Review: The Fault in Our Stars – John Green

Summary from Goodreads:

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.

The Fault in Our Stars was recommended to me several times during the past year, and I just never really got to it. I’m really glad I have now, though, I loved it! Every single word on the page made sense to me.
Everything Hazel went through felt so real when I was reading about it. The way she wanted to protect the people who cared about her from the uture heart-ache of her death was what touched me the most, I think. As if it is even possible to protect someone from mourning the death of a loved one. I felt connected with Hazel, even if I’m a lot older than her, and I have had the privilege of never being seriously ill. Even with her illness, she continued to go to school and try to work towards her future. Knowing she would die before too long must have made even that really difficult.

Hazel’s mother makes her go to a support group so she won’t be so depressed. Hazel doesn’t think she’s depressed, but she just might be anyway. I think knowing the time you have left living is limited must be scary, and she was truly on the brink of death when the doctors proposed the new drug to her and her parents. So close to death, in fact, that her parents told her it was OK to let go, that she could stop fighting now.

There were many beautiful moments in The Fault in Our Stars, and I really loved the relationship that formed between Hazel and Augustus, and also between the two of them and Isaac. The three of them all had their own problems, but they still did the best they could to help each other out.

Everything in The Fault in Our Stars pleased me! The writing is excellent, the way the teenagers feelings are portrayed is beautiful, the relationships seems real. I loved that Augustus got so into the book Hazel loved, and that Hazel felt the same way about what Augustus liked to read. The way they exchanged text messages about the books was awesome! And it actually made me not so aware that they were sick. I also loved the exploration of their relationship – what better way to feel alive than letting yourself fall in love? And when that love is reciprocated, what is more normal than acting on those feelings?

Just after I read The Fault in Our Stars, I read a ridiculous article saying that teenagers shouldn’t read books about serious illnesses nor about teenagers having sex. And it really boggles the mind! I think both people who are sick, and people who are healthy need to read books that can be difficult to read. Life can be difficult! And it is not always fair, either. I think it is wonderful that there are YA authors who write stories for youth (and those, like me who are already adults but love reading YA too) that actually deal with difficult subjects. It is important for those who are sick to know that they are not alone, and it is important for those who are healthy to get a glimpse into why someone who is sick is keeping to herself.

His every syllable flirted. Honestly, he kind of turned me on. I didn’t even know that guys could turn me on – not, like in real life.

If you are late reading The Fault in Our Stars, stop waiting, hurry up and get the book, open it, and enjoy it; tears, laughter, hope and despair – it’s all worth it.

About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.

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