The Fault in Our Stars

I read and I cried and enjoyed the afternoon it took to read this book. Unlike other emotionally evocative reads, I doubt this will be of those books that will last in my consciousness.
I gave the book three stars, because I think the novel accomplished its goal of communicating the emotions surrounding the lives and deaths of young people.

This book has been a real runaway success, and, as it's now been giving the Hollywood treatment with a big screen adaptation due out this summer I decided it was time to read the book before the movie's imminent release at which point any plot twists may become talking points online or on television.

This book doesn't pull any punches, from its dust cover description it's clear that if lighthearted is your bag then this may not be for you. It is the story of Hazel, a 17 year old girl living with terminal cancer which she knows one day will end her life. At a cancer support group meeting she is introduced to Augustus, a boy who is now cancer free and who she is instantly drawn to. This book is their love story and it's beautifully written and very emotional.

Hazel's character is lovely to read through the eyes of as she is a very strong character, she's intelligent and witty and very mature. Her attraction to Gus builds throughout the book and is a real draw throughout. It was one of those books which I seemed to read in a flash and literally could have enjoyed it for another few hundred pages.

Other reviews you'll have read of this book will have mentioned its tearjerker status and it certainly is but I don't want to dwell on that too much as it is perhaps the less surprising aspect of the book instead I found it a very thought provoking book, especially in its final chapter reminding us that we don't need to be the loudest or most talented person to always make the most impact on the world. Sometimes those who observe make the most profound of discoveries which change the world.

I cannot wait to see the movie, I am confident it will be an enormous success but I am very glad I took time to enjoy the book first and get to know Hazel & Gus in my own head first because as we all know from the debacle that was My Sisters Keeper books of this nature do not always translate well to film.