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kjbmod's review
5.0
I cannot properly put my adoration for this book into words. I laughed,I sobbed tears of both joy and pain for the Earl family. Esther was and is such a beautiful human being and from now on I will strive to be like her. She is so caring and nonjudgmental. She loves unconditionally. Esther Grace is an inspiration to millions and though I never knew her, my heart aches for the world, it is missing out on the opportunity to carry this fantastic girl. I will love you for infinity, Esther.
dancinkare's review
5.0
This book is beautiful, heart-wrenching, brave, intense, absolutely lovely and necessary. I feel privileged to have Esther's words and drawings available at any time, and to share with my friends and students. Thank you, Wayne, Lori, and Esther, for the gift of this book.
readingfromfrance's review
2.0
I'm a bit upset with this book. I mean, Esther surely was a great person but let's be honest; if it wasn't for her relationship with John Green would this book ever have been published ? I don't think so. As Esther wrote a lot in her journal entries, she didn't do anything special. So why did she deserve more than others to have a book ? I mean, how many young people die from cancer and how many have the opportunity to let their "footprints" in a concrete way ? How many people did great things and wasn't even noticed ? This book exist because the book industry wanted to make money and that is not fair not for Esther nor for her family and friends who did really care about her.
I'm not saying that Esther wasn't a great, kind and awesome person don't get me wrong !!
On the other hand I LOVED her dad's voice ! I mean, her mom didn't get too deep she was just giving informations, but her DAD oh man, what a great man ! (NOT SAYING HER MOM ISN'T, JUST SAYING I COULDN'T FEEL IT AS MUCH IN THE BOOK DON'T GET UPSET !)
I have to say that I was expecting WAY MORE. I'm just sitting here, wondering if I have even learned something about Esther and her family.
The only thing that this book really gave me is an insight in a NORMAL life of a teenager. And YES I know that Esther wasn't expecting to be published. That's maybe why there isn't any deep material. But yeah, wasn't expecting that.
Let see if my thoughts change during the next few days...
I'm not saying that Esther wasn't a great, kind and awesome person don't get me wrong !!
On the other hand I LOVED her dad's voice ! I mean, her mom didn't get too deep she was just giving informations, but her DAD oh man, what a great man ! (NOT SAYING HER MOM ISN'T, JUST SAYING I COULDN'T FEEL IT AS MUCH IN THE BOOK DON'T GET UPSET !)
I have to say that I was expecting WAY MORE. I'm just sitting here, wondering if I have even learned something about Esther and her family.
The only thing that this book really gave me is an insight in a NORMAL life of a teenager. And YES I know that Esther wasn't expecting to be published. That's maybe why there isn't any deep material. But yeah, wasn't expecting that.
Let see if my thoughts change during the next few days...
ilovestory's review
4.0
Raw, honest ultimately uplifting and moving story of a precious child dealing gracefully with cancer
larryerick's review
2.0
I'll try to keep this simple, since those that LOVE!!! this book and LOVE!!!, The Fault in Our Stars, will be totally clueless about why everyone else doesn't LOVE!!! this book. Despite the credit being given to Esther Earl for this book, it is clearly packaged and enhanced by others. Yes, the nominal author was a gifted, attractive, personable, white girl with a particularly supportive family and an incurable disease. She was also much more "normal" than those people who have canonized would possibly concede. It's really too bad a "normal" person can't be appreciated for just being another human being. That should be enough...even without dying young.
m4yli's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
such a sad story but told so beautifully
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Child death
briannethebookworm's review
4.0
The story of Esther Earl is told by her own journal entries, her parents, and her online friends. In middle school, Esther is diagnosed with a rare cancer, changing the lives of her parents and four other siblings drastically. Esther loves to write and begins journaling about her life through her eyes, which after her passing has been used to share her story in this book. The piece also includes entries from a blog created by her parents to update the public on Esther’s health, online conversations with Esther’s friends, and pictures of Esther throughout her childhood. By the telling of her own story, you get to see Esther as more than just a cancer victim; you see a teenage girl whose love for life left an eternal mark on everyone who came in contact with her.
This book was unique because as mentioned, many different types of writing is compiled from many different people who knew Esther to really paint a picture of who she was. I liked the inclusion of Esther’s own journal entries because I think it was the most helpful in getting to know her. By the end I was crying (on an airplane, so had to play it cool) because of the impact that Esther left on her family, friends, and even people who didn’t know her that well. John Green writes the introduction to the book and is mentioned throughout, and it made sense that while John Green had already started writing The Fault in Our Stars, that Esther inspired him to keep going. I saw a lot of Esther in Augustus and Hazel, though Green may not have said she inspired those characters. It was a heartbreaking story that puts life into perspective.
This book was unique because as mentioned, many different types of writing is compiled from many different people who knew Esther to really paint a picture of who she was. I liked the inclusion of Esther’s own journal entries because I think it was the most helpful in getting to know her. By the end I was crying (on an airplane, so had to play it cool) because of the impact that Esther left on her family, friends, and even people who didn’t know her that well. John Green writes the introduction to the book and is mentioned throughout, and it made sense that while John Green had already started writing The Fault in Our Stars, that Esther inspired him to keep going. I saw a lot of Esther in Augustus and Hazel, though Green may not have said she inspired those characters. It was a heartbreaking story that puts life into perspective.
mfumarolo's review
4.0
Esther Earl first came into my life shortly after her's ended. On August 27, 2010, John Green posted a video sharing the news that Esther, a teenager with an incredible capacity for compassion and love, had passed away after a long road with thyroid cancer. I was relatively new to Nerdfighteria at this point - I'd only seen a handful of the Vlogbrother's videos before, but links to this one were everywhere. And so over the years, I've learned more about this incredible girl and wish I had sooner. This Star Won't Go Out is a celebration of an extraordinary yet completely ordinary young woman's life.
The majority of the book does focus on the years after Esther's diagnosis, but a life 'before' is established. From the very beginning, she was bright, precocious, inquisitive, and caring. And while she remained these things after cancer came into the picture, she was also a teenage girl with dreams and desires and mood swings and she wasn't without her flaws. Sure she had a good attitude a lot of the time, but she also shared in her diary and blog entries when was grumpy and mad and upset and in pain. She had a complicated relationship with her body, with God, with her family, and with her friends. The internet became a place where she didn't have to be A Girl with Cancer, but simply a Harry Potter fanatic. But eventually she did open up to those people about the true nature of her health and it only made her full life that much richer.
As someone who works with teenagers, I can attest that this book does a great job showing who they really are. That they are capable of doing and feeling so much more than they are often given credit for. I also appreciated the inclusions from her parents, doctors, and various other adults in her life who recognized that Esther was extraordinary for a lot of reasons. I went into this book with prior context which I think helped my reading to an extent, but basics are given for those less familiar with Esther's story. I will admit that since I was not a friend of Esther nor did I know of her before, I occasionally felt uncomfortable reading, like I was intruding on a conversation too late to ever really be a part of it.
All in all, this book is big love letter to an amazing person who was the kind of teenager I wish I had been. She had empathy and enthusiasm, embraced Internet culture and found true friendship and acceptance in an arena I had been too afraid to explore until my 20s. She wasn't a saint, though. She was, through it all, herself, and that was more than enough to change a lot of lives. And I say this is a love letter not in a romantic way, but in that platonic, familial, every-day kind of love that so few people celebrate as often as they should, but Esther was wise enough to realize at 16 we could all do more on that front.
DFTBA, Esther. Your book is an amazing testament to your life and the people you touched. I only wish I'd have "known" you sooner.
The majority of the book does focus on the years after Esther's diagnosis, but a life 'before' is established. From the very beginning, she was bright, precocious, inquisitive, and caring. And while she remained these things after cancer came into the picture, she was also a teenage girl with dreams and desires and mood swings and she wasn't without her flaws. Sure she had a good attitude a lot of the time, but she also shared in her diary and blog entries when was grumpy and mad and upset and in pain. She had a complicated relationship with her body, with God, with her family, and with her friends. The internet became a place where she didn't have to be A Girl with Cancer, but simply a Harry Potter fanatic. But eventually she did open up to those people about the true nature of her health and it only made her full life that much richer.
As someone who works with teenagers, I can attest that this book does a great job showing who they really are. That they are capable of doing and feeling so much more than they are often given credit for. I also appreciated the inclusions from her parents, doctors, and various other adults in her life who recognized that Esther was extraordinary for a lot of reasons. I went into this book with prior context which I think helped my reading to an extent, but basics are given for those less familiar with Esther's story. I will admit that since I was not a friend of Esther nor did I know of her before, I occasionally felt uncomfortable reading, like I was intruding on a conversation too late to ever really be a part of it.
All in all, this book is big love letter to an amazing person who was the kind of teenager I wish I had been. She had empathy and enthusiasm, embraced Internet culture and found true friendship and acceptance in an arena I had been too afraid to explore until my 20s. She wasn't a saint, though. She was, through it all, herself, and that was more than enough to change a lot of lives. And I say this is a love letter not in a romantic way, but in that platonic, familial, every-day kind of love that so few people celebrate as often as they should, but Esther was wise enough to realize at 16 we could all do more on that front.
DFTBA, Esther. Your book is an amazing testament to your life and the people you touched. I only wish I'd have "known" you sooner.
dmg95's review
5.0
I finally got around to finishing this book. I purchased it at Leakycon 2014, which was my first Esther Day. I didn't know the whole story, but Esther sounds like a wonderful human and I would've loved to have met her. Her story is motivating and makes me proud that I am pursuing a medical career. Now knowing more about her story, I am proud to be able to celebrate Esther Day every year, even when I can't make it to con. #RestInAwesomeEsther and I hope you realize how amazing all of your work is. And to the Earl family, I'm glad I met some of you when I bought this book, you're all super awesome for sharing Esther's story with the world. DFTBA! P.S. my keychain flashlight from Leakycon 2014 still shines bright and it's a reminder that This Star Won't Go Out <3
lkthomas07's review
3.0
I definitely cried reading this. Books about kids (or really any people) with cancer will never be my first choice to read. I appreciated that Esther's parents put this book together. There were some very special things written in here that I'm glad to have read. However, it kind of rambled on at some points, which I obviously understand, being a journal and all. It was a relatively quick read, despite being so thick (thick paper, larger print and lots of pictures). I'd recommend it, if this sort of book interests you.