Title: The Fault in our Stars (Goodreads)
Author: John Green
Published: Dutton Books, 2012
Pages: 313
Genres: Young Adult
My Copy: Personal Copy
Buy: Amazon, Book Depository (or visit your local Indie bookstore)
Sixteen year old Hazel Grace Lancaster has been dealing with Stage 4 Thyroid cancer since she was 13 years old. Having recently decided to join a support group for children living with cancer she meets Augustus Waters (with osteosarcoma), and the infatuation was instantaneous. Their relationship grows and a common obsession with Peter van Houten’s An Imperial Affliction finds them in Amsterdam trying to track down this obscure author.
There really isn’t much I can say about this book that I haven’t said before. I really like John Green’s books; he writes some great characters and Hazel and Augustus are not exception. This isn’t a typical cancer book, but it is a typical Green book (not that there is anything wrong with that). I do feel like Green have some reoccurring themes in all his books but this one tries hard to break the mould. Obviously since it’s still a John Green book it never will break out, he knows what he likes; his style works really well, so there is nothing too wrong with keeping to it.
This book tends to shift a little into the unrealistic, but I’m sure there are intelligent and witty sixteen year olds that act and talk like these two; I’ve just never met them. I love how Green does a pretty typical YA love story but then finds interesting metaphors and ideas to throw in the mix. Hazel Grace and the reader are left examining life; sickness and health, life and death, what defines them and even the legacy they will leave behind.
The whole concept of ‘death being at your door the entire time’ makes for a very interesting YA novel. I’m pleased to say this is a fine example of what John Green does. I’ve read most of John Green’s novels now and I’m a huge fan of his works; I’m a little sad to think there is only one more novel of his left to read. I would love to know who else can offer intelligent and mostly realistic Young Adult novels for me to read.
I finished this book last night and I was an emotional mess.
Remarkable book though, I loved it. I understand when you said that the
characters can feel a littl unrealistic. I agree with you there but I’m was able
to overlook it because the characters were funny and amusing and I found their situation
quite realistic.
I’ve now read 2 books by John Green, this book and Looking
for Alaska, which book do you suggest I read next?
I think you should go with Paper Towns next
Wonderful, thanks for that. I’ve now got it on my eReader 🙂
Enjoy
My first John Green, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
First of many, I hope
I didn’t like this book. Well, it almost made cray with that scene in the car near the end, but I didn’t enjoy the whole thing going on with this other book and the dialogue…. well, I am not a fan of unrealistic dialogue like that 🙂
I know some people didn’t like it, and I understand the dialogue would be a big problem
[…] the group so far. I’m so happy with the response and pleased to see people still had time to read The Fault in our Stars. Plenty of interesting thoughts have come out of this book from the group and while there was some […]
We share a similar opinion on this book – the only thing is I have an 8 year old boy that uses words like epiphany and miscreant casually so I was much less bothered by Augustus than most readers
That’s awesome, I hope he keeps it up