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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
Best book I've read so far this summer! I, unfortunately, saw the movie before I read the book. I can tell you that the movie and the book were very similar- which I was really happy about. I absolutely hate it when the book is fantastic and the movie is sub-par or lacking. (Vampire Academy anyone?)
Well, I have just finished reading The Fault In Our Stars. I'm not sure how to convert my feelings into words. To be honest, I actually enjoyed the book, but not as much as I expected to. Don't get me wrong, I've heard so many great things about this book and I felt it was a great book, but it wasn't the best book in the whole world. See, I don't usually let myself get sucked into what I call "book fads". Fads where there's a popular book that everybody's reading and just gushing over, and when you actually decide to stop putting off reading the book, the book isn't half as great as everybody tells you it is.
I loved Hazel. And Augustus. And I did cry at the end, because it was heartbreaking, and I did connect to the characters. But after reading a few of the negative reviews on TFIOS, I thought they raised some good points. The characters sound a bit TOO intelligent for their ages (not that there's NOT any intelligent teenagers out there, just, ya know), and really, some lines just made me cringe they were so cheesy. But overall, a great, relatable book!
I loved Hazel. And Augustus. And I did cry at the end, because it was heartbreaking, and I did connect to the characters. But after reading a few of the negative reviews on TFIOS, I thought they raised some good points. The characters sound a bit TOO intelligent for their ages (not that there's NOT any intelligent teenagers out there, just, ya know), and really, some lines just made me cringe they were so cheesy. But overall, a great, relatable book!
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Another book that I heard a lot about so I decided to give it a try. I can't say I'm an enamored by this book as most people are. I'm glad it didn't try to candy coat cancer as some books try to because really I get sick of that especially having witnessed cancer's cruelty first hand. I also am glad it showed that authors aren't always these magnificent beings we always imagined to be because they are human as well.
I did find the character kind of odd, though. Both teens' parents don't seem realistic to me. Their reactions, their attitudes, didn't seem like those of parents living with a child with cancer. Augustus had these moments where I didn't really understand why he acted the way he did like with the trophy smashing incident. I didn't really see where he was charming as much as very extroverted.
Hazel could be irritating in her standoffish behavior. I can understand her attitude in some ways but for the most part it's like she didn't care to be involved with anyone even with Augustus. Her whole reason of not wanting hurt anyone because her illness more often than not did not justify her behavior because she ended up hurting people anyway. Even when it came to Augustus there was a distance there that was more antisocial than simply not wanting to hurt him and made me question her love for him. It seemed to come from nowhere and her expression of it was rather flat. It was a switch from the sappy, obsessive love that's seemed to poison most YA literature lately but was not spectacular either.
I congratulate this book for being different than most YA literature in many ways. It does not shirk in trying to be honest about terminal illness but probably doesn't encapsulates it in a realistic manner. Would I recommend it? Probably not because I don't want to steer someone into believing it meets the hype around it.
I did find the character kind of odd, though. Both teens' parents don't seem realistic to me. Their reactions, their attitudes, didn't seem like those of parents living with a child with cancer. Augustus had these moments where I didn't really understand why he acted the way he did like with the trophy smashing incident. I didn't really see where he was charming as much as very extroverted.
Hazel could be irritating in her standoffish behavior. I can understand her attitude in some ways but for the most part it's like she didn't care to be involved with anyone even with Augustus. Her whole reason of not wanting hurt anyone because her illness more often than not did not justify her behavior because she ended up hurting people anyway. Even when it came to Augustus there was a distance there that was more antisocial than simply not wanting to hurt him and made me question her love for him. It seemed to come from nowhere and her expression of it was rather flat. It was a switch from the sappy, obsessive love that's seemed to poison most YA literature lately but was not spectacular either.
I congratulate this book for being different than most YA literature in many ways. It does not shirk in trying to be honest about terminal illness but probably doesn't encapsulates it in a realistic manner. Would I recommend it? Probably not because I don't want to steer someone into believing it meets the hype around it.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Amazing book. I laughed, I cried. One the most truly emotional books I have ever read. Do not discount it as merely for young adults.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
As always John Green makes me happy.
This book made me laugh and cry. It was devastating and intelligent.
I just want John to write always and come out with new novels all the time.
This book made me laugh and cry. It was devastating and intelligent.
I just want John to write always and come out with new novels all the time.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.”
Revisiting The Fault in Our Stars by John Green after so many years felt like rediscovering an old friend. I hadn’t picked up this book since high school, back when I was completely obsessed with it and later with the film adaptation that brought Hazel and Augustus to life on screen. I expected a wave of nostalgia, but what surprised me most was how quickly I was pulled right back in, swept up by Green’s singular authorial voice.
I had almost forgotten how engaging and wonderful his writing is: sharp, witty, tender, and unafraid of both beauty and pain. Hazel Grace remains one of my favorite protagonists, her mix of vulnerability, intelligence, and biting snark still feels fresh and unforgettable. Augustus, with all his pretension and dramatic flourishes, is exactly the kind of character you can’t help but both laugh at and fall for. Their relationship, and the way they navigate life, illness, and love, remains as moving as ever.
Yes, the dialogue sometimes leans into the unrealistic, the teenagers in John Green’s world speak with a wisdom and eloquence far beyond their years, but honestly, that’s part of the charm. These characters don’t sound like real teenagers, but like the best, most thoughtful versions of what teenagers might wish to be. And that makes their conversations, their metaphors, and their moments together shine even brighter.
I was on the verge of giving away my copy, but after opening the front page, I found myself instantly hooked again. There’s no way I could part with it now. Hazel’s voice, Augustus’s grand gestures, the bittersweet romance, and the ever-present longing to read "An Imperial Affliction" all reminded me why this book mattered so much to me then, and why it still matters now.
"The Fault in Our Stars" is more than just a YA love story. It’s a book about infinities (large and small) and the way certain stories and characters stay with us long after we’ve closed the cover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness
Moderate: Child death, Vomit, Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Alcohol
emotional
fast-paced