Where to begin about 'The Fault in our Stars" by John Green. Well, first off it had been in my list for quite some time and just kept getting lost in the black hole that is my 'To Be Read' shelf. I finally got down to it and wish I had sooner.
In recent memory I cannot remember coming across something so unabashedly honest, heart felt, and sincere without an ounce of cliche. This love story of two teenagers is more true and raw then any I have read in an adult contemporary novel in a long long time.
The story is about Hazel Grace, caner patient at the age of sixteen who will battle until she loses a type of cancer that has attacked her lungs forcing her to cart an oxygen tank around with her at all times. Her cancer is not in remission and in incurable but by a very slim chance some new experimental treatment has kept her going.
Enter Augustus Waters, fellow childhood cancer survivor who lost a limb in his fight but has been in remission since then.
Augustus an Hazel travel through what its like to be a person with cancer who is also trying to live a full life in the time they have. They find kindred spirits in one another and form a bond that even the adults in their lives can see is real and not some overly hormone charged 'young love'. They bond over a book called 'An Imperial Affliction' by a reclusive writer who moved to Amsterdam and hadn't been heard from since. Their joined thoughts and musings on this book they share creates the sub plot of the story that keeps their narrative flowing and engaging while constantly giving us insights into their relationship with one another.
John Green manages to explain what it means to live life through the voice of people who are losing theres. At one point there is an especially emotional scene when Hazel gets very emotional saying that she is a 'grenade' and feels that she should minimize the causalities as much as possible by staying away from everyone and being the reason for their sadness. We see her, as an only child, struggle to live with knowing her parents will be forever changed by the end of her life and she can do nothing to ease their pain; for them she is an open wound that with each day becomes more infected.
I cannot praise the portrayal of human relationships and emotions enough in this story. I think a part of me is always going to be biased to modern fiction because I look for any reason to see through it and deem it unrealistic, but even with every once of my scrutiny, this one held water all the way through.
Even though it is deemed YA, this book has made numerous must read lists and I completely understand why. If you want an excellent story, told in the most achingly raw way then please do yourself a favor and read "The Fault in our Stars." This one will stay with you for a long time, I promise.
4.5 out of 5.
P.s. Keep an eye and an ear open for news about this books upcoming adaptation to the big school coming soon! If you don't want the plot to be spoiled for you, I suggest you find time to read it soon!
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