and naked by some kids nicknamed the Weekday Warriors (the rich kids). Later when Pudge tells the Colonel about his late night swim, he goes nuts and decides that they need to take back on them. After, they go to a basketball game in which they get kicked out and also are caught smoking by the Eagle. Pudge is now starting to change his lifestyle a lot, from being a friendless kid to being the rebellious group of the school.
QUOTES & INQUIRY“I was looking at
the wooded, slow-sloping hill beyond the lake. And from Hyde’s classroom things
did seem connected: The tres seemed to clothe the hill…. I couldn’t see the
trees for the forest- everything so intricately woven together that it made no
sense to think of one tree as independent from that hill (Green, 39.)”
While reading this
passage in the story, I found myself thinking how things in my life are the
same, every aspect of my life is interconnected so I must have balance and
order.
It is imperative for me and everyone to know
and measure the importance of things around them in order to have stability.
The idea that
everything is interconnected is a really good concept for me to be able to plan
out my life since I now know the importance of making sure everything is taken
care. This is like taking care of a garden, if I only water the the flowers,
the grass and trees will die and then it will require extra work to bring them
back to healthy plants. "You just use the future to escape the present (Green, 54.) When I read this quote that Alaska mentioned while talking to Pudge about the labyrinth of life, it made me think how much people fear life. We try to avoid what happens right now justifying it with the future because it is easier that way, words are far easier than actions. Also I think us humans only focus on the final goal instead in the path to get to it, therefore we skip the hard parts of life by fantasying perfection.
After embarrassing Rob for a lifetime I start looking for Juliet. She's about to leave the party when I stop her. I try to apologise for everything but as I continue talking, I think I'm making it worse. She tells me all the things we did to her, from starting rumours about her to hacking her Yahoo account and sharing her private e-mails. But then she really starts telling me her friendship years with Lindsay. When they were little they were best friends, they did everything together; but Lindsay changed when her parents started fighting. Juliet and her with stay to sleep together and because of the screaming they would built a fort. Lindsay always tried to make the best out of everything but soon after Juliet ''fell asleep'' she would cry very hard at night. Her depression became so bad she even started wetting the bed yet Juliet never said a word. Then in fifth grade they went camping and Lindsay peed and when the teacher asked who did it Lindsay terrified pointed at Juliet, and Juliet being a good friend just let it go but from that day on everything changed, and the truth is that Lindsay is afraid of Juliet. But that doesn't changed the fact everything I've said to Juliet doesn't matter. After talking she heads outside and I follow her and this time I didn't get the chance to save her, she just threw herself at a truck.
As usual the cops interrogate me and after that I drop Ally, Elody and Lindsay home. Then at last I get the chance to spend some time with Kent while he takes me home. Even though I have no future with him time and space stops when I finally kiss him, it is wonderful.
After that I'm falling through darkness until I open my eyes and I find myself in a peaceful and calm place. Then I wonder it is sad how we don't know when we are doing the last time of something, because if we did we wouldn't let go. The last day of my life I told my mom See ya later and head to school like any other day, that's what makes it special. At lunch I finally break up with Rob and later I give Kent a rose. Later in the afternoon my friends and I prepare for the party as usual and we end up all hugging each other and saying ''till death tears us apart or even then'' and even though is just words for me it means the world.
At the party again I kiss Kent and my whole body is filled with excitement. Butterflies are a hurricane inside my stomach, and my heart beats like there wasn't enough time. But the moment has to end when I run again through the woods to find Juliet but this time Kent, Ally, Lindsay and Elody are coming after me. When I reach Juliet she tells me she can't be fixed but that isn't true, throughtout this week (sort of) I've truly changed, I have found out people I have living my whole life with are complete strangers and some aren't. I have discovered there is always hope for everyone we just have to believe in it. But Juliet just won't listen and before I can talk to her ''wings'' lift her up and carry her in from of the van that's approaching but this time I have saved her. Juliet is rolling to the other side of the road safe and sound and I finally found peace.
''Maybe it's impossible to change (Oliver, 381.)'' In a part in the book Sam has lost complete faith in her and thinks everything she has done is for nothing, but that's completely wrong. Throughout the book Sam discovers how she can become a better person and how she is capable of changing but the path to something will always be hard that's why the clue to change is for that person to be completely willing to and learning to let go the past. ''Sometimes I'm afraid to go to sleep because of what I'm leaving behind'' (Oliver 422.) When I read this quote it makes me think of how hard people hold on to some things. How people tie their happiness to things that won't last forever and later on are sad about it. In life we need to learn to appreciate things in the present because they won't last forever and to hold our feelings to the present and keep the memories for knowledge. This book is wonderful, I wouldn't ever imagined a book with such a sad ending would be so inspirational and full of vitality. Sam learned her lesson the hard way but she found happiness. I admire the strength she had throughout the book and how even though it were her last days she tried so hard everytime.
Late at night after eating dinner with my parents and meeting Julie's little sister and seeing how similar they are I find myself thinking about Juliet. I can't let her die, I know how death is and not a single bad thing in life is bad enough to kill yourself. Therefore I silently slip out of the house in my pijamas and drive to Juliet's house. At night the city looks really weird, everything is so silent and calm, unlike the morning were wives are kissing goodbye to their husbands and kids running to the bus. It's almost midnight when I ring the doorbell at her house, it takes sometime for someone to answer but then a woman with sleepy eyes and a bathrobe opens it. She asks me why am I here and the only thing I tell her is that I need to pick up a very important assignment for school, but she tells me Julie's out. Then after sometime I figure it out I''l have to go to the party. One or two miles away from Kent's house I park the car and decide to make my way through the woods, but it is freezing outside. Twenty minutes later I arrive at Kent's and I look like a mess, I've got dirt everywhere, I'm wearing pyjamas and my hair is with knots everywhere but I don't mind; my only objective is finding Juliet but I arrive too late she escaped through the bathroom window. But I realise she is probably walking because she has no car so I make my way through the woods again and after a long time I see her sitting on the side of the road and approach to her. I even offer her to take her home or mine but she just says it is too late. Then we see a car approach and before I can even move Julie throws herself at her car!! The car goes into the woods and then I see that it is Lindsay’s Range Rover!! The first time we crashed it was Juliet what made us go into the woods. I’m speechless, after the cops arrive and everything is ''cleaned up'' Kent takes me to his house, he serves me hot chocolate and gives me his room. Then, the last thing I remember about that night is kissing him.
The next day my mother wakes me up and I'm happier than usual, today I'll save Julie's life and mine.
I reach school and head to the nursery were all the roses are arranged. First I take out my rose from Rob and then spend forty bucks in a rose bouquet for Juliet, the valogram says ''from your secret admirer''. At lunch I'm only thinking about Juliet she threw her rose away or what?! And now she disappeared from the cafeteria I look for her everywhere but she's gone, I guess I'll just have to look at her in the party. Later in the night we reach the party and the only thing in my mind is Kent but then Rob appears. He'll pay for treating me so wrong
At the start of this chapter and after many different outcomes on Julie's death; Sam decides to do good and save Juliet and she says ''Maybe she's my ticket out.'' ( Oliver, 306)
and the only thing that came to my mind was the purpose of being a good person isn't just doing good but not expecting anything back. The moment you want something back it means what you are doing is for yourself.
''There's only one thought revolving around and around and around in my head; the flash of white just before we pin-wheeled into the yawning mouth of the woods, Lindsay yelling something I couldn't quite make out.
No sit or shit or sight
Sykes'' (Oliver, 326.)
At the start of the book the four friends had a car crash and now I finally understand the reason why they crashed. Life is like a circle everything you do will always come back. The four friends were mean to Juliet therefore she decided to kill herself and took them with her. In life we have to control our action because one way or the other it will come back
At first when I started reading this book I hated it but now that Sam has changed everything is better. It is wonderful how people can learn their mistakes and change but still dying isn't the right way to learn it. People have to reflect on their actions for the best
Last night Juliet Sykes died but today she's alive again, now I have officially lived February 12th four times. While heading to school, I start noticing things I wouldn't before, like how bad friend Lindsay is and start arguing until she stops the car and drops me off in the middle of the highway. I reach school in fourth period and have Math class with Mr. Daimler, and make myself a mess. I disobey him, sit in his desk and flirt with him, and we even end up kissing!!
And I leave for lunch but my friends have left me by myself; our lunch table is empty. But since I can't allow myself to be seen alone at lunch I head to the old bathroom in the science wing of the school. But in the bathroom I find myself talking to Anna Cartullo (someone that has THE lowest social status) and the odd thing is that I like her. She's funny and we even end up swapping shoes and sharing a cigarette.
A few hours later school ends and I'm about to call Lindsay when I remember I'm in a fight with her, and I have nowhere to go. Luckily, a few girls I nickname The Pugs invite me to go shopping with them but first they take me home were I ''borrow'' my mother's credit card. At the mall I practically buy everything, from shoes, to a new dress, to a complete make up palette at MAC and more. Then we have a pre-party of five rounds of margaritas at a very expensive italian restaurant and go to the party. At Kent's house I'm drunk and lost, and the only thing I do is keep on drinking. Past midnight I find myself crying in a dark room and Kent McFuller comforting me, we talk like we used to when we were kids, and he offers me to stay the night at one of his guest rooms kindly. But again the next morning is like a refreshed webpage, I have a clean slate to play over for next 24 hours.
February 12th (fifth time) My friends are back, my boyfriend, and popularity too. That day I convince my mom to let me stay and so does my sister Izzy.
I love Izzy, she's unique and brave, she dresses as she wants, she does what she wants and doesn't mind what others think. I really hope that stays with her forever. Talking to Izzy makes me remember my days before Lindsay ''rescued me''; back then I used to go to my favourite hideaway place, I called it Goose Point. Goose Point was a huge rock that a few miles from our house going thru the woods.
Today I take Izzy there, we talk and have real sister bonding. This place reminds me of my childhood back then it was isolated from the world but now many houses have been built and it isn't as distant from society anymore. It makes me realize sometimes things change and we can only learn to adapt.
Popularity is odd. In the book when Samantha is left in the parking lot after school and says, ''It’s the weirdest thing. I’m popular-really popular- but I don’t have many friends. What’s even weirder is that it’s the first time I’ve noticed'' (Oliver, 225.) It makes me think there are three things people should know. First popularity doesn't mean happiness, second quality matters over quantity and third be open to everyone.
''But for some of us there is only today. And the truth is, you never really know'' (Oliver 268.)
This quote is so true, life is unknown. But that is part of the charm having to live in the moment, because if you live in the future you will live anxiously and for people who live in the past they live depressed.
This book is sad and depressing but it shows you how you are the one that chooses the path you take. Everyday Sam wakes up and gets the chance to experiment and take weird decisions that take her to so many different ends. It is like each moment has thousands of different scenarios. Even though Sam is dying she gets the chance to take risks and see her life in different ways.
I wake up the next morning and the dream starts again, it is still February 12, what is going on around here?? A double deja vu? I think I''ll just have to miss school, stay all day in pijamas while I freak out, it's not like it is THE most important day and I have already lived it (I think) so anyways whatever.... Few hours later... Even though I told my mom I was ''sick'' she makes me go to school but I make her drop me at the .22 mile parking lot, I'm not letting anyone see what car my mom drives... In chem the sophomore angel-girl drops Robs valogram with a rose ''Luv ya'' what is that!? Then I head towards the cafeteria and I get into a little fight with Rob and later meet with the girls and while talking to them I realise if there is no party, there will be no accident and BOOM, my life will come back and I will wake up in a hospital room with all my friends, family and Rob. It is difficult to convince the girls but at last we decide to have a sleepover at Ally's. On seventh period Lindsay and I ditch class and have a great time at TCBY (The Country's Best Yogurt) and then almost get caught at the Smokers Lounge.
Later in the night, my friends and I are having a blast, but every good thing must come to an end and for us it ended with Mrs. Harris (Ally's mom), we had to turn off the music and go to sleep. Now its 2 am and someone's phone is buzzing, then we hear Ally's mom come down and as we open our sleepy eyes we see her with a really serious face. Elody turns the lights on and we gather around Mrs. Harris and she says, ''Remember Juliet Sykes?'' and we are like yeah so what? ''Well, I just got a call from one of our neighbours and told me she just killed her face.'' Our faces loose their color and words fade away from us, except for Lindsay that doesn't seem to care about this. Then I wonder, was this our fault? I mean Lindsay did made her life impossible by calling her Mellow Yellow for supposedly wetting the bed at camp in fifth grade but that is so not new but on the other side Lindsay has made the whole school hate her but it is only because she's a freak, but still....... I start to walk away from the couch and tell Lindsay I am going to the bathroom but actually head to the attic, there I find Ally's old yearbooks and start when we were all in first grade and find Lindsay's class, and there it is Juliet and Lindsay shinning together like best friends. Then I check for second grade and the same, both of them together; third grade Lindsay and Juliet matching outfits; fourth grade Lindsay and Juliet holding hands; but then fifth grade, Lindsay emanating light and happiness and Juliet hidden in one of the corners with her hair covering her face. The year Lindsay started Mellow Yellow rumour!!! Friendship is part of life, and I think it is really important for people to have true friends. In the book when Sam says, ''I'm pretty sure I know what she's thinking, though I would never say it outloud. Lindsay, Ally, Elody and I are as close as you can be, but there are still some thing we never talk about (Oliver, 106.) I wonder what is the point of having friends if you can't talk about anything? but as well I understand some things are private and personal.
As we get deeper into the book Sam discovers she is sort of dead or dying and she says ''It's no what I imagined death would be like-not what I imagined would come afterward-but then again it's not like there's anyone around to tell you about it ( Oliver, 132.) I infer her day of death will be repeated until she finds peace.
Sam again, now really no kidding am I really dead? Come one!! I'm or was seventeen, there are/were many things I didn't go the chance to do, this really shouldn't be me. I can't believe it happened.
''Before I Fall'' by Lauren Oliver
Samantha Kingston is a senior attending Thomas Jefferson High School, ranked among the top ten booziest public schools of all Connecticut or nicknamed Suicide High after a group of students left the school and drove off a bridge. Among other perks of this institution there is a popularity rank between students, luckily Lindsay ''The Group Leader'' rescued Samantha from the social bottom in seventh grade and now lives in the inner circle along with her two other friends Ally and Elody and her boyfriend Rob.
Inside the elite everything is simple and easy, popularity offers a no-consequence policy for anything done.
The story starts on a chilly February morning on Cupid Day with the four friends chatting on the latest gossip and how much roses will each one get. In Thomas Jefferson High the number of roses you receive is quite a huge deal, it ranks your popularity and beauty, this year Lindsay is shooting for twenty-five. While the day moves on the girls get invited to party at Kent's, a weird guy that was Sam's best friend in elementary school and supposedly has a crush on her. After school they all crash at Ally's to get ready for the party and have two shots of vodka and head to the party. As they reach the party Samantha feels weird, like the night doesn't flow. Rob is drunk and the four girls just had a discussion with Juliet Sykes ''Pyscho Girl''. They head outside and leave the party, its past midnight and it rains like crazy, but suddenly everything changes they're all talking when a bright light gets in their way and..... darkness. All of a sudden Samantha wakes up in her bed and remembers what she thinks was a strange dream of yesterday but her sister Izzy tells her to get ready for school since it's Cupid Day (AGAIN!?) Sam doesn't get is it a dejavú? And again she heads to the party and everything follows the same and Darkness comes again.
In the start of the book Samantha talks about death; she tells you how from one second to the other everything changes. The quote,''You don't remember to tell your parents that you love them or- in my case- remember to say good-bye to them at all (Oliver 7.) While reading this passage it made me think we need to live in the moment, the things that matter are NOW not tomorrow not yesterday. It made me realize that people have to live in the present and be thankful for what the have because one day the won't. Then as the story moves forward we learn that Sam's grandma was a crazy old lady and was ''loosing it'' and how Samantha used to say, ''I hope I die young (Oliver, 44.)'' I find this quote very shocking and completely disagree with it, life has so so so much to offer; and even through hard times we have to learn to appreciate them because those experiences are the things that make a person who they are.
Before I Fall is a really weird novel, even though the stories problem is extreme and twisted this book shows relatable conflicts. Through its pages I can see how bullying affects people, illustrates what problems teenagers feel and societies' reactions. My prediction is that Samantha will discover the true meaning and importance of life in her last days, she will understand what weights more in life and find true friendship.
