Review Detail

Ever since I sobbed my eyes out in "A Walk to Remember" I vowed never to read or watch anything related to cancer ever again. I’m so glad I broke that rule with John Green’s "The Fault in Our Stars." That’s not to say I didn’t cry like a baby a couple times, but let me tell you, the tears were worth it.

What struck me most about the story of terminal cancer teen Hazel is how wonderfully funny Hazel’s thoughts and banter are. I regularly found myself asking, “Am I allowed to laugh at this? Am I some completely insensitive, cancer-free jerk?” I’m hoping the answer is yes to the first question and no to the second, and that others found themselves laughing out loud a time or two.

It’s a testament to Green’s writing skills that he is able to find the humor in such a heart-wrenching story. He has some sort of writing magic to have people chuckling at one point and blubbering the next. Throughout it all, he sends the sincere messages of enjoying the time we have and of not taking life for granted. Thanks to Green, I think it’s time I end my moratorium on cancer-related works, and forgive Nicholas Sparks/Mandy Moore for all those tears.