Review: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Publisher: Dutton Books
Publication Date: January 10th 2012
Pages: 313
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Challenges: Contemporary, Standalone
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Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

 Oh my good golly John Green you almost made me cry. Almost. And that takes a lot.  This is a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of Hazel, a cancer patient, and Augustus Waters, a boy in remission. This story was so utterly breathtaking that I read it in a 24 hour time frame and after word I couldn't think of anything to say about it, still can't.

The story starts out with Hazel explaining her situation, she has had type four thyroid cancer for four years and was about to die when a miracle shrunk her lung tumors, but she still might not last much longer. Now her mom forces her to go to a Cancer support group to make her less "depressed". At the support group she meets Augustus. Now, Hazel and Augustus. I love both of them with all my heart, and they are just so perfect for each other. They are both very smart, very funny individuals and they will always have a place in my heart because they seemed like such real characters to me.

Plot was very simple, but very cute and very nerdy. If you have ever seen any of the Vlogbrothers videos (Go Nerdfighters!) you can tell that John Green has put a lot of himself into the characters' voices. There is a part in the story that got me very close to crying, which is very, very hard to get me to do. While reading this story you become very connected the characters and it was just very heartbreaking.

This story is easily my favorite of the year so far and I really suggest that you give it, or any other of John Green's books a try.