Monday, July 9, 2012

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Published: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 336
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, 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.


My Review:  "You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices. I hope she likes hers."

My Mind: Hey Erika what's wrong you're crying?
Me: It's this book! I can't stop!
My Mind: It's just a book...
Me: It's not! It's one of the BEST books I've ever read! It deserves a place on my shelf of fame!
My Mind: But you finished hours ago and you're still crying!
Me: What's your point?
My Mind: ...

So as you can probably tell this book left me sobbing. I mean tears were running down my face like I was at the actual funeral for a friend. In a way I was because even though I read this book in a few short days I grew to love these characters. This is the first John Green book I've ever read and I can say that it won't be my last. It was beautifully written and once I got past the first few pages I could not stop reading even when I needed to. It was THAT good.

Hazel Grace Lancaster is barely living after being diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13. She was actually supposed to die but by some miracle she survived. But she has to rely on an oxygen tank in order for her to survive. While at her Support Group she meets Augustus Waters and this is where her story really starts to get interesting.

So at about half way through this book I started sobbing uncontrollably and I don't normally cry that much over a book but this book really spoke to me. I'm sure that almost everyone out there has been touched by cancer so many people can probably relate to at least one part of this book. While I was crying over this book my mom came over to me and asked what was wrong and I said that this book ripped my heart out and broke it into a million pieces and then stomped on it.

You might be thinking: Why should I read this book if it could make me cry? Well Hazel's story was beautiful and even though she isn't a real person it should be heard.

"Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book."
That's how I feel about this book so I hope you go out and read it.

2 comments:

  1. I felt the same way about this book! It's so good and after I had to take a few days or so off before reading another book. I needed time to process what had take place.

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I felt the same way about this book! Me about a month ago: "Is it really 3 AM? OMG, it is but can...not...put...down!"

    ReplyDelete

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