Miles "Pudge" Halter is fascinated with people's famous last words. Miles decides to follow in his father's foot steps and go to the prestigious preparatory school Culver Creek in Birmingham, Alabama. While there, Miles wants to find what Francis Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps" in life. Within the first few days of attending this school, Miles meets the mysterious Alaska Young. Miles did not know it yet, but Alaska would change his life forever...