29.3k reviews for:

The Fault in Our Stars

John Green

3.99 AVERAGE

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Just another love story, but this time between cancer patient and nothing is special about it.
emotional lighthearted sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

You know that meme from Anchorman: "I'm in a glass case of emotion!" 

That was me after reading this book (both times) - and continues to be the image I see in my head every time I think about it all these years later. It destroyed me and brought me back and destroyed me again. 
emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars was an absolute cult classic for my generation. You couldn’t go into a bookshop or online without seeing its whimsical, metaphorical quotes everywhere - and I mean everywhere, John Green was (and maybe still is) the king of YA. This was THE book of 2012 and rereading it 11 years later has been just as emotional as the first time.
For those of you who somehow don’t know the plot, 16 year old Hazel is living with terminal stage IV thyroid cancer with metastasis forming in her lungs, at a support group, she meets Augustus Waters, a 17 year old boy who is in remission from osteosarcoma after losing a leg. They fall in love and rip my heart in two in the process. I love this book, but felt there was a few things that didn’t sit well with me now I’m not 15.
When sharing their favourite books, Hazel gives Augustus a copy of ‘An Imperial Affliction’ which is about a girl named Anna with a rare blood cancer, Augustus is at first sceptical but Hazel promises that "it's not a cancer book… because cancer books suck" but, The Fault in Our Stars is a cancer book!! Cancer is what brings them together, cancer is what controls and drives the narrative. Without their diagnosis, they wouldn’t have met, or gone to Amsterdam, they wouldn’t support each other through end of life care, or be able to relate to one another’s traumas. Its so hard to separate their cancer from their identities, because it is so embedded into their beings. This book has cancer at its forefront, Green shows the true ugly reality of terminal illness, and that’s what separates this book from all the other YA romance novels.
This time round, I didn’t like Hazel’s treatment of Augustus, at times I thought she was being very cruel to him and didn’t appreciate his kindness. She says she is unsure of her feelings towards him and doesn’t want to hurt him, but shes quick on that plane to use his Wish. The poor boy plans a lovely picnic, and she thinks hes trying too hard. Also, I wasn’t thrilled with the kissing scene in Anne Frank's house - I felt this was uncomfortable and would have been quite disrespectful in reality, I doubt this would have received an applause from other visitors.
Despite these dislikes, overall I still adore this book, it’s so beautifully written - like all John Green books - and it’s defiantly deserving of at least 4 stars. It messed me up 11 years ago, and it messed me up again now.

The fact of people worshiping this book is a Cancer Perk itself. I found this book completely overrated. I liked how the dialogues are built, though. They are really close to what real teenagers speak like.

Beautiful book, thought provoking, not too complicated at all.

The book caused me so much pain and sorrow and anguish, but somehow in the best way possible. I never knew I could cry and laugh and scream so much in one book. That’s powerful.

It was poetic in a way that hurt my entire existence. It felt like on that journey with them, scared to turn the page in case it was the end. It was an epic love story and an epic tragedy, and I am still yet to debate if that made it better or worse.

I would write more but I’m crying too hard to type so…
sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character