With Hulu’s highly anticipated adaptation of Looking for Alaska finally arriving this Friday, it’s a good time to revisit the reasons we fell in love with John Green’s classic novel in the first place. Here are the top five things I can’t wait to see onscreen when the miniseries premieres on October 18!
The Setting
Culver Creek School is a fully realized world, featuring the Smoking Hole, where the teens smoke and ruminate on life and the swing by the lake where Alaska introduces Miles to the labyrinth. It feels like a little bubble where everything is possible, and it’s a place I wish I could go in real life.
The Friendships
The main focus of the novel is the character, Miles. He is struggling to reconcile the Alaska pictured in his head with the Alaska sitting in front of him, but their relationship isn’t the only great one. Takumi, The Colonel, Lara, Miles, and of course, Alaska make up a supportive and welcoming group of friends. Each of them has their quirks and troubles, which makes them feel real and fully realized. When I first read the novel, it was these characters and their bond that kept me invested.
The Pranks
Alaska Pudge
🤝🤝 best prank ever 🤝
🤝
The Colonel Takumi— Looking for Alaska (@AlaskaOnHulu) October 1, 2019
As a teen who never would have dreamed of trying to pull off the audacious pranks described in the novel, I loved living vicariously through Miles and the company’s inspired shenanigans. The epic prank to get back at the Weekday Warriors involving a battle plan and the entire group of friends is hilarious and effective, and I can’t wait to see it depicted onscreen.
The Refreshing Depiction of Mental Health
Alaska Young, as depicted by Miles’ inner narration, is a beautiful mystery to be solved. But the novel does a great job of showing that Alaska has mental struggles that are not seen from the outside. Her longing to find a way out of the labyrinth of life is breathtaking in its simplicity and honesty. Her battle with depression and its impact on the other members of her group, especially Miles, is dealt with honestly and frankly. I am excited to see how shifting the perspective away from Miles’ narrow worldview will shape the way Alaska’s mental illness gets portrayed onscreen.
The Classic Quotes
No one does instantly quotable writing like John Green, and Looking for Alaska is no exception. With so many to choose from, I hope a few of these quotes make the jump from page to screen. Some of my personal favorites include:
“Thomas Edison’s last words were “It’s very beautiful over there“. I don’t know where there is, but I believe it’s somewhere, and I hope it’s beautiful.”
“It always shocked me when I realized that I wasn’t the only person in the world who thought and felt such strange and awful things.”
“We need never be hopeless because we can never be irreparably broken.”
“But the not-knowing would not keep me from caring, and I would always love Alaska Young, my crooked neighbor, with all my crooked heart.”
Looking for Alaska premieres on Hulu on October 18. What moments are you excited to see onscreen? Let us know in the comments and watch the trailer below.
