The Fault In Our Stars by John Green (Book Review)
I haven’t posted many book reviews (okay, I’ve only done one) but reading is truly one of my favorite pastimes.
If I didn’t jam pack my schedule so full of things to do then I would probably read every single day because, to me, there’s nothing better than kicking back and relaxing with a good book.
I know it’s better for the environment to use my iPad to read with but I love the way a book feels in my hands. Plus, I have this weird suspicion that staring at a screen any more than I already do on a daily basis will permanently destroy my eyesight. Yes, I suffer from paranoia.
I picked up a copy of The Fault In Our Stars by John Green several months ago for my trip home to Florida and I just finished reading it about a week ago.
That’s not a knock against the book, I just have a habit of putting down a book I’m reading and then not picking it back up…for weeks. But I finally finished so let’s talk literature!
Brief Summary
The Fault In Our Stars is narrated from the perspective of Hazel, a 16-year-old girl who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Although she prefers to isolate herself from her peers, her physician recommends that she attends a weekly cancer support group where she meets Augustus Waters, a young boy in who is in remission. Augustus takes an immediate liking to Hazel and their romantic relationship quickly blossoms. Their experiences living with cancer brings them closer as they search for answers to Hazel’s favorite novel that ends ambiguously.
My Review (Without Spoilers)
After reading the first few pages of this book, I was hooked. John Green’s style of writing is full of sarcasm, humor, and depth and he drew me in with every sentence.
Admittedly, I am guilty of occasionally skimming over certain parts of a book if I find them to be irrelevant or boring but that didn’t happen at all with this book. I found his writing to be very raw and honest and it captivated my attention the whole way through.
The way he explores what it feels like to be young and dying of terminal cancer is somewhat brutal. Augustus yearns to leave his mark on the world so that he can be remembered after his death while Hazel takes a more simplistic approach to life, trying to take in all that surrounds her, or “notice the universe” as she describes it.
The author doesn’t glamorize or sugar coat any part of the painful reality that is cancer and it might be uncomfortable and emotionally challenging for certain people to read.
I started reading this book only a week after we lost Gigi so I was feeling extremely vulnerable at the time. I know it might seem ridiculous to compare your dog’s terminal cancer to a human’s, but she was constantly on my mind as I read this book which resulted in quite a few tear fests.
I also thought of my grandfather who lived with cancer for quite some time before passing away almost five years ago. It was extremely painful to imagine how he must have felt for all of those years and to think of my grandmother who had to say goodbye to her soul mate. (And I’m crying again as I write this…awesome.)
Honestly, this book made me feel angry. Maybe I am still grieving in some way but it reminded me how much I HATE cancer. It is such an ugly, awful, horrible thing that I would give anything to magically cure.
So, as I’m sure you can tell from my review, this book isn’t exactly uplifting. Reading it on the cusp of such a difficult loss made it hard for me.
But there is light among the darkness and he does a fantastic job finding the humor in such a depressing topic. I think he is trying to convey a very important message about life, whether you are suffering from cancer or not and it left me with a new perspective and appreciation.
The character development in this book is extremely well done and my only criticism would be the occasional unrealistic banter between Hazel and Augustus. I don’t know any adults 16-year-olds who are that intelligent and witty, but I didn’t find that it took anything away from the story for me.
Overall, if you are looking for a deep, funny, and heartfelt read, then I highly recommend this book. It is one of the best books I have read in a long time and I’m looking forward to checking out more of John’s Green work in the future.
What was the last book you read?
Am I the only person who sobs while they read?
I loved the Fault in our Stars. You’re right, the topic is kind of depressive but I think Green describes ist beautifully and gives you so much to think about. I’m currently reading the A Song of Ice and Fire Series by Goerge RR. Martin, great books but it definitely takes a while to get through. Also a good book I read lately is Me befor you by Jojo Moyes. I’d definitely recommend it :)
I’m going to look for the one by Jojo Moyes, thanks for the recommendation! :)
You’re welcome! Let my know how you liked it :)
I completely agree with loving how a book feels in your hands. So much better than reading it online! That sounds like such a powerful book and I’ll be adding it to my book list :)
I got a kindle a few years ago (before the Ipad even existed) and I loved it, but I’m with you, I love to have a book in my hands while I read. When I start a good book it is impossible for me to put it down. Everything suddenly becomes less important than the book.. haha ooops. I just read A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard. It was an interesting read, extremely sad, but empowering. The fact that she wrote this herself and had the courage to tell her story is truly amazing.
Thanks for this awesome book review without spoilers, since I haven’t read the book yet. It’s been on my Amazon wish list for a while, so this was super helpful in helping make a decision on whether to read it or not.
There’s something about the smells/feeling of a book that the ebook has yet to replace for me! I read the Fault in Our Stars earlier this year, and I loved it! John Green is one of the only authors who can really keep me interested and reading every word. (Yes, I’m the occasional guilty skimmer and skipper too :) )
Oh wow, that sounds like such a sad book, but honestly I think books that don’t sugarcoat life is so necessary sometimes. Some of the time, I get lost on a book because the story can seem easier than dealing with real life problems, but this book would throw you right in the middle of the chaos and may even remind us how blessed in life we truly are. The last book I red was gone girl, which I think people either loved or hated. I liked the middle, but the end killed it for me. I just wasn’t a fan!
That’s exactly how this book made me feel, grateful for my life and for my loved ones!
I might have been semi-interested in reading Gone Girl but yeah, now I’m not interested at all. :)
Awh Gigi :( I first heard about this book last year, and have been meaning to read it since. I’ve loved some of John Green’s other work, so I might turn this into a plane book and read it on the way to Yellowstone. I, too, tend to “have a habit of putting down a book I’m reading and then not picking it back up…for weeks.” hahaha.
And no, you’re not the only person who sobs while they read–I was positively bawling when I was reading My Sister’s Keeper. :) (And I ALWAYS, without fail, cry during the Notebook. And Up.)
Oh, the Notebook was ridiculous! Even Brandon cried when we watched the movie. (shh…) ;)
I’m not sure I could read this book. I sob through sad books, but some I cant even read because they stir up too many emotions and I cant deal with it. This sounds like one of them. I have a hard time reading about children dying (because it’s just not fair) and ESPECIALLY children dying from illness because its long and drawn out and torture and omg im starting to get upset thinking about it. i dont know how you handled it after losing gigi!!
It is hard to deal with but it’s our reality, unfortunately. I probably made this book sound much sadder than it is because of my recent loss but it’s a really good book. I enjoyed it enough to get through the sad parts. But if you like dreamy, happy stories then, yeah, I would avoid it. :)
I sob when I read all the time. I read TFIOS on a plane home from California, and I was crying so hard that the flight attendant came over and asked me if there was anything she could do. Talk about embarrassing when I told her it was just a really sad book. I did love it though; John Green is an awesome writer.
Oh my, I hate to laugh but that’s kind of a funny story! A lot of flight attendants read too so I’m sure she understood. His book was worth the tears. :)
I totally have cried reading! There’s a book by Wally Lamb called ‘I Know This Much is True’ which is about twin boys one of whom suffers from schizophrenia. It’s an amazing book but absolutely heartbreaking…
I also can relate about the cancer thing having lost my mother to it. It’s a major reason I try to eat and live as healthy as I can so that I can ward off cancer as best I can.
I’m so sorry you lost your mom to cancer Sharon, that breaks my heart. I’m glad you were able to take such a sad part of your life and turn it into something positive. I’m sure your mom is so proud of you!
So sorry to hear about your grandfather! I have never lost anyone to cancer, but I have to AIDS and its extremely hard and painful! Would be nice for a cure for both of them. I just read an article from Stanford on Monday about a vaccine they are working on that eats the cancer cells and they just got approved and funded to transfer the research from animals to a human clinical trial! It is very interesting if you want to check it out. http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2013/may/cd47.html
Great Review on the book! It looks like a good read. I am with you on reading an actual book. Something about reading on a tablet is just not the same! lol
I’m sorry you lost someone to AIDS. I never think about anyone dying from AIDS because of how advanced treatment is now. They can actually treat it so that it is undetectable in the infected person’s blood, so they’re not too far from a cure. And thanks for linking up the Stanford article, how interesting! Maybe we’ll live to see a cure for both cancer and AIDS in our lifetime, wouldn’t that be awesome?!
Yes they have come a long way!
You are welcome and yes that would AMAZING!!
I love reading real books! I usually check them out from the library, it’s so nice to be able to read for free! I defiantly cry when reading books.
I love having a physical book vs. e-reader as well. I feel like my books are my prizes. Once I’ve finished reading I display them on their shelves just like race medals :).
I cry reading books all the time (Harry Potter? Dumbledore dying! sob sob sob). I think it’s the sign of an awesome writer when they can move you to tears with words.
Hugs to you and Coco! I am so so sorry for your loss :(.
I loooved this book, and read it within 2 days when I was in Barcelona. I listened to it again with my dad and best friend on a road trip and they loved it as well! It’s just such a touching story, though sad :(
Very interesting book. I love the feel of a book in my hands too! I still buy tons of books (cookbooks mostly) and I think reading on a Nook/Kindle or iPad would emit way too much light and keep me awake when reading at night. I guess it could be dimmed though….
Sorry for the loss of your Grandfather….
I am currently reading “Clean Gut”, The breakthrough Plan for Eliminating the Root Cause of Disease and Revolutionizing Your Health, by Alejandro Junger, M.D. so far it’s a great book. He has been on Dr. Oz and his book makes alot of sense. Check it out on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Clean-Gut-Breakthrough-Eliminating-Revolutionizing/dp/0062075861/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373478273&sr=1-1&keywords=clean+gut
I’ve heard such good things about this book! I’m waiting until I see it pop up in my library, because I am really curious to read it. And definitely on the real book vs. the e-reader thing…I understand the appeal of an ereader from an environmental perspective, but I would much rather hold the book in my hands…my reading time is time away from screens!
I started that book and almost finished it, but eventually I lost interest. I heard great reviews, though, so I think it’s just me! The last book I read was Into Thin Air and it was AWESOME. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking to read a suspensful and true story.
I’m sure you’re not the only one who didn’t like it. Not every author’s writing style appeals to everyone. Thanks for the recommendation for Thin Air, I’ll have to check it out!
I have heard great things about this book and will be adding it to my “to read” list. Now that I am finished with school (as of December), I can finally enjoy reading “for fun.” I am loving it! I have been reading a lot of chic lit lately ;).
Ugh, I remember being in school and not having time to leisurely read, I don’t miss those days! Chic lit can be fun for a nice, light hearted read sometimes! :)
I read this book for the PB Fingers book club and really enjoyed it too. I’m in a weird place with my reading at the moment where I’m sort of reading 5 books at once without really committing properly to any of them which I think means I need a new good book to keep me interested. I read all of Gillian Flynn’s books and they were such page turners that now I probably need another great one.
When I read a book, I tend to try to read something that will take me away from the reality of my world and place me somewhere else like urban fantasy or sci fi. Escapism at it’s best :) I don’t like being reminded of anything that hits too close to home, especially cancer related books.
Same with movies. Eric and I were bawling after watching Marley and Me since it was just a few months after his Rhodesian Mira passed in almost the same way [i read the book before any of it happened so I knew what was to come but it still rocked me hard].
Personally, I LOVE having books. We love having our library at home. The feel of weathered paper, the smell of it, the cracks in the spine showing just how well read a favorite book is. There is just something about books and the stories within them that make me want to curl up on the papa san or on the hammock and disconnect from reality for a little while.
It is nice to escape reality sometimes, I agree.
I love the way you describe your love for books. Reading in a hammock= complete relaxation!!
I’m with you all the way on this one! An absolutely fantastic book that I wanted to read again as soon as I finished it.
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