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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
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
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Whether or not anyone reads this, I still feel like I need to write it. A book of this caliber deserves every bit of praise possible. After hearing so many good things about John Green's work, I felt as though I needed to read something for myself so that I could understand all the hype. I have to say, "The Fault In Our Stars" did not disappoint. The characters are beautifully developed, both as individuals and as an ensemble, the novel is perfectly paced, and has just the right amount of light-heartedness and darkness. After reading only one book of his, John Green is already climbing up my list of favorite authors. I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is an incredible piece of modern literature and needs to be read by as many people as possible.
5 stars superb loved it completely shattered my heart into pieces and glued some but not all back together. I knew it would break me but it did a much better job than I expected. And I think in a way it can be described as brutally hopeful? And honest. I highlighted so many quotes from it but let’s take one from the ending:
“We’re as likely to hurt the universe as we are to help it, and we’re not likely to do either.”
I think it puts us into our place, our small place, but combined with what Hazel said in response to Gus wanting to believe he was special, (because who doesn’t?), it reminds us of what that smallness lets us experience. Because if we were huge our mark could never be so precise, it would only ever be superficial.
“We’re as likely to hurt the universe as we are to help it, and we’re not likely to do either.”
I think it puts us into our place, our small place, but combined with what Hazel said in response to Gus wanting to believe he was special, (because who doesn’t?), it reminds us of what that smallness lets us experience. Because if we were huge our mark could never be so precise, it would only ever be superficial.
It was a really good book. I love the ending and it's not 'boys meets girl, girl falls in love with boy, they get married and happily ever after' type of book
emotional
fast-paced
This is one of the few books (honestly only the second) that made me cry.
Although the dialogue can be unrealistic... a lot, it's written beautifully and I loved every page of it.
I could recognize myself in Hazel (Although I don't have cancer or a terminal illness) and I laughed out loud as much as I cried. I even stopped reading sometimes to read a certain passage outloud to my parents, which annoyed them greatly, just so they could feel it with me.
The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because of, as I said before, the unrealistic dialogue. Because let's be real, no teenager, no matter how much they read, can talk as if they're a 60 year-old scholar while improvising. Other than that I completely loved the book.
Although the dialogue can be unrealistic... a lot, it's written beautifully and I loved every page of it.
I could recognize myself in Hazel (Although I don't have cancer or a terminal illness) and I laughed out loud as much as I cried. I even stopped reading sometimes to read a certain passage outloud to my parents, which annoyed them greatly, just so they could feel it with me.
The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because of, as I said before, the unrealistic dialogue. Because let's be real, no teenager, no matter how much they read, can talk as if they're a 60 year-old scholar while improvising. Other than that I completely loved the book.