Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars
By John Green
Publisher:
Dutton Books

To Sum It Up:

Although a miracle cancer drug has extended Hazel Lancaster’s life, she knows that she still faces an uncertain future. Seeing as her constant companion is an oxygen tank and the threat of death still hangs over her, Hazel can't help feeling pessimistic. She reluctantly begins attending the meetings of a cancer support group for teenagers, and it’s there that she meets Augustus Waters. With his irrepressible wit and charm, Hazel can’t help but be drawn to Augustus, and the two quickly become inseparable. Before Augustus, Hazel wasn’t so much living as existing, but that’s all about to change.

Lee's Review:

The Fault in Our Stars is a book that I didn’t plan on reading for a couple of reasons. First, I wasn’t overly impressed with John Green’s Looking for Alaska, though I concede that the man is one talented writer. I confess to returning Paper Towns to the library unread because I just wasn’t in the mood to read two Green novels in a row. Second, I’m always extremely wary of books that deal with chronic/terminal illness. There isn’t a lot of maneuvering room when it comes to preventing these types of novels from devolving into saccharine weep-a-thons. Scenes that try too hard to tug at the reader’s heartstrings irk me. Finally, I shied away from this book because I feared that it was going to be too intense of a read and I wouldn’t be able to handle it.

So what could have possibly changed my mind about reading this book? Well, it was more like a “who” than a “what”—my dear cousin and co-blogger, Ally. She’d wanted to read The Fault in Our Stars for the longest time and had finally gotten her hands on a copy. After starting it, she kept telling me how great it was, how I needed to read it, etc. I kept telling her my reasons for not wanting to read it, but Ally refused to give up. A lot of begging and wheedling on her part ensued, and I finally agreed to read this book because she was just going to continue her campaign until I surrendered.

I have to say, I’m grateful to Ally for her relentless assault on my will. At the heart of The Fault in Our Stars lies a moving, beautifully written love story. It’s almost impossible not to fall in love with Augustus and his devastating wit. Green’s signature quirky humor and metaphor-slinging characters are present and accounted for here, but he’s very careful not to make light of the heavy subject matter. My reservations about The Fault in Our Stars being overwrought and cloying were completely unfounded. Having read one of his previous novels, I should have put more faith in Green’s ability to steer clear of treacle, but being the pessimist that I am, I had to see for myself.

I do think that this book requires a bit more suspension of disbelief than you might expect for a contemporary novel, at least in comparison to the ones I’ve read so far. I can’t really delve into specifics without giving too much of the book away, but there were times when I felt like I had to accept some of the plot at face value. That’s not exactly a criticism because the book wouldn’t have been the same if events hadn’t unfolded the way that they did. The point I’m trying to make, very ineloquently, is, if I’d stopped to think, “Well, it’s improbable that X would really happen,” I would have ruined my enjoyment of the book.

There is no doubt that The Fault in Our Stars has earned its place among the books that every reader should read during his/her lifetime. For all of the times that the book will make you laugh, though, there’s an equal chance that it will make you cry. There are some scenes of such immense heartbreak that, while I’m glad that I overcame my reluctance to read this, I definitely couldn’t make it through the book again.

All in All:

This is one of the most hyped books I can think of in recent memory. I don’t like to give credence to that type of thing and prefer to form my own opinion of a book by reading it for myself. The Fault in Our Stars is one of the rare books that deserves all of the praise that has been showered upon it.

Ally's Review:

How can one go about reviewing a book about cancer, and death, and pain, and sadness? Because that's what The Fault in Our Stars is. Arguably, it is written in the elegant and humorous style of John Green, but still. I don't like people who pretend to understand and relate to things and situations that they oh so obviously can't. I don't want to be one of those people. So I can't tell anyone that John Green hit the nail on the head with this book. All I can say is that the book felt real, that Hazel Grace and Gus seemed real enough to me.

The characters, Hazel and Augustus, were great. They clearly have gone through much adversity, but they still trudge on through life. I was rooting for those two lovebirds to get together from the start. Gus was just so forward and fun. He was good for Hazel, and Hazel was good for him. A lot of people say that Hazel and Augustus (or most of Green's characters) don't “talk their age.” Being their age, I can't help but feel a little offended. Admittedly, I don't go around contemplating every little thing I see, but I do have a few sporadic, profound musings. However, I do see the point being made; Hazel and Gus are philosophical to the verge of being unreasonable. And I like it! They make me think, and this book made me think. It gave my brain a good workout.

The storyline follows the two teenagers on their quest to get answers from an author (who's a mega-turd) who left his book with a lot of loose strings. That's interesting! Many readers, including myself, feel the need to hunt down authors who leave their books with terrible cliffhangers and endings! I can name a few now. The book within a book thing really got to me. I was with Hazel and Gus all the way; I wanted answers for myself.

The humor and snark that follows every John Green book was present and accounted for. I laughed, I teared up (I never actually cried, which is something I am quite proud of), I swooned, and oh man, I rooted; this book seriously abused and messed with my emotions. The Fault in Our Stars is easily one of the best books I've ever read.

All in All:

The Fault in Our Stars is one of those books that all readers, no matter what their preference, should read or at least try at some point in their literary lives. I'm sure you'll love it for one reason or another.

15 comments:

  1. AHhh I'm so glad you guys liked this book! I think this is definitely John Green's best one to date.
    Absolutely lovely reviews! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really didn't know how I was going to react to this book, but once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. Of the two Green books I've read, this one was hands down the best.

      Delete
  2. I've been putting this one off due to the terminal illness aspect too. I am having a major internal battle on if I should read it or not, but you two are quite convincing. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad that I read it, but there were parts that I found really, really tough to get through without getting all misty-eyed. One read was definitely adequate for me.

      Delete
  3. Though I'm extremely sad you didn't enjoy Looking for Alaska (sad moment :( okay, done!) I want to say: YAY! This book is all kinds of awesome and I'm glad you both loved it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I still can't properly explain what it was about Looking for Alaska that didn't click with me. It was the kind of read where I look at the book and say, "It's not you, it's me!", lol.

      Delete
  4. I admit to having shared Lee's feelings toward this book and your experience with it has indeed swayed me in favor of reading it. To be fair, I was starting to crack under the TONS of glowing reviews but I kept telling myself they were from people who usually read this kind of book. One of these days when I feel the need to switch up my genres, I'll have to check this one out :) Excellent reviews from both of you, I'm really happy you both loved this so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had resolved on not reading this because this isn't my type of book, but Ally made me break down and read it (quite persuasive, she is). I was surprised by the amount of humor in it, which took some of the edge off of the serious topic at hand. If it hadn't been for that, I think my experience with this book would have been very different.

      Delete
  5. I need to read this book, I have heard nothing but good things about it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This book was heartbreaking, but I'm not sorry that I read it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it after you've read it!

      Delete
  6. I've yet to read this. Its just been sitting, sitting and sitting on my bookshelf :( I will definitely need to read this because I've heard nothing but great things about it. Awesome review!

    Janina @ Synchronized Reading

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have quite a few books that have been sitting on my shelves for ages that I need to read. I've vowed not to go overboard buying books or borrowing them from the library until I tackle the unread ones that I already own.

      Delete
  7. I am so scared and excited to read this. Cancer is a very sensitive topic for me and I'm not sure if my heart & tearducts can handle the heartache!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This was a very hard read in some places, and I found myself reading rather quickly through those parts before the tears really got going.

      Delete
  8. Thanks to Ally you have felt how amazing TFIOS is! I really loved this book to the core. There wasn't a time that I felt unease reading it despite the message it gives to readers. This is one of those books that made me think differently. Love your reviews guys! Hope you come and visit my blog some other time, hehe

    ReplyDelete

We love hearing from our readers and do our best to reply. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!