Book Review: The Fault in our Stars by John Green

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.


 John is on my Author Idols page! Go check him out.


My Review:

Pros:    This is a great book to read even you don't like books with cancer in them, or have never heard of John Green, or if you have ever been to or wanted to visit Amsterdam. It's a book for everyone, for all ages, provided they have no medical complications that may arise from smiling too hard or crying too much.


Cons: Side effect of reading this book include anxiety, almost unbearable sadness, an abundance of emotions, laughter and weeping at the same time, and soul searching.
 

Characters: When someone was describing this book to me, she said "It's sad. It's about two kids with cancer." But once you read this book, you will know that is far from the truth. This book is about a small group of kids, each with their own little touch of cancer, who live life as much as they can and find love and never for a moment pretend that dying isn't horrible and unfair. The characters are well rounded and grab your heartstrings without ever letting go.


Movie Potential: This would make an amazing movie. Not only because of the emotional content, general fame of the author and amazing potential cast and audience. But because this book, no matter how horrible the movie adaptation, cannot be ruined. That's the best kind of book, really. That's what makes a classic.


Writing style:  John Green is a genius, plain ans simply put. The dialogue and prose are flawless in execution, and the words themselves will likely be quoted across the world for years to come.


Format:   Physical, hardback. It smells nice and it's shiny. Also completely hug-able with a glossy cover resistant to spilled tea and/or tears.


Overall Rating:  5/5