"The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green: Review

Date Published: January 10, 2012

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Number of Pages: 336

Publisher: Dutton Books

First Thoughts:

Oh my Gosh! This book was beyond mind blowing! I don’t even know where to even begin to express how much this book has affected me and opened my eyes. I actually was oblivious to this book until about a week ago…I was browsing a Goodreads friends quotes and found she had a lot of quotes from this book and I really liked the quotes themselves so I looked the book up and saw all the raving reviews so I picked this book up as soon as I could. This book had so much to offer and it was so different than what I’m used to reading…I just love almost everything about this book; the whole book was quotable!

Plot:

This book was just great; the story was inspiring and fun to read. I laughed a lot in this book and I almost cried at others. The idea of having cancer and knowing you’re dying is something a normal person would take and let it tear them apart but in this book the main character is so much stronger than that; she’s accepted her fate and all she wants to do now is live life until it’s her time to go. I loved the idea of how the story revolves around a book she loved and wanting to meet the author and have her questions answered but it’s not that easy but with the help of someone special she might just get the chance to meet him. This was a romantic and tragic comedy…it was a breed unto itself. The plot was amazing; it kept me interested the entire time and though I had a few lingering questions at the end I was surprisingly satisfied. The ending itself was emotional and uplifting at the same time just wished there was an epilogue. And as for the pace of the book it was really fast for me; there was always something interesting happening whether it was action or not, I really never lost my interest throughout the length of this book The story kept me interested; I wanted to know what happened next. And I really felt there were a lot of things teens and young adult could take away from this book; ideas and thoughts about life and how to life it. So overall I really enjoyed this aspect of the book; I felt the layout of the story was great.

Romance:

I really enjoyed the romance in this book, it wasn’t too overwhelming and it was at times quite funny. The two characters fit so well together, you could really see and compare the two personalities together and see that really no one else would really quite fit together better than these two. And I liked that the relationship felt more realistic, it wasn’t rushed or love at first sight…it took time for the two to really acknowledge that there was something there. So overall I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and I didn’t find it stereotypical.

Characters:

I really enjoyed the characters; they really added great texture to the world. And I was able to easily connect with the main character and understand her. She was created perfectly and her personality is so unique and creative; it’s not one I’ve really seen in any other book. The way she thinks is so intelligent and creative! And as for the other characters they each had their own traits and quirks and fit so well into the storyline and world. Some of the characters made me laugh, others cry but the important thing is was the author was able to get the reader to really connect to each and every character; not just the main ones. So overall I felt this was a very important aspect to the book and really added the amp to the book.

Transformation of the Character:

So I don’t really think the characters necessarily changed in this book; rather they just came to terms with who they were all along and saw life in a new way…you didn’t really see a change in any of the personalities so I wouldn’t really say they transformed. But either way I don’t think this was a very important aspect in the book and it didn’t sway me one way or another on my opinion of the book.

Description:

I loved the description in this book; it was so detailed and creative. I loved reading about the seeds of the trees floating down the river or the smells in the air. I loved being immersed in the atmosphere and experiencing things right alongside the characters. The author really knew how to draw out the senses and allow the reader to really get the texture of the world and become more in-tuned and connected to it. And it wasn’t just the landscape that the author described so well, it was the emotions too, I was really able to experience all of the things the characters did….it really allowed me better connect with the characters themselves and to better understand all of the issues that arose. I really enjoyed all the little details the author painted for the reader. And as for the dialogue I thought it was well created and placed and true to each character and there wasn’t too much or too little. So overall I really enjoyed this aspect of the book.

Style:

This was written in one POV and in first person which really allowed the reader to become connected with the character and better understand what was happening. I enjoyed the style in this book, it was so unique and fun to read. I felt this author’s writing was more mature and well thought out than I’m used to in young adult. I felt intelligent while reading this book….just loved the author’s style of writing. I thought his writing was fun to read and really made me stop and re-read a couple of places; I really wanted to get the whole experience and by doing so had to stop and rewind. So overall the style of this book was superb.

Quote of the Book:

“We live in a universe devoted to the creation, and eradication, of awareness…He died after a lengthy battle with human consciousness, a victim-as you will be of the universe’s need to make and unmake all that is possible.”

Goodreads Summary:

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.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to young teens and young adults. This book has a lot of lessons to be learned and emotions to grab onto. There was so much greatness to this book that I know my words could never sum up how much this book meant to me. This so far my favorite book of 2012, the writing was amazing and the whole book was fun to read. And when it came time to picking a quote to give you guys it was so hard…I wanted to quote so many things but chose on one that kept me thinking. But either way I hope you’ll take the time to read this book, it really is worth it! And Hey! If you don’t like it its fine it’s not for everyone but it definitely touched me.

My Rating: