This Teen Drama Based on a John Green Novel Captures the "Firsts" of High School Almost Too Well
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High school: no matter if you were the most popular kid in your class or if you were the recipient of countless wedgies, it's a time full of angst, rollercoaster rides of emotions, and oh-so many firsts. There's that first love (and maybe first kiss) that makes you feel like you and your partner are at the center of the universe; the first breakup, where the pain is so acute that you think you might die; the first experimentations with dangerous (but exciting) situations; and the first sense of independence from your parents as your own person. Depending on how old you are, you probably remember your first time reading John Green's iconic first novel, Looking For Alaska, a tale of love and loss that perfectly captures the high school experience.
Now, get ready to see your favorite characters Pudge, Alaska, Chip, and Takumi on screen in Hulu's eight-part adaptation of the novel. Ahead of the premiere on Oct. 18, read on to see how the series stays true to the book and depicts all those high school "firsts" so well.
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First Real Love
Miles "Pudge" Halter and Alaska Young's relationship is complicated to say the least. They both share a love for cryptic last words of famous writers and are both struggling to understand their place in the world. While their relationship starts off platonic, their feelings for one another deepen, despite Pudge's sometimes girlfriend Lara and Alaska's boyfriend, Jake, who she claims to love. Pudge and Alaska's torrid relationship is representative of so many of our first experiences with love: confusing, exhilarating, and often devastating.
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First Real Friends
That moment when you finally find your "group" of people who just get you is indescribable. When Pudge reluctantly moves to Alabama from Florida, he never imagines that he'd fall in with such a band of similar misfits — but "The Colonel" Martin, Alaska Young, and hip-hop emcee Takumi Hikohito become like family, with all the ups and downs that come along with such close relationships. Ultimately, the events that transpire throughout the story cause the to come together and support one another while dealing with some seriously heavy situations.
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First Times Getting Into Real Trouble
When the novel came out, John Green faced a lot of blowback for his depictions of sexual encounters and recreational drug and alcohol use by his teenage characters. Yet, these moments are pivotal experiences for high schoolers — it's the first time they are testing the limits and experimenting. Many revelations come to light when the characters in Looking for Alaska are inebriated — the first time Alaska reveals that her mother died when she was 8 happened while she was drunk at a party. Ultimately, experimenting with dangerous situations is often a shared experience for high schoolers, and Looking for Alaska isn't afraid to bring it to life.
