The Fault in Our Stars (edition 2012)

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I totally would. Holy hell it was fabulous. So amazing in fact that I almost became enraged at my grandmother for interupting my reading so I could get her some much needed groceries. I did not want to put it down, I read it in 1 day. Spoiler alert, this book will make you have emotions. You will care for these characters more than any others you've read in a long long time. And you will cry, if you don't it's possible you have no soul. I sobbed/bawled my way through the last 50 pages. My eyes were on fire (thanks mascara), my hair was soggy, and I'm pretty sure I was the epitome of beauty (not!). This book made me FEEL and I haven't had a book do that in a while. I literally cannot stop thinking about this book, it's just too good.

I will attempt to decribe this book without giving too much away or making it sound depressing. The story follows Hazel, a sixteen year old girl with terminal cancer. Her best friends are her parents and she hasrelaxed into a routine that involves not doing much of anything. Her parents desperate to get her out of the house make her go to a cancer support group for kids and it is there that she meets Augustus. Augustus is in remission but his battle made him lose a leg. He doesn't dwell on it though, he uses his charm (and good looks) to befriend Hazel. In no time at all they're inseperable, they read the same books, help their friend Isaac get through the loss of his eyesight, and try to make the best out of being sick. I think I enjoyed this book so much because it isn't about the poor sick little cancer kid that needs to be pitied, this is the other side if the story, this is what it is really like for these kids living with cancer. They don't need to be pitied, they need to be understood.

Again, this is a must read. It is without a doubt added to my list of all time favorites and I cannot wait to read his other works. Side note, for all you Hoosiers or Vonnegut lovers, there is a Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. reference in here. So it goes :) ( )

Why do I consistently rate John Green books at three stars? I love John Green. Really, I do. I am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with John Green novels. That might not look apparent when you see the ratings I give his books, though. He instills humor, heartbreak, and wit into his characters—a breath of freshness into the YA genre, so I feel excited and happy when I get to read his writing. So why is TFiOS three stars? Because I’m fussy. I’m this picky, emotional ice queen, so if a book clicks with me—and I mean connects on this almost unreachable level where my feelings exist—I will love that book for all of my life.

When I read, I read critically. I’m one of those people who have difficulty enjoying books without poking and prodding at things, like writing style, word choice, plot, character depth, and so on. But I like John Green’s style, word choice, plot, character depth, and so on’s. And yet...

I really, truly, wanted to adore this book. I had an irresistible urge to read it but not an irresistible urge to buy it, so I waited and waited to fall into the #1 slot of TFiOS library requests. Requested way back in November when Green’s new novel was on pre-order, I finally took claim of #1 out of 40 other readers in mid-January. But then… the library turned on me, shoving me back into the #5 position, and I wrongly waited an even longer amount of time. All the while this great eagerness to read The Amazing & Widely-Loved John Green grew exponentially; hence, I pinned Green and his novel to a high expectation that was not met.

While I’ve yet to acquaint [b:An Abundance of Katherines|49750|An Abundance of Katherines|John Green|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327870171s/49750.jpg|48658], I remember how [b:Paper Towns|2914097|Paper Towns|John Green|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327869758s/2914097.jpg|3364505] was enjoyable but I felt that it was okay. Just okay. Then I read [b:Looking for Alaska|99561|Looking for Alaska|John Green|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327869663s/99561.jpg|919292] and why, oh, why, I’m now thinking, did I give LFA three stars? LFA made my eyes mist. This is important: books do not make my eyes mist. Not usually, anyway, unless I haven’t slept and it is four in the morning, in which case: anything makes me almost-cry when I’m sleep-deprived at four in the morning.

I expected TFiOS to be like LFA and entangle itself into my emotional web, wrecking blurry-vision havoc. With all this surrounding hype and the knowledge that the main character has cancer, I thought TFiOS would be more emotionally engaging. Instead, Green pulls off amusing humorous wit, but it’s not balanced by a felt sense of grief—for me, at least. But don’t listen to me. I don’t even have real complaints. Well, okay—maybe a few.

For one, Peter Van Houten feels distant and unreal. Not that he isn't believable, but he doesn't feel as embedded into the story as other characters. Instead, Houten is something loose that surfaces a few times before he is completely brushed off. The idea of Houten is very present—his book is very present—but Houten as a character is not. This strikes me as odd since Hazel feels connected to Houten's words.

I am also quite used to Green leading me somewhere, such as in Paper Towns (road trip!) and LFA (friendship! death! more friendship!). TFiOS, however, does not take me anywhere special. "Cancer is a side effect of dying," says Hazel, but in respect to literature: tragedy needs an additional ingredient that is not tragedy frosted in witticisms. I appreciate the sentiment and perspectives about life, death, and dying young—Hazel's and Augustus's battles against cancer. Ultimately, I didn't pick up any (poignant) emotional subtlety beneath the humor. I suppose it's fair to say that compared to his other books, I felt a lack of adventure and discovery.

But! Because Hazel has cancer and a future severely lacking in hopes of recovery, I didn’t fully expect the twist that was twisted. (Oh, see, and don’t want to ruin anything, so I’m wording this cautiously.) And it’s a nice twist—only I shouldn’t say “nice,” because it’s not really nice; it’s sad.

I like that the book didn’t allow my initial assumptions regarding each character's fate to come true, but I didn’t feel emotionally invested enough to be struck by what happens.

( )

Hazel is a self-described "professional cancer patient". Her diagnosis is eventual death from her condition, although she has bought herself some time with a successful cancer drug trial and her trusty oxygen tank to help her "crap" lungs. She does her best to live as a normal teenager, mostly for the sake of her parents, which includes attending a support group where she meets Augustus. Augustus has one leg, which put his bone cancer into remission, a wry sense of humor, and the same stark way of speaking about the world. Of course they should probably fall in love, but how do you forge a relationship when you are assured of dying young?

It's not often you describe a book about cancer patients as delightful, but this one breaks the mold. Never once did it feel forced or treacly. The dialogue is crackling with equal parts humor, sarcasm, and honesty. They are simply two kids, one of which has no leg, and one that has very little future to look forward to, trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world. The Fault in our Stars is definitely for an older group of kids. There are frank discussions of sex, death, cancer, some minor language (one usage of the so-called R-rated curse word), and one alluded-to sexual act. ( )

This is the first book by this young American writer that I have read. I was pleasantly surprised and became so engrossed in this story of two teenagers who share a beautiful friendship. They are each suffering from terminal cancer and their acceptance and bravery in the face of their dreadful illnesses and treatment is quite inspiring. The author shows such insight into the minds of these young people that I wondered if he had had an experience like this himself. Of course the book can not have a happy ending but nevertheless it was a "happy" story which I really enjoyed. ( )

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what this one is about. If you haven’t read it yet, you’ve read about it scores of times. I came to this book with a slightly cynical attitude but, although I didn’t cry, I did get teary-eyed a couple of times. It’s intelligently told and humanely felt. 4 stars

Read this if: you’d like some insight into how to relate to a young person with a serious illness; or you’re an adolescent thinking about life and death and their meaning. ( )