This is the first book ever written by the now-pop-icon John Green and the second I've read by him after his last (forgive the pun), The fault in our stars and I'm definitely starting to sense a theme here. 
 Either John Green feels particularly akin to teenage tragedy or at some point he thought it would be a good idea to dig out his breakthrough novel, polish it a bit softening the rough edges and make it his biggest success. 
 This not to say that this is a bad book or that it is identical to The fault in our stars but one cannot ignore some similarities in themes such as finding a meaning in life that could justify present sufferings and reconciling with the dead. All mixed with the usual bunch of aphorism that young readers generally adore. 
 What I like about Green's teenagers is that they always feel real, in this book more than in the other since they don't just talk in witty remarks like Gus and Hazel but have some believable conversation, even if more shallow (which is alright, we are not talking of philosophy masters here). Moreover I appreciate an author who can honestly contemplate the possibility that kids smoke, drink and have actual sex without any kind of judgmental remark from his side. 
 On the other hand I found Looking for Alaska less heartfelt than his future works, there was not the same emotive impact and despite some very good scenes when the protagonists organize their pranks it felt more predictable and less engaging, partly because I never really came to like Alaska completely. 
 Alaska is just the kind of volcanic, extrovert girl that shy, nerdy boys like Miles would fall for but I've always had difficulties liking characters who enjoy reminding people about how messy they are, especially since they make it the perfect excuse for their moodiness and inherent selfishness. 
 Read almost a decade after its publication Looking for Alaska shows all the author immaturity and looks like a rehearsal of more mature works especially in the character definition which reminds of what done in later novels: Miles is so much similar to Will Grayson and the Colonel often seems a quieter, straighter version of Tiny Cooper; besides the mystery at the core of the second half of the book could really have been solved in a couple of pages but it is dragged on so that the main characters overcome the different stages of grief. 
 Green being Green, he inserted in the novel the right amount of food for thought and I particularly liked the brief excuses in the Religion Theme: as oversimplified as it was it gave good hints on how to approach religion from a dispassionate yet understanding point of view. And of course the author couldn't refrain from some cunning plot trick such as using the chapters' titles to count the remaining days till a mysterious life-altering event so keeping the readers glued to the pages for hours in a row but, unlike The fault in our stars, this story is quite easy to forget, after turning the last page.