The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 Or, more accurately:

From Goodreads: 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.

~

My review (SPOILER FREE): The Fault in Our Stars is a beautifully written story about two cancer kids that fall in love. It's about the way we look at life and how, after a life close to us is taken away, that perspective effects the way we cope. It's about learning that people aren't who they seem (or who you want them) to be. People will disappoint you greatly, or perhaps surprise you into love. This book is about LIFE. Real life. Real people. Real love. 

This story and the characters in it are alive in my heart and they will never leave. Reading this book brought laughter to my lips, tears to my eyes, and deep thoughts to my mind. What a marvelous combination! The way John Green writes makes me feel and think - not many writers can do that, and he does it wonderfully and fluidly. John Green, you are MAGNIFICENT. 

The main two characters: 

Hazel Lancaster - "I told Augustus the broad outline  of my miracle diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer when I was thirteen. (I didn't tell him that the diagnosis came three months after I got my first period. Like: Congratulations! You're a woman. Now die). It was, we were told, incurable." ~Hazel, page 24. 

Hazel is sixteen, her favorite book is An Imperial Infliction, and she enjoys watching reality TV shows with her parents. She attends college classes and has a huge vocabulary. Because of the metastasis forming in her lungs she is constantly hooked up to an oxygen tank. She has short brown hair and is told by Augustus she looks like Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta.

 

Shailene Woodley as Hazel in the upcoming film adaption.

She is an up-beat, sarcastic girl that has an irrepressible affection for...

Augustus Waters - Handsome and flirtatious, this guy stole that piece of my heart reserved for book boyfriends as soon as I set eyes on him. Augustus meets Hazel at Support Group and they start their relationship with a steamy stare-down, which Hazel wins. Confident, charming, tall. This guy has it all...well, I guess there's the little detail of him having one leg due to the Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) that was in it.

Augustus is determined to leave his mark on the earth before he dies. In this way he is very different from Hazel, who is afraid to hurt anyone by leaving her mark and does all she can to prevent the pain others will feel when she herself dies. Augustus complains at one point of the book that he just wishes he could have a major impact on people. "It crossed my mind to fake a choking incident or something so that he might give me the Heimlich. Maybe then he could rid himself of this fear that his life had been lived and lost for no greater good." ~Hazel, page 237.

She then tries to make him understand that by just living he impacts those around him: "I just want to be enough for you, but I never can be. This can never be enough for you. But this is all you get. You get me, and your family, and this world. This is your life." ~Hazel, page 241.

Ansel Elgort as Augustus in the upcoming film adaption.

They are young and in love and bring to mind a favorite quote from Doctor Who: "Life is short, and you are hot" ~Billy Shipton in the episode Blink.



 5 Stars

Ages 15+ (depends on maturity level)
-some language, sexual references, and brief sex scene-

 (End of spoiler free review)

SPOILER ALERT

SPOILERS!

SPOILERS!

 

SPOILERS!

SPOILERS!

SPOILERS!

SPOILERS!

SPOILERS!

Okay, if you're still reading this I am assuming that a) you've already read the book, or b) you want the book to be completely spoiled for you. I will not take any blame for poor, spoiled blogglings, understood?  ;)

Note: This part of the review is more likely to be a sobbing rant, rather than a well written review. 




 My emotional status in the last 50 pages went from this:

To this:

To this:

It was just too much! The other time I have cried this hard because of a book was reading Allegiant! I came downstairs, my face swollen and red, and my mom looked at me and was all "What's the matter?!" and I was just like:

After realizing that I was just crying over a book, which is pretty normal, she gave me a hug and teased me about how 'it's just a book, it can't hurt you really'. You know, the normal mom talk.

John Green you are very skilled at making me sob violently, thank you. Like I said, you are a magnificent writer.

BUT I WILL NEVER GET OVER AUGUSTUS DYING!

They deserved better! They deserved each other!

I guess that's just life though, right? We're all dying, not just cancer patients. Every minute we live is another minute closer to death. Cancer patients just have to live with that constant reminder, unlike those that lead 'healthy' lives. Just because I don't have cancer doesn't mean I'm guaranteed a long life. Now, I'm not saying that people with cancer don't have it worse than non-cancer people. We go about our lives normally, while they (like I just said) are repeatedly reminded that they could die any minute. Their lives are painful, emotional, and sad. The Fault in Our Stars gives a peek into what living with a tumor inside your lungs is like. I really appreciated this, because in all the movies I've seen with cancer patients they are always so angelic and perfect. Hazel and Augustus are not. They fight (with each other and their parents), they're selfish, sarcastic, thoughtful, and have many of the same emotions every teenager has. 

And they loved. They loved each other in a way that wasn't just the normal 'boyfriend/girlfriend' way.

So, naturally, Augustus had to go and die.

Of course.

Throw a pile of bricks at my heart, why don't you? 

You know it must be an amazing book if it can make you have all these feels.

And this, my blogglings, is most certainly an amazing book.