BOOK REVIEW ~ THE FAULT IN OUR STARS BY JOHN GREEN

Title: The Fault In Our Stars

Author: John Green

Release Date: January 10, 2012

Reviewer purchased own copy of eBook

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, 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 tumors 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.

Book Review

There are no words...just tears at this point. TFiOS is a kind of book that you will never get over; it hits you deep and makes your soul weep. 

It's only been twenty-four hours after I finished the audio, and I can't stop thinking about it. 

A really great friend who is an avid reader of books highly recommended TFiOS and gave it a rare 5 star rating. And she couldn't stop gushing about how it had affected her and how she fell for Augustus Waters.

Well, I finally grabbed a copy of the audio. I admit, I don't do audio very often. But sometimes, it's just nice to sit in the car and listen to someone tell a really great story.

The narrator, Kate Rudd is phenomenal. She inflicts such raw emotion in her voice and she was perfect for the role of Hazel Grace. Even hearing her speak Augustus's dialogue was a joy to listen to and didn't lessen the impact as she is a woman...and Augustus is not. (Big smile). Whenever she would use her Augustus voice and say "Hazel Grace", I couldn't help but smile as Hazel would in the book. 

When I neared the end, I took the audio CD up to my room, shut the door and grabbed a box of kleenex--I knew what was coming. How could you not as soon as you read the book's blurb. 

I will give no spoilers here as there might be one or two people out there that haven't read TFiOS...and it must be read without spoilers. 

People can pick apart this story in book club groups and say this is firstly, a romance story. One of first love. One of young love. 

Or they can dig deeper and see a more important theme--one of how we, as humans, make our mark in the world. 

Then, others may say it's about fortitude and heartache as one deals with the limits of mortality while fighting cancer. 

I think it's just a brilliantly written story that weaves so many themes and ideas and is an emotional punch in the gut. And most of all, it's powerful, in and of itself.

TFiOS contains so many great and unforgettable quotes that will stick with me for a long time. And I hope that after reading this heart wrenching tale, I will continue to carry a little bit of Hazel and Augustus with me throughout my own life. They are truly stellar characters that amazed me and deeply affected my soul.