Saturday, February 11, 2012

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Source: Bought
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.
Hazel is a brilliant character that I understood way to well. I have been chronically sick for five years, and while it is a totally different disease. I have felt the sense of impending doom that Hazel has. I also understood what it meant to be a professional sick teen, because I lived it for two years. Green captured this aspect perfectly. I found it hard to read at times, because the emotions still exist in me from those experiences. Augustus was amazing. He was witty and funny. I loved his personality. At times, there language seemed a bit dense, but after further thought, it fit the character in a immensely fantastic way. The parents were also involved in the book, which is something I love in Young Adult Fiction and definitely added to the story. The characters were amazing and made this book even more lovely.
The plot of the book was amazing. While it dealt with being sick, it also dealt with the miracle that is life. I loved the sense of adventure and humor that were tangled between ever single aspect of this book. I have been a fan of John Green for several years and was really excited for his new novel. His writing was just as magical and extraordinary. He captured the essence that exist when you are between being dead and healthy. A lot that he wrote, is something that I have thought or felt at some point since getting sick. There were a few small medical things that seemed wrong from my experiences in the last five years. At the same time, John Green's writing is executed in a beautiful matter that I couldn't help adoring this book. I highly recommend that you read this book as soon as possible. This story is full of emotions that will clutch your heart, long after you have finished it. It is one of my favorite books that I have read in a long time.

2 comments:

  1. What a wonderful review, especially from your perspective (since you've been chronically sick for five years, which I can't imagine--I'm so sorry). Like you, I am a fan of John Green and this sounds like a great new read. Thanks for this review.

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  2. I’ve read every novel that John Green has written and while they are all superb, I have to admit that this one is my hands down favorite. I was one of those fans who pre-ordered the book way back when it was first announced and even before I knew all pre-orders would be signed. I’ve read the book multiple times over and each time I find something new, something different that sticks with me. I tend to be a very intense person, meaning I don’t just casually like things, I fall head over heels in love with them.

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