Helpful Score: 10
In this day and age, the line between artist and art is a blurred and confused one. Publishers encourage their authors to have an online presenceand no author has been more successful at that than John Green, with his popular YouTube videos and millions of Nerdfighter followers. It is nearly impossible to separate THE FAULT IN OUR STARS from its hype, should you even want to do that. In between or in spite of the cancerkid plotline, TFiOS is distinctly John Green, and that comes with its pros and cons.
Pros: TFiOS is chock-full of John Green-isms. His characters are, in a sense, himself; he is his characters. Theoretically (or technically) this is true for all writers and their characters, but the public John Green himself is already such a character that Hazel, Augustus, and the others just seem like extensions of his online persona. His words in their mouths. Theyre far from being bad words, no, but theyre very recognizably his, and readers who perhaps were trying to appreciate the characters and the writings on their own may find it a slightly more difficult job.
Cons: Having grown up reading John Greenthat is, having read each of his novels within a few weeks after they were releasedits interesting observing the development (or lack thereof) of his subsequent novels. That John Green is good at what he does is no secret. Hes funny, hes insightful, hes energetic. But he couldve done more with Hazel, Augustus, and the others. Instead, his characters and stories seem to stall at witty and never progress to profound. Events could have been expanded into something bigger and more meaningful; instead, things were rushed or felt simply like vehicles for comic relief.
That being said, I still felt that THE FAULT IN OUR STARS was a great read. I always enjoy reading about smart characters, and there were plenty of moments where I nearly jumped up and ran around to find someone to show a particular quote to. We need more YA like this, this combination of humor and intelligence and interesting thoughts. TFiOS being a cancer book, there are certain things that we readers can expect over the course of the story, which dampened the end effect for me somewhat.
The TFiOS reading experience brings up the interesting dilemma of whether or not we readers should consider our relationship with and knowledge of the author when reading his or her book. How you enjoy THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, then, sort of depends on your context. On its own and compared to nothing, its a pretty good book with its funny and sad moments. Compared to YA lit as a whole, its rather respectable and reason for encouraging more books of its kind. Compared to The John Green Persona, however, its a mere middling extension of what hes already good at, and doesnt do anything new.
Doesnt mean, though, that I didnt enjoy it.
Pros: TFiOS is chock-full of John Green-isms. His characters are, in a sense, himself; he is his characters. Theoretically (or technically) this is true for all writers and their characters, but the public John Green himself is already such a character that Hazel, Augustus, and the others just seem like extensions of his online persona. His words in their mouths. Theyre far from being bad words, no, but theyre very recognizably his, and readers who perhaps were trying to appreciate the characters and the writings on their own may find it a slightly more difficult job.
Cons: Having grown up reading John Greenthat is, having read each of his novels within a few weeks after they were releasedits interesting observing the development (or lack thereof) of his subsequent novels. That John Green is good at what he does is no secret. Hes funny, hes insightful, hes energetic. But he couldve done more with Hazel, Augustus, and the others. Instead, his characters and stories seem to stall at witty and never progress to profound. Events could have been expanded into something bigger and more meaningful; instead, things were rushed or felt simply like vehicles for comic relief.
That being said, I still felt that THE FAULT IN OUR STARS was a great read. I always enjoy reading about smart characters, and there were plenty of moments where I nearly jumped up and ran around to find someone to show a particular quote to. We need more YA like this, this combination of humor and intelligence and interesting thoughts. TFiOS being a cancer book, there are certain things that we readers can expect over the course of the story, which dampened the end effect for me somewhat.
The TFiOS reading experience brings up the interesting dilemma of whether or not we readers should consider our relationship with and knowledge of the author when reading his or her book. How you enjoy THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, then, sort of depends on your context. On its own and compared to nothing, its a pretty good book with its funny and sad moments. Compared to YA lit as a whole, its rather respectable and reason for encouraging more books of its kind. Compared to The John Green Persona, however, its a mere middling extension of what hes already good at, and doesnt do anything new.
Doesnt mean, though, that I didnt enjoy it.
The Fault In Our Stars offered a great look at a different kind of romance--one between two teenagers with cancer. The character development is remarkable. The way that Augustus and Hazel interact is realistic and irresistibly honest. You can really feel the emotion in it and the intensity. It's so raw. It's an amazing book, you definitely should read it.
Helpful Score: 5
The Fault in Our Stars is a good book with one or two memorable quotes but that's about it. I was sort of expecting more out of it but in the end it didn't make me feel much of anything. It didn't make me feel sad, or happy, or hopeful, nor angry or confused, it was just a quick read. Hate to leave such a meh review, especially when I loved Paper Towns so much.
Helpful Score: 2
This was a phenomenal book. It was written from the perspective of a teenager with incurable cancer. The reader knows right from the beginning that the book will be sad; however, this book was so well written that it is worth the read. The author clearly captures the angst and tumult of the teenage mind while giving a glimpse of what a terminal cancer patient goes through mentally, emotionally, and physically. There are a lot of thought provoking issues in the book. I definitely would recommend this book, but make sure you have your tissue box by your side while reading it! This would be a great read for a book club.
Helpful Score: 2
My friend loved this book and couldn't wait for me to read it. I thought it was ok, not great. The characters were interesting, but the story was slow in many spots and then seemed to speed up in others. Also, all the quotes and excerpts from the books they were reading were pointless for me. Will not read this book again.
Helpful Score: 2
I read this book a couple of months ago when I found out my bestie had cancer. She didn't like the book, but I found some of the issues Hazel was dealing with beyond her illness were the same things my friend found so frustrating.
That being said...I found the book a interesting read.
That being said...I found the book a interesting read.
I had heard many good things about this book, so I decided I needed to experience it. I didn't know amazing and well-written it would really be! I laughed, cried, and felt like I was living with the characters in the book. I recommend this to everyone because I've never read anything like it before and this is something everyone deserves to read.
Helpful Score: 1
I've both read the book and watched the movie. I love it. Some of the dialogs are a bit too witty/profound for me to believe they're from a pair of 16-17 years old (in the same way you'll find many dialogs in movies unreal). But I understand they're that way for a reason: so that the writer can provide his views (via the characters) and so that it can amuse us and hold our attention. (Believe me, if you write exactly like how two cancer kids talk, your readers will slam your book to death instead of praising you "oh it sounds so real").
Now back to my love for this book. I don't find it excessively (holy-smokily) depressing, nor is it necessarily a tear-inducing novel (either because I'm a guy, or because I'm weaned on much more bleak/sentimental writing from the world of non-English-speaking literature). It's indeed sad though, and real, and funny, and heart-tugging, and melancholic, and it gives you that moment to sit back and think about your life, your own mortality and what it means to exist on this earth at all. That part, the part of the existential questions and opinions, is what I like most about the book, although the average readers don't seem to give it any thought at all. I know the opinions (either purportedly from Gus, from Hazel or from that fictional Van Houten character) are all from the author (although he may just restate belief he first got off someone else), but that doesn't mean they're not intriguing or interesting or profound. Do you really exist to leave your "scar" to the world? To live an imprint to the ones you love? Is there a Something after you're gone? If you're among the 99% of people who leave no "scar" worth mentioning, does that mean you've lived in vain?
I guess I'm veering off into a direction hardly anyone else wants to go in, but if you ever have an inkling for that sort of thoughts, read it and feel it and think it for yourself. Or maybe just read and enjoy a really good piece of literature.
Now back to my love for this book. I don't find it excessively (holy-smokily) depressing, nor is it necessarily a tear-inducing novel (either because I'm a guy, or because I'm weaned on much more bleak/sentimental writing from the world of non-English-speaking literature). It's indeed sad though, and real, and funny, and heart-tugging, and melancholic, and it gives you that moment to sit back and think about your life, your own mortality and what it means to exist on this earth at all. That part, the part of the existential questions and opinions, is what I like most about the book, although the average readers don't seem to give it any thought at all. I know the opinions (either purportedly from Gus, from Hazel or from that fictional Van Houten character) are all from the author (although he may just restate belief he first got off someone else), but that doesn't mean they're not intriguing or interesting or profound. Do you really exist to leave your "scar" to the world? To live an imprint to the ones you love? Is there a Something after you're gone? If you're among the 99% of people who leave no "scar" worth mentioning, does that mean you've lived in vain?
I guess I'm veering off into a direction hardly anyone else wants to go in, but if you ever have an inkling for that sort of thoughts, read it and feel it and think it for yourself. Or maybe just read and enjoy a really good piece of literature.
Helpful Score: 1
The focus on the alcoholic author and the book he wrote and of the characters wanting to know how the book ended sort of lost me somewhere along the way. All in all I guess I was just hoping for more. I liked the book for the most part, but I wasn't overly impressed.
Helpful Score: 1
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS was the July 2013 pick in my neighborhood book club.
With full disclosure, it wasn't written for me, so I was bored 75% of the time. While there were a few clever lines of dialogue from Hazel, her parents, or Gus, it was still a teenager's narration, complete with extended passages about video game gore, what we're wearing to go here, what we're wearing to go there, blah, blah, blah.
But then, there are also insightful passages about teenagers who are living with terminal cancer, how they relate to and see each other, how they see the world, their parents, and, most of all, how they see themselves.
There was a part at the end when an important author puts in an appearance, but it felt like that entire section should've been cut out. Plot-wise, it was like an annoying and distracting bull in a china shop.
I give it a C.
With full disclosure, it wasn't written for me, so I was bored 75% of the time. While there were a few clever lines of dialogue from Hazel, her parents, or Gus, it was still a teenager's narration, complete with extended passages about video game gore, what we're wearing to go here, what we're wearing to go there, blah, blah, blah.
But then, there are also insightful passages about teenagers who are living with terminal cancer, how they relate to and see each other, how they see the world, their parents, and, most of all, how they see themselves.
There was a part at the end when an important author puts in an appearance, but it felt like that entire section should've been cut out. Plot-wise, it was like an annoying and distracting bull in a china shop.
I give it a C.
Helpful Score: 1
This was my first John Green book and, prior to this book, I had no other experience with "cancer kids" in literature. I expected the story to be really sad but...it really wasn't. I generally appreciate snarkiness and Veronica Mars-like intelligence and quick wit in teenagers and I got a lot of that dialogue so that was welcome. I guess what was missing for me was a deeper connection to the characters. Maybe all that snarkiness kept me at arm's length and, although I was moved at some level by the struggles each kid faced, I wasn't emotionally invested so...no tears for me.
Helpful Score: 1
Everyone knows what this ones about since I was too chicken to bring myself to read it for months. Its about Hazel who is living with stage 4 thyroid cancer, is on oxygen and is just trying to live her life like anyone else She meets Augustus at a cancer support group her mother forces her into attending. He is in remission from the cancer that claimed his limb and is attending group to support his buddy Isaac . Augustus is charming and beautiful and he invites Hazel to hang out with him. She does the smart thing and agrees. They have a lot in common besides cancer and begin a doomed but beautiful romance. But the book, of course, is so much more than a young adult romance.
Im giving this one a 4 and 1/2 because I felt that some of the conversations didnt feel real. They seemed super thought out and I could feel the author putting these words in their mouths and it pulled me out of their world here and there. I know several brilliant teens and they do not speak this way. And no they are not dying from cancer (thank God) but I dont believe that would change their essential way of relating to one another. They may write this way on Tumbler but their exchanges in real life are never as lyrical and thoughtful and insightful as those between Augustus and Hazel Grace. Thats my only complaint and its really a minor one. This book is as heartbreaking as all of the reviews promise. How could it not be? Its a book about kids living with cancer AND their parents are present (what a novelty in YA) adding another level of heartache to so many scenes. I knew it couldnt possibly end leaving me all warm and fuzzy because it is not that kind of book but its also funny and smart with some gorgeous prose. Im glad I finally broke down and listened to it but Im never going to do it again. My heart couldnt take it.
Narration Notes: Kate Rudd narrates all of the characters in this novel. Her voice is youthful and full life and she does a wonderful job with Hazel as well Gus and their parents. . The only fail for me was her narration of Hazels friend Candace who puts on a false British accident (in the book) that the narrator didnt translate very well. Candace just sounded like a dotty, snotty old biddy. Fortunately Candace has such a minuscule role in the book that its hardly worth mentioning and real nitpickery. But thats what I do.
Im giving this one a 4 and 1/2 because I felt that some of the conversations didnt feel real. They seemed super thought out and I could feel the author putting these words in their mouths and it pulled me out of their world here and there. I know several brilliant teens and they do not speak this way. And no they are not dying from cancer (thank God) but I dont believe that would change their essential way of relating to one another. They may write this way on Tumbler but their exchanges in real life are never as lyrical and thoughtful and insightful as those between Augustus and Hazel Grace. Thats my only complaint and its really a minor one. This book is as heartbreaking as all of the reviews promise. How could it not be? Its a book about kids living with cancer AND their parents are present (what a novelty in YA) adding another level of heartache to so many scenes. I knew it couldnt possibly end leaving me all warm and fuzzy because it is not that kind of book but its also funny and smart with some gorgeous prose. Im glad I finally broke down and listened to it but Im never going to do it again. My heart couldnt take it.
Narration Notes: Kate Rudd narrates all of the characters in this novel. Her voice is youthful and full life and she does a wonderful job with Hazel as well Gus and their parents. . The only fail for me was her narration of Hazels friend Candace who puts on a false British accident (in the book) that the narrator didnt translate very well. Candace just sounded like a dotty, snotty old biddy. Fortunately Candace has such a minuscule role in the book that its hardly worth mentioning and real nitpickery. But thats what I do.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed the book. It was very well written; there is honesty and just the right amount of humor. All the characters were fleshed out in an interesting way and it was easy to become involved with them and come to like (or dislike) them. I did applaud Hazel and Gus for living their lives to the fullest, not just giving into despair.
However, I will not be recommending it to my friends. What I didn't like was knowing in the beginning what the out-coming was going to be. When you read a book about the Titanic you know a lot of people are going to die, read about Auschwitz you know a lot of people are going to die, read Braveheart you know Wallace is going to die. A story about young people with cancer; you can pretty well guess it's not going to have a good ending. At best, it had a melancholy ending, at worst, it was downright depressing.
So now you know, I like my pleasure reading to have mostly happy, or at least, satisfying endings. Oh, yes, I do wear rose-colored glasses when I read! LOL!
However, I will not be recommending it to my friends. What I didn't like was knowing in the beginning what the out-coming was going to be. When you read a book about the Titanic you know a lot of people are going to die, read about Auschwitz you know a lot of people are going to die, read Braveheart you know Wallace is going to die. A story about young people with cancer; you can pretty well guess it's not going to have a good ending. At best, it had a melancholy ending, at worst, it was downright depressing.
So now you know, I like my pleasure reading to have mostly happy, or at least, satisfying endings. Oh, yes, I do wear rose-colored glasses when I read! LOL!
Helpful Score: 1
If you have never read a book by John Green, I definitely recommend starting with this one. Although be prepared with a box of tissue paper because you will definitely shed a tear or two.
With all the YA fiction that is currently flooding the book market, John Green is on of the few that manages to keep it real. Especially in TFiOS, a novel that portrays a budding romance between two characters that have dealt a long time with terminal illnesses.
John Green manages to keep us from utter sorrow with his great use of wit and interesting plot that involves a novel within his novel.
With all the YA fiction that is currently flooding the book market, John Green is on of the few that manages to keep it real. Especially in TFiOS, a novel that portrays a budding romance between two characters that have dealt a long time with terminal illnesses.
John Green manages to keep us from utter sorrow with his great use of wit and interesting plot that involves a novel within his novel.
Helpful Score: 1
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-fault-in-our-stars.html
Hazel is a teenager with terminal cancer. At the Cancer Kids Support Group, she meets another cancer patient Augustus Waters. Beyond that, this is a story about friendship and love where you know that tomorrow may not be. What would you do for someone you love if you knew that this day may be your last day to show them your love? It's not a question most people think about because we don't like to think that our time may be limited.
This book comes at this question from so many different directions. Hazel who knows what her diagnosis and her prognosis is. Hazel's parents who are facing one of the most devastating things a parent could ever face. Augustus who, based on his diagnosis, may have a better prognosis. Isaac whose disease is slowly taking away relationships and pieces of his life. Peter Van Houten, an author Hazel find inspirational, but who fights his own demons. The plot includes a wish, a road trip, some life lessons but nothing really unexpected.
For me, to some extent, the book suffered from its own success. With all the rave reviews and publicity, I had really high expectations. It's not a bad book; for me, it's just not as wonderful as all the rave reviews. It is sad and emotional, but it not not unlike many other books that have been written about people battling terminal illness.
Hazel is a teenager with terminal cancer. At the Cancer Kids Support Group, she meets another cancer patient Augustus Waters. Beyond that, this is a story about friendship and love where you know that tomorrow may not be. What would you do for someone you love if you knew that this day may be your last day to show them your love? It's not a question most people think about because we don't like to think that our time may be limited.
This book comes at this question from so many different directions. Hazel who knows what her diagnosis and her prognosis is. Hazel's parents who are facing one of the most devastating things a parent could ever face. Augustus who, based on his diagnosis, may have a better prognosis. Isaac whose disease is slowly taking away relationships and pieces of his life. Peter Van Houten, an author Hazel find inspirational, but who fights his own demons. The plot includes a wish, a road trip, some life lessons but nothing really unexpected.
For me, to some extent, the book suffered from its own success. With all the rave reviews and publicity, I had really high expectations. It's not a bad book; for me, it's just not as wonderful as all the rave reviews. It is sad and emotional, but it not not unlike many other books that have been written about people battling terminal illness.
Helpful Score: 1
Holy smokes this book is sad. Really, really sad. I knew it was about kids with cancer so I was expecting it but it still blew me away. The story is beautifully written, the language used is impressive and wonderful. The characters are all very real and I felt deeply for them.
This book was a good read. I finished it in 2, maybe 3 days. It was always in my hands when I wasn't working. I enjoyed the writing and the characters personalities. I love a good love story, even if it makes me cry at the end. Parts of it took me back to my own high school teenage romance; other parts reminded me of my marriage and the things we do for each other. I'm interested to read more titles by this author.
I loved Hazel and Augustus' characters and I cared what happened to them. I also cared about their friend Isaac - but then then were other characters that felt less developed and less interesting to me.
All in all I can see why people fell in love (or hype) with this book and it was a good solid, enjoyable read for me.
Additionally, I think the narrator for this audiobook was a stellar choice.
All in all I can see why people fell in love (or hype) with this book and it was a good solid, enjoyable read for me.
Additionally, I think the narrator for this audiobook was a stellar choice.
Couldn't finish it. Even with the enjoyable film, with the raves I'd read online, the opinions of others - the female voice just didn't ring true to me so I couldn't continue past 6 chapters. For the record, I enjoyed John Green's An Abundance of Katherines and Looking for Alaska.
A very good read.... I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to anyone that likes love, laughs and to "feel".
One of those books that I couldn't put down. It touched me on all levels - but especially as a parent. Very well written and a keeper.
This book will touch your heart! The theme,(teens/kids with cancer)can be a little depressing and too deep for younger kids. There is some colorful language throughout the book, including one use of the F word. While there is one sex scene, it is brief and not too descriptive. There is also the death of a significant character, a concept some kids might be uncomfortable with. On the other hand, this book teaches that love comes in all shapes and sizes and raises awareness for kids with cancer. Overall, I recommend this book to teens and tweens.
Loved this book, even though it was such a sad reality!
I liked this book, but despite really really wanting to, I did not love it. Most of the characters were likable enough and the story line was realistic, but I had a hard time believing the authenticity of Augustus. He was too abstract and rigid.
This was a quick read, but was somewhat depressing (it does deal with children dying of cancer after all) and heavy. It did however, illustrate very well that true love knows no age or limits. I'm glad to have read it.
This was a quick read, but was somewhat depressing (it does deal with children dying of cancer after all) and heavy. It did however, illustrate very well that true love knows no age or limits. I'm glad to have read it.
Maybe my expectation was just too great, given all the 'hype' this book has received recently, but I was not as impressed as so many others seem to be. The characters seems a little contrived and the dialog was really weird a lot of the time. Now I confess, I don't spend a whole lot of time around teenagers these days, so maybe they really do talk to each other like they do in this book. If so, I'm rather impressed with the intellectual level hinted at, but the expression of that intelligence is obscure and downright dumb. Consequently, my involvement with each character was rather shallow, and although it was hinted that I would need a box of tissues to finish the book, I didn't have much trouble holding on to my tears. I just didn't connect. But the writing was mostly good and I'd be willing to give this author another shot.
Two teenagers who meet at a cancer support group for kids w/cancer become friends and fall in love. Their take on their mortality and the way the world views them is irreverent and brutally honest.
This is a book about teenagers living with cancer, so go stock up on the tissues now. This is the story of 16 year old Hazel who has lung cancer. Hazel goes to a weekly cancer support group where she becomes friends with a pair of boys, Isaac, and Augustus. There is some predictable romance and a subplot involving tracking down a once famous author to figure out the meaning of a favorite book. Overall, a really great read. I hear they're making a movie based on this book and am looking forward to it.
I am not sure what all the hype was about. It is not a bad book, it was just not extraordinary. I did not like the way they wrapped up the story line with the author, in general I just did not care much for it. I was disappointed.
Every once in a while I read a book that I fall in love with. This is one of those books. It's a book that I will definitely read again. It's easy to get attached to the characters. I'll admit, I had to put it down a few times, because I was crying too much to continue reading
I liked this book a lot. I usually don't love sad stories and the premise of this book had me wary... but I took a chance and while I did cry a lot it was a sweet story that really does stick with you long after the last page.
Wonderful story full of great characters. Narrator was excellent!
I have been wanting to read this book for a long time. It was an absolutely wonderful read. It was at turns hilarious and heartfelt; I laughed a number of times and cried a few as well.
Hazel is sixteen and on a drug that is holding her cancer at bay, but just barely. Her lungs dont work and she needs oxygen to breath, but she is going to school and taking it one day at a time. That is until Augustus Waters limps into Cancer Kid Support Group with his 80% survival rate and a wicked wink. Hazel doesnt want to get involved but she just cant help herself.
Yes this book is about teen kids with cancer, but it is surprisingly hilarious despite its somewhat somber topic. Hazel has a snarky and hilariously dark sense of humor. She sees dark humor in everything from the Cancer Groups continually rotating attendance (because you know a lot of the kids die off) to the sad fact that their councilors best accomplishment of his rather boring life is having survived testicular cancer.
Somehow rather than pitying Hazel you empathize with her and laugh along with her as she struggles to make a life with this crazy hand shes been dealt. Green does an excellent job of covering a number of issues for this kind of situation. Hazel is very smart and emotionally mature. One of the things she is most concerned about is being a burden on those she loves. At one point she says something to the effect of After all, the only thing worse than being a kid with cancer is being the parent of a kid with cancer.
Watching Hazel interact with her parents is really interesting too. Shes an only child. Her dad is excessively emotional and breaks into tears at the slightest emotional tumult (good or bad). Her mother basically has a full time job managing Hazels doctor appointments and care. Her parents love her and try hard not to hover and this is portrayed really well in this book. Hazel never gets really rebellious, but her and her mother do get into some very typical mom/teen arguments.
The other characters in this book are just as interesting and engaging as Hazel. Augustus of course is in the story a ton; he is a happy-go-lucky type of guy who is absolutely drawn to Hazel right from the get go. He draws her out of her comfort zone to a place where she gets to experience something she never would.
Isaac is another major character in this book. He is struggling with eye cancer and is getting ready to undergo a surgery that will require the removal of his other eye...making him blind. Watching him cope with this along with all your other typical teenage problems was interesting; he was a very engaging character as well.
It was awesome both how extraordinary and ordinary these kids are. They are all just making their way through life and trying to deal with all the stuff we are all trying to deal with day to day, with some extra junk thrown in.
I wont talk a lot about the plot except to say it builds up to Hazel getting to fullfill one of her lifelong dreams. There are many twists and turns along the way. The ending is hopeful, realistic, and heartbreaking all at once. This story is incredibly engaging, well written, and hard to put down. I stayed up super late to finish this book.
Overall an amazing and excellent book that manages to be hilarious and heartfelt all at the same time. It puts the reader through such an emotional roller-coaster; you will laugh out loud a ton...you will cry some too. I really really enjoyed it. It takes a wonderful author to write such a fabulous book that deals with such a tough topic and yet makes it hilarious, absolutely heartfelt, and engaging. Strongly recommended for everyone to read!
Hazel is sixteen and on a drug that is holding her cancer at bay, but just barely. Her lungs dont work and she needs oxygen to breath, but she is going to school and taking it one day at a time. That is until Augustus Waters limps into Cancer Kid Support Group with his 80% survival rate and a wicked wink. Hazel doesnt want to get involved but she just cant help herself.
Yes this book is about teen kids with cancer, but it is surprisingly hilarious despite its somewhat somber topic. Hazel has a snarky and hilariously dark sense of humor. She sees dark humor in everything from the Cancer Groups continually rotating attendance (because you know a lot of the kids die off) to the sad fact that their councilors best accomplishment of his rather boring life is having survived testicular cancer.
Somehow rather than pitying Hazel you empathize with her and laugh along with her as she struggles to make a life with this crazy hand shes been dealt. Green does an excellent job of covering a number of issues for this kind of situation. Hazel is very smart and emotionally mature. One of the things she is most concerned about is being a burden on those she loves. At one point she says something to the effect of After all, the only thing worse than being a kid with cancer is being the parent of a kid with cancer.
Watching Hazel interact with her parents is really interesting too. Shes an only child. Her dad is excessively emotional and breaks into tears at the slightest emotional tumult (good or bad). Her mother basically has a full time job managing Hazels doctor appointments and care. Her parents love her and try hard not to hover and this is portrayed really well in this book. Hazel never gets really rebellious, but her and her mother do get into some very typical mom/teen arguments.
The other characters in this book are just as interesting and engaging as Hazel. Augustus of course is in the story a ton; he is a happy-go-lucky type of guy who is absolutely drawn to Hazel right from the get go. He draws her out of her comfort zone to a place where she gets to experience something she never would.
Isaac is another major character in this book. He is struggling with eye cancer and is getting ready to undergo a surgery that will require the removal of his other eye...making him blind. Watching him cope with this along with all your other typical teenage problems was interesting; he was a very engaging character as well.
It was awesome both how extraordinary and ordinary these kids are. They are all just making their way through life and trying to deal with all the stuff we are all trying to deal with day to day, with some extra junk thrown in.
I wont talk a lot about the plot except to say it builds up to Hazel getting to fullfill one of her lifelong dreams. There are many twists and turns along the way. The ending is hopeful, realistic, and heartbreaking all at once. This story is incredibly engaging, well written, and hard to put down. I stayed up super late to finish this book.
Overall an amazing and excellent book that manages to be hilarious and heartfelt all at the same time. It puts the reader through such an emotional roller-coaster; you will laugh out loud a ton...you will cry some too. I really really enjoyed it. It takes a wonderful author to write such a fabulous book that deals with such a tough topic and yet makes it hilarious, absolutely heartfelt, and engaging. Strongly recommended for everyone to read!
Heartbreakingly beautiful. Although it is the fictitious An Imperial Affliction that brings Hazel Grace and Augustus together, this could have easily been a love story based on the poem In Memoriam by Alfred Lord Tennyson:
I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all
I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all
Ok, so I LOVED this book! I couldn't put it down! It was an powerful epic devastating story of love, pain, hope, and hurt. I had an inner dilemma with myself because I didn't want to continue reading so much sadness (as I read through tears), but I had to know what happened and I was not disappointed! I would highly recommend this book to anyone!
I enjoyed the smart dialogue between the characters but found the ending a bit dissapointing. I'm not clear on why this book is getting such excellent reviews. Overall, a nice read.
I started it very early this morning and I'm already past the middle. It's very well written, very expressive and to they point when it comes to the feelings of the cancer patients. I find that extremely honest and refreshing at the same time while piercing one's heart.
I finished it this morning and although it was well written I don't think this is a keeper for me.
I finished it this morning and although it was well written I don't think this is a keeper for me.
tHIS HAS BECOME ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS
Told in the first-person by a 16 year old girl who is living with lung cancer, this book was engrossing from page one. You laugh with her, cry with her, and everything in between.
The first thing you need to know about my experience with this book is that shortly after the two-thirds mark I stayed up till 2 AM reading, tears streaming down my cheeks and the box of tissues getting emptier by the minute. The words blurred but I would just wipe my eyes clear and keep reading. And then the other day I stayed up late again re-reading the last third of the book because I just couldn't return it to the library without doing so. It was that good. You have been warned.
My favorite part about Hazel and Gus's story is their voices and personalities. They are unmistakably teenagers with occasional temper tantrums and frequent additions of "like" and "that" to their sentences, but there is a certain mature gravity to them too that I believe stems from all they've had to experience in their short lives. They understand the world in a way that I don't think is typical for teenagers, with their conversations and thoughts going from simple truths to complex concepts and back, but the way Green wrote them felt natural and appropriate. I also enjoyed the fact that parents are very present in this novel. There are so many YA books out there nowadays where the characters might as well be orphans, but not here. It has been said that parents in this book are permissive but I didn't get that sense at all. The kids have rules, they have curfews, and when they push back and get away with it there's not a sense that it's a common-place occurrence. Maybe this heightened presence of family is due to the children being more dependent on their loved ones than your average teenager but the fact remains.
I'm going to break my No Spoilers rule here, so if you don't want to know what happens just skip to the next paragraph. Here goes. I had no trouble suspending disbelief in the first half of the book although Gus being particularly handsome did make me roll my eyes a little (it seems that all love interests with very few exceptions are incredibly attractive), and despite the fact that Hazel and Gus might seem pretentious at times (who in this day and age speaks like that!) I really did like them, but then the trip to Holland happened and the book took on a fantastical dream quality to me. I'm not denying that the Wish Foundation could make it happen, but leading up to Holland everything about this novel is so grounded in reality that Gus getting in touch with Van Houten on the first try and the trip coming together all of a sudden seemed too over the top and even magical, which in this case wasn't exactly a good thing for me. And then they were back home and reality reared its ugly head, and yet I never could get rid of the fairy tale sensation through the rest of the book.
In an interview Green gave to Goodreads he talks about making a particular effort to not write a sentimental novel and I believe he succeeded. Hazel and Gus are very unsentimental characters, they accept their circumstances at face value and make the most of them. They might be angry, they might be bitter, they might be tired, but they don't allow self-pity to rule their lives. Hazel sees reality clearly and speaks her mind, Gus always puts a positive spin on any situation, and they don't treat each other like cancer kids, which gives their relationship a certain levity. This combination of practicality and optimism allows them to have a life that's as close to normal as possible, and because of it their families can keep it together through the hard times. And when those hard times come Green remains unsentimental. He talks about the physical frailty and the hits a person's spirit takes with every defeat of the body, he talks about life continuing even when it ends for some, he shows us what can happen to families when the fight is finally over. Hazel is the perfect narrator for this novel, her no-nonsense voice and straightforward account of events that is not overloaded with adjectives or descriptions put me in the middle of every scene and allowed my imagination to build on the simplicity. There is no need for many words when the imagery is already there.
Oblivion and awareness are a big theme in this novel, with the characters having almost metaphysical discussions about the universe and influencing each other's opinions as the story progresses. Green takes on the common desire to be known and remembered by the world and examines it from the flip side - what if we are loved not widely, but deeply, does that make our lives less valuable than the lives of those with worldwide renown? I don't believe it does, and for all his fame I think Green is of the same opinion.
My favorite part about Hazel and Gus's story is their voices and personalities. They are unmistakably teenagers with occasional temper tantrums and frequent additions of "like" and "that" to their sentences, but there is a certain mature gravity to them too that I believe stems from all they've had to experience in their short lives. They understand the world in a way that I don't think is typical for teenagers, with their conversations and thoughts going from simple truths to complex concepts and back, but the way Green wrote them felt natural and appropriate. I also enjoyed the fact that parents are very present in this novel. There are so many YA books out there nowadays where the characters might as well be orphans, but not here. It has been said that parents in this book are permissive but I didn't get that sense at all. The kids have rules, they have curfews, and when they push back and get away with it there's not a sense that it's a common-place occurrence. Maybe this heightened presence of family is due to the children being more dependent on their loved ones than your average teenager but the fact remains.
I'm going to break my No Spoilers rule here, so if you don't want to know what happens just skip to the next paragraph. Here goes. I had no trouble suspending disbelief in the first half of the book although Gus being particularly handsome did make me roll my eyes a little (it seems that all love interests with very few exceptions are incredibly attractive), and despite the fact that Hazel and Gus might seem pretentious at times (who in this day and age speaks like that!) I really did like them, but then the trip to Holland happened and the book took on a fantastical dream quality to me. I'm not denying that the Wish Foundation could make it happen, but leading up to Holland everything about this novel is so grounded in reality that Gus getting in touch with Van Houten on the first try and the trip coming together all of a sudden seemed too over the top and even magical, which in this case wasn't exactly a good thing for me. And then they were back home and reality reared its ugly head, and yet I never could get rid of the fairy tale sensation through the rest of the book.
In an interview Green gave to Goodreads he talks about making a particular effort to not write a sentimental novel and I believe he succeeded. Hazel and Gus are very unsentimental characters, they accept their circumstances at face value and make the most of them. They might be angry, they might be bitter, they might be tired, but they don't allow self-pity to rule their lives. Hazel sees reality clearly and speaks her mind, Gus always puts a positive spin on any situation, and they don't treat each other like cancer kids, which gives their relationship a certain levity. This combination of practicality and optimism allows them to have a life that's as close to normal as possible, and because of it their families can keep it together through the hard times. And when those hard times come Green remains unsentimental. He talks about the physical frailty and the hits a person's spirit takes with every defeat of the body, he talks about life continuing even when it ends for some, he shows us what can happen to families when the fight is finally over. Hazel is the perfect narrator for this novel, her no-nonsense voice and straightforward account of events that is not overloaded with adjectives or descriptions put me in the middle of every scene and allowed my imagination to build on the simplicity. There is no need for many words when the imagery is already there.
Oblivion and awareness are a big theme in this novel, with the characters having almost metaphysical discussions about the universe and influencing each other's opinions as the story progresses. Green takes on the common desire to be known and remembered by the world and examines it from the flip side - what if we are loved not widely, but deeply, does that make our lives less valuable than the lives of those with worldwide renown? I don't believe it does, and for all his fame I think Green is of the same opinion.
This was one of the best books I've read, and I say that knowing it may say more about me than I may want said. It is at once depressing and funny. Most of all it is intelligent and real- let's face it, we don't always have our rose-colored glasses on, and some situations are so serious that if you don't approach them with truth and humor, it's over before it starts.
Hazel and Gus are a compelling couple of grenades.
Hazel and Gus are a compelling couple of grenades.
I was disappointed in this book. It didn't flow well for me; in fact, I didn't finish it. I'm told the movie is much better.
It's about being alive--brilliant small book.
Oh. My.Gosh! This book was beyond EPIC! John Green you have out done yourself! I had heard so much about this book. I'd heard it was wonderful, heartbreaking, and emotional. But I was a little hesitated to read it but once I started I COULD NOT STOP. I loved Augustus! I loved him and Hazel SOOOO MUCH!!
SPOILER BELOW!!
When I started this book I had prepared myself for Hazel to die. Because she was the main character and she did have terminal cancer. BUT when Mr. Green decided to through use for a loop MAN did he pitch us to the moon! I mean Augustus!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!! When I found out about poor Gus I immediately started SCREAMING at the book and calling it stupid (of coarse I didn't mean it :)) and THROWING it across the room!! Screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! WHHHHHHYYYYYYY!!! JOHN GREEN!!! WHHHHHYYYY!!! we can say I did indeed cry due to this book. It takes A LOT to get me to cry for books but Kudos to you Mr. Green you did succeed
SPOILER BELOW!!
When I started this book I had prepared myself for Hazel to die. Because she was the main character and she did have terminal cancer. BUT when Mr. Green decided to through use for a loop MAN did he pitch us to the moon! I mean Augustus!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!! When I found out about poor Gus I immediately started SCREAMING at the book and calling it stupid (of coarse I didn't mean it :)) and THROWING it across the room!! Screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! WHHHHHHYYYYYYY!!! JOHN GREEN!!! WHHHHHYYYY!!! we can say I did indeed cry due to this book. It takes A LOT to get me to cry for books but Kudos to you Mr. Green you did succeed
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS A SPOILER
I read this book like you watch a surgery documentary. All at once and hoping the end comes soon.
Thank you, Mr. Green, for giving the world such an amazingly interesting character like Hazel and then almost immediately erasing any bit of her identity for some terrible boy that is inherently unlikeable. Thank you for tricking us into thinking we might get a wonderful story about a girl who sees life for how it is but in the end only getting to see her through this awful boy's eyes. Thank you most especially for killing him so that the girl can never think about anything else again for the rest of her very short life. Wonderful, really. You've done the world a great service by erasing another possibly fantastic female character from the world and smothering her voice completely.
I read this book like you watch a surgery documentary. All at once and hoping the end comes soon.
Thank you, Mr. Green, for giving the world such an amazingly interesting character like Hazel and then almost immediately erasing any bit of her identity for some terrible boy that is inherently unlikeable. Thank you for tricking us into thinking we might get a wonderful story about a girl who sees life for how it is but in the end only getting to see her through this awful boy's eyes. Thank you most especially for killing him so that the girl can never think about anything else again for the rest of her very short life. Wonderful, really. You've done the world a great service by erasing another possibly fantastic female character from the world and smothering her voice completely.
There is a little water damage to this book. It is still readable but it was sent to me with some of the water damage. The cover is peeled a little bit, Just fyi. It is a great book, but i want you to know that it isn't a perfect copy
