Saturday, April 21, 2012

Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green




Title: The Fault In Our Stars
Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publishing Date: January 10th 2012
Length: 336 pages
Genre: YA contemporary romance
Source: Gift

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.

Summary by Goodreads 





My review of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS should consist of tears and tears only. My eyes still hurt from crying so much. I have read books with sad endings before. My first John Green book was the one that made my heart ache on every page.

How can I tell you that I enjoyed THE FAULT IN OUR STARS when its protagonists are dying kids? Cancer is one of the most terrible illnesses and sadly many people are afflicted by cancer or know someone who has suffered from its widespread causes at some point. Cancer is present in every chapter, on every page of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. But one should see that there is so much more to it than that. The feelings, moments and people that are worth living for.
I liked every single character in this story so very much, no cancer perk I assure. I was desperate for them to live.

Hazel is such a fragile young girl with a valiant story and tragic fate. Then she is one of the bravest YA heroines I ever met. It’s no wonder Augustus Waters is falling for her, hard. He is the boy who wins Hazel’s heart although her body is already claimed by lung cancer. It’s Augustus’ true self, his glowing, charismatic being that makes him so worth of her and the reader’s love.

Now Augustus isn’t the only man in Hazel’s life. An author named Peter van Houten is not unimportant to her. Hazel is obsessed with his book An Imperial Affliction. I found the idea very comforting that a book has the power to help Hazel through the hardest time of her life. I don’t want to give away too much, but I need to say that the character of author van Houten himself in contrast was one I absolutely disliked.

John Green did such a good job writing THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, because he made a book that is realistic and doesn’t try to sugarcoat the daily routine and possibilities of cancer patients or to disguise the horrible true face of cancer itself.
Even though Green attends to the serious matter of living your life with cancer under the permanent prospect of dying, the overall tenor of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS is enlivened by the characters’ joking about their illness.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS left an impression on me. This book has its perfections, edges and flaws. It’s a jumble of entirely different emotions to me. It’s the story of Hazel and Augustus interrupted by life and death all the same.

I can’t wait to devour every single John Green book available! Now I know why people cannot but love his books. His writing is free, there are no boundaries it seems.





1) of drinking stars
2) of the best wish investment
3) it’s one of the most emotional and saddest stories ever told
4) of a miracle girl
5) of the people who care for us every passing second of our lives 





5/5 ***** THE FAULT IN OUR STARS- Hilarious, sensitive, raw and heart-achingly sad. Uniquely John Green!

It’s one of the books you never want to pick up again, and yet read it every day for the rest of your life. I have cried a lot over many books in the past. They are all no comparison to the amount of tears I spent on THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. I expected it, yet it came so unexpected…the end. And if you don’t drown in your tears, I promise you’ll get drunk by John Green’s words. His words are like the best stars one can drink! 






* Have a look at John Green’s other books!

* Read an excerpt of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

* Watch the book trailer

* Visit VlogBrothers here

* Visit www.johngreenbooks.com for further information about John Green and his books.

5 comments:

  1. You said it perfectly. I want to crawl into a ball and cry just thinking of the emotions that are in this book. This book is perfection.

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  2. And I'm in tears all over again! This review says it all, really great, great review!

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  3. I should definitely pick up a copy of this sometime this year, because so many people said the exact same things about it like you did. It sounds like a heart-breaking read, but at the same time it's the books that can make you cry which are truly amazing. Thanks for sharing this with us! :)

    Carina

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  4. Hm... There are not many books that make me cry. And I don't like those who have a lot of angst. BUT for whatever reason, I'm eager to read The Fault in Our Stars. I'm excited to read about the characters you mentioned.

    Great review! :)

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  5. I whole-heartedly agree and TFIOS is one of those few books that made me cry a little at the end as well, so sad :,(

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