BOOK REVIEW: The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars- By: John Green
      Where to begin, where to begin? I guess with a spoiler-free review if you haven't read the book. And if you haven't read it, I don't know why you are reading this review and not the book. If you are waiting for an invite to read it, this is it. Now go get the book and read it!!!! 
       The Fault in Our Stars is the story of sixteen-year-old Hazel who has cancer. After a medical miracle, Hazel's life has been extended a couple of years. Her parents have her go to a cancer support group, where she meets  Augustus Waters, who is a cancer survivor.  You probably guessed it, they begin to fall in love. While this might sound cliché and just another teenage romance novel, it is so much more. John Green is an amazing author who captures his characters perfectly. The book is filled with amazing quotes and ideas about life.  Don't believe me? Here are a few of my favorite:
   "That's the thing about pain. It demands to be felt."
    "I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once."
    "My thoughts are like stars I cannot fathom into constellations."
      So over-all review?  This book has stuff that will make you laugh, leave you sobbing, and make you fall in love with everything about the book. It's the best book I've ever read. And I've read quite a few books. ;)
 That's the end of the spoiler-free review. Did ya get that? The next part has SPOILERS!! So if you haven't read the book yet, stop reading NOW! Don't ruin the book before you've read it.


   Let's just start with Hazel's character. John Green does such an amazing job at capturing the mind of a teenage girl. I didn't feel like it was John Green telling me Hazel's story, I felt as if Hazel was telling me the story. She isn't necessarily a like-able character. Now don't get me wrong, I actually really love Hazel. But she isn't a sugar-coated, "Life is great" kind of girl. She is real and she is angry about her cancer.
    Augustus Waters on the other hand is a very charming character. From the moment he was introduced, I fell in love with him. When he put that cigarette in his mouth for the first time, I was just as mad as Hazel. Like really? You've had cancer!! And you pay people to give you more cancer!!!! But as soon as he told her it was a metaphor, I was sold. Augustus and Hazel both embody this intelligence that John Green himself has.
   There were so many points of this book that I just melted at. I loved how Gus always referred to her as "Hazel Grace." It was such a simple thing that I just loved.  I loved Isaac's character and the way Green allowed us to observe him coping with losing his eyes. Between Isaac, Hazel and Gus we see almost every level of coping with problems. I loved the trophy smashing scene and the egg-throwing scene. With the trophies I thought it shows a lot of Gus's character. When he tells Isaac to use something that will break, it shows that Gus has gone through a lot in his life and knows that it takes a lot to help the emotions: and be real, a chair is just not going to cut it.
     Monica, she's an interesting character, even though we only see her once in the entire book. She leaves Isaac, and we are mad. We are hurt for him and we are just mad. But can any of us really blame her? Maybe you wouldn't leave your loved one, but you can understand why she did can't you? Like they said, "You have to deal with it. She doesn't." So I can understand where Monica is coming from, I don't agree with her choice, but I can see where she is coming from.
    Did anyone else think that the story was going to end mid-sentence like the book Hazel and Gus read? Or was that just me? When we realized that Gus was the sicker one, it was like a whole shift of what I was thinking would happen. I believe this is the point in the book that I started to cry. And I don't think I stopped until about two days after I finished the book. As Gus gets sicker and sicker, it's not pretty and Hazel doesn't try to make it seem that way. It was real and sad and awful. It seriously ripped my heart out! Thanks a lot John Green....thanks a lot.
    It was interesting how Hazel went from being the sickest out of the trio (her, Gus and Isaac) to being the "healthiest." Isaac is blind and needs help to go anywhere and Gus is dying of cancer, true Hazel is too, but Gus is dying faster.  The funeral that Gus holds for himself was such a heart-wrenching part that I just...ahhh I just can't handle it.
   Now for the real funeral...did anyone else just cry? Yes....okay good so it wasn't just me.  When Hazel takes her tubes off and walks to the casket, putting the cigarettes into his hand, oh gosh I just lost it there. This is the point in the book that we see how strong of a character Hazel is. Like Gus's parents said this wasn't just puppy love. I think I get emotional at this part because I can't imagine what it would be like to lose someone I loved so much. The whole scene really resonates with a wide range of people. It's something we can all sympathize with and cry for.
   One last thing that I just NEED to say! Gus's letter to Peter (the author of An Imperial Affliction) was just amazing. "You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices."
  Okay I think that about covers everything I wanted to say..I hope so because I think I'm running out of space to write anymore. So have you read The Fault in Our Stars? What did you think? Did anyone else cry as hard as I did? What were your favorite parts? And if you didn't like it, that's okay too, what about it didn't you like? Have you seen the trailer for the movie? What do you think? Will you go see it (and bring a lot of tissues?) Let me know what you guys think down in the comments!