John Green likes to write about things he knows. His first novel Looking For Alaska is set at a type of boarding school. He attended a similar school where he lived in dorms with a couple classmates. This book also relates to his life based of the fact that he was a misfit in his younger years. He was bullied pretty bad growing up for not being like every body else. The main character of the book Miles moves away from his family to attend Culver Creek High School. He wants nothing more than to get away from his school in town because he feels so alone there. When he arrives at the boarding school he forms friendships with his roommate and a girl named Alaska. They are misfits just like him and give him a sense of camaraderie. They teach him that he doesn’t have to fit the social norm to fit in and have friends.
He got his idea for The Fault In Our Stars when he was working for a children’s hospital as a chaplain. He was working toward becoming a priest but all the sick children inspired him to become a writer. He wanted to write stories about situations that could relate to people. His stories are meant to inspire, and evoke emotion. They challenge your idea of normalcy and challenge you to put yourself into other’s shoes. His books have strong messages of what it means to be a friend. And what a true friend will do for those they care about. All his books that I have read have friends who are extremely selfless and would do anything for their friends. In The Fault In Our Stars Gus uses his make a wish to grant Hazel’s wish. In Looking For Alaska they get into a bit of trouble at school that could potentially get Alaska thrown out of school so Miles takes the fall. It’s storylines like these that could help shape our youth into giving more, and taking less. Today it seems like so many people are so self absorbed they don’t even begin to notice other peoples needs. Even if they do notice, a lot of time people are putting their own needs before everyone else’s. I think it’s important for people to hear uplifting and selfless stories to motivate everyone to be their best self. I hope that more people will start writing novels like John Green’s to inspire the next generation to be kind, and caring.
The Wall Street Journal said, “some credit him with ushering in a new golden era for contemporary, realistic, literary teen fiction, following more than a decade of dominance by books about young wizards, sparkly vampires and dystopia.” He has brought back real life scenarios that every day people have to cope with; things that kids could potentially have to deal with. Giving them the ability to think through how they would handle themselves if they were in a similar situation. Would they handle it the same way the character did? Or would they have handled it completely different? I think there is something to be admired about bringing reality back to novels. It makes reading more relatable, and thought provoking.