Alice's Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green
Series: None
Publication Date: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 352
Obtained: Purchases
Genre:  Young Adult
Rating: 5
Bottom Line: A tear-jerking powerhouse.
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary:  Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars brilliantly explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.  ~powells.com

Review:  Some reviews are easy to write, some a bit more difficult. This is one of the more difficult ones. This is hands down the best book I read this year. From the wonderful characters to the compelling story line to the great adventures the character’s experience, The Fault in Our Stars is perfect in everyway. The reason this is difficult is because I don’t know what to say to fully express how much I loved this novel and how this is a must read for everyone. It really doesn’t matter who you are or what your favorite genre is, this novel is wonderful. I believe the only readers who may struggle with this are those personally affected by the loss of a child to a cancer. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to experience that kind of loss again. That feeling of loss is what John Green masters. The Fault in Our Stars is so well written, I felt I knew Hazel and Augustus personally. They were not two literary characters, but two teenagers falling in love in the most tragic circumstances. Their story was deeply moving and so personal.

I just loved Hazel. Her courage was inspiring. She was everything a person should be when facing such tragedy. I am always amazed how well a man can capture such a strong, fascinating female character and Mr. Green does just that. Here is someone who has owned who she is without letting her illness define her. She’s brilliant. And Augustus...talk about a guy with many layers. On the surface, he is a happy go lucky guy without a care in the world. As Hazel gets to know him, we see he is much more than that. I loved how he reveals his true character to Hazel.

I loved how Mr. Green used humor throughout the novel. I loved how there were many funny moments, injected at the perfect time to diffuse grief. I loved how he give us a peek at what Hazel and Augustus’ parents were feeling. We understood what they were going through however, Mr. Green never fully shifted the focus to them. I think we truly saw them as Hazel and Augustus saw them. I especially believe that to be true with Hazel’s parents.

Overall, I know I’m just adding to the list of glowing reviews for this wonderful novel. This is one you can’t pass up.

Total Love Count: 6

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Julie's Reviews: The Fault in Our Stars

Summary: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.~powells.com

 Review: The Fault in Our Stars  is a wonderful book that happens to feature teenage kids. What's different about these kids is that they either are battling cancer or have battled cancer at some point in their lives. It is not so much about dying is about choosing to live your life while you have it.

Hazel is a teen who is suffering from cancer but right now it's her lungs that are giving her the problem. She can't breathe on her own very well so she is connected to an oxygen tank. For her this is normal and she is just going through life until Augustus Waters walks into it. Then she starts living her life. She realizes that perhaps waiting to die isn't the best use of her time. Augustus is just what Hazel needs to live the normal teenager life that her parents have wanted for her. She and Augustus slowly connect on a cerebral level until the physical attraction can no longer be denied.

Hazel and Augustus aren't like teenagers I know. Well, I don't hang out with a lot of teenagers either though. While the book might be for young adults, I feel like a lot of it is aimed at adults as well. This isn't an easy book to read because you know it will be filled with sadness at some point. What I didn't expect was the wit that was contained in it. John Green definitely knows how to make you chuckle.

As someone who doesn't read a lot of contemporary young adult novels, I can definitely recommend this one. The Fault in Our Stars might feature teens but we call can learn from it no matter our age.

Final Take: 5/5



Jordan's review at Kids Just Reading




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