Book: The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Dutton Books
Release Date: September 21st, 2006
"I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once."
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
I'd heard
some great reviews for this book and after reading a sadly mediocre series just
before, I had pretty high expectations of this book. And you know when you have
high expectations of something; they nearly always end up disappointing you?
Well, I'm ecstatic to say that that did not happen with The Fault in Our Stars.
It was
fantastic, yet horrible. Amazing, yet saddening. John Green is able to punch
you in the gut and make you feel all your emotions at once in the space of 313
pages.
Hazel Grace is
a sixteen year old with cancer (stage IV thyroid cancer to be exact). Her lungs
are crappy and so she has to cart an oxygen cart around with her wherever she
goes. Because of this, Hazel doesn’t leave the house much; instead spending her
time watching awful reality TV shows with her parents. But when her (hovering)
mother worries that she’s getting depressed, she sends her to a support group
for cancer kids. Hazel goes, only because she wants to make her parents happy.
It is here where she meets Augustus Waters, a boy on remission from osteosarcoma,
a rare form of bone cancer.
They connect
instantly, with their similar witty banter, super-intellect, and fondness over
metaphors. After Hazel shows him her
favourite book, An Imperial Affection (a book about a girl with cancer), and
Gus loves it as well, they decide to embark on a journey to find the author to
ask him questions about the book’s ending, as it finished mid-sentence.
However,
during this journey, the two star-crossed lovers experience love, romance, and
disappointment, and one of them hears absolutely heart-breaking news.
Honestly, I
was expecting the book to end just like An Imperial Affection –
mid-sentence. Of course, a lot of things
happened in this book I wasn’t expecting. That’s just the genius-ness of John
Green’s work. He’ll make you spear your
emotions all over the wall by the time the final page is turned.
This book is
full of witty remarks, lovable characters and heart breaking events. I order
you to read this book, but have a box (or two) of tissues beside you when you
do. Believe me, you’ll need it.
Wonderful review =)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! :)
DeleteGreat review! I read this book when it first came out. I remember liking it, but it’s probably time for a reread.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Thank you! This was a re-read for me this time, although the review is from the first time I read it. Give it a reread, and maybe knowing the ending will enable you to appreciate the smaller moments that make this book so great. :)
DeleteI remember reading this before the movie came out! That ending was absolutely unexpected and destroyed me. Why stop at one box of tissues when you're going to need fifty? T_T
ReplyDeleteRight? It was the last thing I think anybody expected to happen, which makes it so much more gut-wrenching. Fifty? You need a hundred! Oh, why did I have to reread this book??
DeleteGreat review! I was also 100% convinced that the book would end in the middle of a sentence and I was dreading that! I remember finishing this book on the train during a field trip and my teacher being concerned xD
ReplyDeleteThe death of Augustus Waters will probably always be one of the saddest book developments ever.
And this comes from a nerd who does the strangest youtube videos!
Haha right?? And I thought the exact same way - that it would end mid-sentence!
Delete