The Fault in Our Stars Review

  

I finished The Fault in Our Stars yesterday and declared it one of my favorite novels ever. Although I haven’t reviewed a book on its own in awhile and I even had plans for another post today, I need some space to gush.

If you haven’t read the book, please do two things for me.  Go buy the book.  And until you do, don’t read anymore of this post.

If you’ve read the book, please prepare your typing fingers because I need you to gush with me in the comments.

Here are some Gushy Thoughts about the book:

• What I loved most about this book is it’s fearless.  John Green wasn’t scared to make an entire book about kids with cancer.  Who does that? Who wants to live in a world of Kids with Cancer long enough to write, edit and deliver a novel about it?  I can’t imagine the writing process was an entirely happy one but I’m so glad he wasn’t afraid to live there for awhile.  He was brave to make Isaac blind and Van Houten miserable and Augustus dead.
• I love that John Green writes for writers.  He makes his characters have conversations about the improper use of “literally”, centers an entire plot line about a character’s need to know the ending to a story and often use poetry.  Even though I don’t get poetry, I appreciate that he does, that the characters do and there’s still something romantic about it.

“As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once.”

• There’s a truthiness and grit to Hazel without her being annoying and overly sarcastic.  She gushes over the boy often but only because she’s been pushed to the point by Augustus where it really demands it.  I was grinning like a fool at Augustus too so I’d be upset if she was too cynical about love.
• So maybe Augustus was too much.  I mean, he was a basketball playing, cancer suriving, good-looking, poetry quoting, wish granting, self-sacrificing boy but I mean.  He died.  He’s allowed to be awesome.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t mind, Hazel Grace.  It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.” 

• I want to relive their Amsterdam trip.  Even though they were disappointed and really didn’t get what they were going for,the conflict made it all the more interested to read and the night they had together was well, epic.

“Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin.”

• I couldn’t have been happier with the ending. Her mother was moving on and Hazel didn’t feel so much like a grenade anymore.  Hazel got a kind of goodbye from Augustus and an ending to her story all in one swoop. Even though we don’t ever know what happened to Anna’s mom, I rather prefer it that way.  It’s clear Hazel isn’t going to survive, but I’m glad that Green neither saved her nor put us through her death.

I know I’ll post this and think of 27 more things to gush about.  Ever since I finished it yesterday, I keep thinking about it.

So here’s your chance folks, gush about this book with me.  I mean, please tell me you loved it too.  There wasn’t anyone that hated is there?  I can’t imagine but tell me if you did.

Is there a movie in the works for this book?  I haven’t looked it up and haven’t decided whether I want one although I already have been trying to decide who could do Augustus justice.  Michael Rady (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) is at the top of my list right now.

Now, GO GUSH! Okay? Okay.