Tags
amsterdam, book reviews, cancer story, fault in our stars, john green, netherlands, sad story, young adult
The Fault In Our Stars
by John Green
genre: drama, depressing-cancer-story
Teenagers. Cancer. Life. This was a bittersweet story that is beautifully simple but powerful. Find out why I gave it a 4.5 out of 5 stars!
Summary
(Taken fromĀ Goodreads)
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
Review
This book was really hyped to me. I tried to give it time and distance before I decided to read it. I think a great description of this book is that it’s a tale about broken people with broken bodies. So when I finished reading it, I felt a little broken myself.
Augustus and Hazel are great characters and I loved reading it through Hazel’s perspective. I love how the story wasn’t hyped. It felt real and authentic. It explores the disasters that cancer creates but at the same time, how much meaning can be gained from it. While romance was one of the main genres of the novel, it didn’t overpower the story with sappy cliches. It such a lovely humbling novel.
I thought it was funny and great when I found out who the author was. John Green! I have watched many of Hank and John’s YouTube videos over the years on and off. It’s kind of crazy to find out he wasn’t just a YouTuber but a writer too. In fact, I watched one of John Green’s CrashCourse videos today.
One thing I didn’t like about the story thought was the very beginning. I just couldn’t believe how Augustus asks Hazel to hang out just after they met, and that she was allowed to just go with him. To me that was pushing the boundaries of belief but I let that one thing slide and there was no other point in the novel that I thought ‘ehhh, is that really realistic?’
I loved how the Netherlands and Amsterdam have such a big part in the story. It made my heart ache more so because that country holds a very important part in my heart because of my partner. I also liked that it was a country that is often understated. I’m sick of stories/characters which focus on cliches such as Paris/France or New York. I have already learned about those cities. I want something new. I want stories to make me fall in love with cities that I may have not heard that much about. Continue reading