The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Sometimes there are books you might pick up because of hype, and sometimes there are books you avoid. Although I have pretty much enjoyed everything I've read by John Green, over the last two years it was impossible to escape The Fault in Our Stars hype everywhere, pretty much becoming the novel representing contemporary YA. And I love contemporary YA. I even bought a copy of this book as soon as it came out. But then I got sick of hearing about it and only picked it up this year.

If you've somehow managed to stumble across this review and not know what The Fault in Our Stars is about, it's the story of two teenagers who both have cancer, Hazel and Augustus, and find each other in a Support Group. It is an emotional, well-written book and definitely had me near-tears at some points even though I knew how things ended because in the time since the book was released the ending has been spoiled for me. That said, it didn't change how much I was on the edge of my seat, desperately hoping that things would work out for Hazel who has overcome so much. That said, I really enjoyed the ending and thought it fit the book perfectly.

I don't think I loved The Fault in Our Stars quite as much as all the hype, but that's unfortunately the problem with hype. Even though there was a romance element to it, the most memorable part of the book was Hazel's journey for me, and that, as well as her relationships with other people, was what I enjoyed most. Gus and his friend Isaac also had an unexpected emotional moment for me. Where the book struggled was with how literary the characters could be at times, to the point that they seemed pretentious. It does seem to be intentional given the characters' interests, but it sometimes made them come across less authentic, especially when it was Gus and Hazel talking, which is probably why I struggled most with the romance.

Overall, The Fault in our Stars was a really emotional book that reminded me how little my problems are and how beautiful life is, and for those reasons Hazel is an unforgettable narrator.

Release Date: January 10th 2012 Pages: 313  Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal  Publisher: Dutton Books  Buy It: Book Depository