The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green

[inlibrisveritas]

After seeing so many people rave over The Fault In Our Stars I finally decided to take the chance on it and see what it was that had everyone so in love with the book. I have heard so much about it that I went into with a sort of preconceived notion as to what I was going to be given. I was almost completely wrong. I now understand why so many reviews seem to skim over what exactly is in it…and I feel like I should do the same. It’s a book that you need to experience on your own to full appreciate and I don’t want to rob anyone of that experience.

The Fault In Our Stars is a book that deals with cancer, but Green has written it in such a way that you don’t really feel that gloom and depression the way you would with a “normal” (what Hazel would call) ‘cancer book’. It’s a book filled with hope, humor, snark, and sadness; and I don’t see everyone who reads this reacting the same way. I’ve read very few books that have managed to make me laugh and then crush my heart with expert precision, but this is definitely one of them.

When I first picked this up I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, the style and voice is rather distinctive and it definitely didn’t fit into the shape I had made in my head. Hazel has a very unique voice and personality, and it took some getting use to but once the story got moving I was hooked. The flow of the story is quick and I loved the realness of the conversations which are not perfect in form or generic. The conversations have character and you really can see their personalities hinging through in their wit and charm. The characters are really well developed and surprisingly I loved them all, and even though the cards are stacked against them I found myself rooting for them from the very beginning. If I had to choose one thing that I loved the most from this book, as impossible as that feels, I would go with the fact that it is not a book centered around death but instead it’s centered around life. There is something really raw about the hope and love in this book and it just settled into my heart.

The relationship between Hazel and Augustus is hard to explain. It’s not a whirlwind romance and it’s not some flat thing produced on a whim, it just feels real. There is a sort of unique bond that forms between them, and some of their conversations are my favorite parts.

The Fault In Our Stars is not an easy book review and it’s certainly not one I could accurately describe to someone quickly. I had so much trouble trying to find the right words while at the same time leaving out spoilers, and I still don’t think I managed to quite capture it. It’s my first John Green book but it certainly won’t be my last.