The Fault In Our Stars

"Whenever you read a cancer booklet or website or whatever, they always list depression among the side effects of cancer. But, in fact, depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying. (Cancer is also a side effect of dying. Almost everything is, really.)"
-- a small slice of the affected wisdom of Hazel Grace, from The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.

Seemingly everybody, regardless of personal interest, occupation, social situation or general background, carries a list of books with such personal and cultural importance, resonance and transcendent ability to shape thoughts and ideas that may be dubbed as "essential". For many, such literary classics as Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Orwell's 1984 and Salinger's Catcher In the Rye are permanently engraved on this list. Perhaps, for others, Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are or Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy have mattered so much in the lives of their readers that they, too, are deemed essential. Regardless of exactly which books reside on these lists, what is truly important to highlight is how each and every one of these "essential" texts have been a transmutable participant in the journeys of the lives of countless individuals.

Which brings me to The Fault In Our Stars; John Green's sharply written, smartly balanced and, of course, essential tale centered around the "epic love story" of two teenager's suffering from the unfair, unpredictable and unrelenting human condition of dying from cancer.

For fans of Mr. Green's previous novels (Looking For Alaska, An Abundance Of Katherines and Paper Towns), the author's identifiable use of witty and pointed dialogue is utilized to great effect as he illustrates the stubborn strength in two individuals who refuse to be defined by their disease. Yet, while Hazel and Augustus are perceptively conscience of the strangeness of their lives, they sweetly cultivate and develop an intense and sagacious connection that is, altogether, distressingly endearing, deeply touching and genuinely heroic.

Stylistically, what Mr. Green surely excels at is never allowing the pulse of the narrative to get repetitive or predictable. Rather, the author is wonderful at unsettling the reader throughout at just the right moments. Just as he has in previous novels, Mr. Green utilizes a character revelation, from the perspective of the protagonist, to shift the paradigm and introduce a new sense of crisis and focus within the tightly directed narrative while still maintaining an honest sense of truth in the voice of the speaker.

Ultimately, Mr. Green possesses the enviable ability to articulate such a satiable level of understanding that unequivocally makes the journey of his stories an acutely unique experience. The Fault In Our Stars is a relentlessly engaging, humorous and affecting tale that will undoubtedly shape ideas, inspire action, influence personal conceptions and inevitably be called "essential".

I've been avoiding writing this review because I just don't think my tear ducts can handle it. But I need to do it because this is honestly one of the best books I have ever read. This is the first book by John Green that I have read, and I enjoyed his style immensely. His writing is witty and elevated, which only furthers the point that the main character is smart beyond her years. Hazel has cancer, but I could tell she is an old soul, forced to deal with circumstances that no teenager should. There are some main characters that I just can't stand in books because their wit turns into snark which turns into an annoying attempt at portraying teen angst. John Green drove the line between funny and obnoxious with perfection. There wasn't any point in the novel where I felt Hazel was a brat or annoying to listen to. In fact, all I wanted to do was hear her thoughts and keep reading to uncover her heartbreaking story.

Now on to the boy...Augustus Waters. At first I wasn't sure about him. Is he an arrogant jerk or is he that know it all guy you kind of love to hate? I quickly realized neither were true. I didn't ever want to hate him. Yes, he may be overly confident, but his heart is too large for him to be a jerk. He's the guy that was meant for Hazel and in their relationship you find a perfect story.

For me it's easier to write bad reviews than good ones. Because I just don't have much to say besides this book is amazing and you should read it immediately. My absolute favorite part of the book was when you realize why it's called The Fault in Our Stars. I won't give it away because its something you should read in the book.

And lastly, tissues are required for this. My face was a puddle of mascara when I was reading. The last hundred pages were the worst and I had a steady stream going for the entirety of them. But it was worth it.

I recommend this book for anyone who can read...seriously.

If you have never read a book by John Green, I highly recommend reading this one first because it is by far his best one yet. Reading his other books first actually takes away from the story. Why?

Because John Green is repetitive. You will find similar, witty teenagers who can throw their extraordinarily clever comments back and forth without a moment's thought, though underneath their perfection they are broken and confused, and know, understand, and memorize classical poetry, literature, music, etc. It's a common link between his books, and I found myself continuously drawn out of the story to think, "Hmm... that seems awfully familiar." If this had been his first book I read, I would've given a better rating, because I wouldn’t have known his characters quite yet. Oh, sure, they all have their own philosophies and beliefs, but their general personalities are making me simply bored.

That said, The Fault in Our Stars is a wonderful story, which, while it may not have the most original plot yet (count all the YA books that have protagonists dealing with cancer and romance), he does make it his own by incorporating his own elements in to it. This means his standard fare of life-changing journeys to discover the meaning of life (or something similar), and lovable, dorky characters. I don’t want to give anything away, but it is not your typical cancer book—it is fun and adventurous, but of course, as teenagers dealing with cancer, Hazel and Augustus will have those moments where everything is just awful. The way they deal with death is markedly different from what you read in other books, especially near the end, where there are some truly heartbreaking scenes—some of the best I have ever read.

People who hate crying while reading books will probably take one look at the summary and think, “Cancer. Bye.” But I seriously recommend giving this one a chance. John Green does not write books about how depressing cancer is, though, of course, elements like that are thrown in. He writes about life and about surviving and fearing it. If you’re still not convinced, try this sample line:

“Whenever you read a cancer booklet or website or whatever, they aalways list depression among the side effects of cancer. But, in fact, depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying. (Cancer is also a side effect of dying. Almost everything is, really.)