Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Book Rec: The Fault in Our Stars

Let me start by saying this book is not happy or romantic or even the least bit light and airy, so if that's your cup of tea, move along. It's just plain fucking sad. But I loved every single teary-eyed page I read. This book was recommended to me by a coworker's 15-year-old daughter who has never steered me wrong. She knows I'm a teen trapped in a nearly 42 year old body.



Short synopsis (lifted from Amazon):
In The Fault in Our Stars, John Green has created a soulful novel that tackles big subjects--life, death, love--with the perfect blend of levity and heart-swelling emotion. Hazel is sixteen, with terminal cancer, when she meets Augustus at her kids-with-cancer support group. The two are kindred spirits, sharing an irreverent sense of humor and immense charm, and watching them fall in love even as they face universal questions of the human condition--How will I be remembered? Does my life, and will my death, have meaning?--has a raw honesty that is deeply moving.
Author John Green does in incredible job of pulling you into this story in the first paragraph. His ability to tell this story from the eyes of a teenage girl with terminal cancer just floored me. And I love the main character, Hazel -- she is intelligent and funny and snarky as shit. But I fell head over heals for Augustus, Hazel's love interest. His charm and quirkiness put him near the top on my list of top teen fiction love interests (don't worry, no one will ever top Edward Cullen on that list).


The thing of it is that while this book is essentially about dying, it's also about never losing yourself on your way out. And not giving up your sense of humor. I'm not sure how that happens but I hope if I was faced with the probability of dying before my time (whatever that really means), I would be able look death in the face, say "fuck you" and go out laughing.

I know this book won't be for everyone. I know some people must have the happily ever after. And I know that cancer is never an easy subject to read about. But I also know that this was a smartly written young adult novel that kept me riveted even when I knew what was coming. I can't wait to dive into his other titles.

If you do decide to read it, don't forget your tissues.

10 comments:

  1. This book was so amazing, but so heartbreaking. I was sobbing so much as I got to the end. People should definitely give it a try.

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  2. I read this book when it came out and loved it. He has a way of writing that is witty without coming off as the author trying to be clever. His blog posts are a riot too.

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  3. Cut to a 20 minute tangent checking out his site. You've done it again, I can't let a rec go by without a look. You recommend verbally abusing an iPhone, I'm sold. Organix hair products, best thing to happen to my hair since 1998. STY joins a gym, well if she has to, it must be the Twilight universe telling me to get off my butt. Though to be fair,free child care on site and the ability to watch my kids on a TV screen on the ellipticals was what put me on the fence, STY just gave me the motivational nudge. After seeing that his fans are called "nerdfighters" I'm now going to have to read this book.

    You ladies should really get more advertisement traffic....

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    1. Nerdfighters??? I love that!! I must check out his site.

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    2. You seriously do. Nerdfighting, DFTBA, and all sorts of awesomeness are waiting to be unlocked. Says the 32-year-old woman. Also check out the Vlog Brothers on YouTube. It's John and his brother Hank and they are hilarious. And such good guys. But they're not big fans of Twilight. :)

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  4. OMG, this book was amazing. So, so good.

    -- Lisa

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  5. I nearly bought this last time I was at Costco. I definitely will next time. I am weepy just reading the summary.

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  6. UUUGHHHHHHHH THIS BOOK!!! I read it in about a day. Could not put it down!! I don't know how I was able to turn the pages due to the flooding in my room created by my tears...but it was worth it. I will read it again.

    Augustus is def on my list of best love interests. Hazel is a badass, take-no-prisoners chick with a shit of a hand to play and I love her. Her dad was a great character, also. I have been afraid to rec it because it is not the usual love story. It hurts. And then it hurts more. But love does that...

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  7. This keeps coming up on my Amazon recommendations and I've been meaning to read it. You've sold me.

    I love books that make me feels strongly in some way and it sounds like this book will be right up my alley.

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  8. You should also check out Looking for Alaska. So good, but it hurts. Deep down. Def one of my favorites.

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