January 31, 2013

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This was a buddy review with the fabulous Sarah from Book-A-Holic. You can read her fabulous take on the book here!

The Fault in Our Stars
Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Series: N/A
Source: Traded for
Publisher: Dutton Books
Publication Date: January 10, 2012
Goodreads||The Book Depository
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 tumours 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.
Just stop and think for one second before you read this review. Think about all of the books that you've read because people have told you that you will cry. How many of them have actually made you cry? Really, truly, just bawl your eyes out. None. I have never bawled at the end of a book. I've cried, though. And that's all that I did in the end. Just a few short tears.

I'm a little disappointed. I was expecting this big, earth-shattering, bawl-inducing kind of event, and that was taken from me. I kind of wish...that I could have loved it more. I liked it, that's for sure, and I honestly can't find any flaws with it, but I wasn't exactly blown away by the beautiful writing or anything. I had myself built up so far about this book that it only disappointed me because I didn't  get to have a good cry. I really think that.

I really think that it could have been better. Don't get me wrong, the ending was good. The story was good, and the execution was good. But I...I'm a victim of my own build-ups.

Hazel was a really good character, but sometimes I couldn't help but wish that she wasn't such a debbie downer. She has this life, these few extra days or weeks or even months  for her to live, and she acts like it's this huge curse that no one should have to endure. Then she meets Augustus. Who is the ultimate swoony type of guy that you know  that every girl who's ever read this book has fallen in love with. He brings out the best and worst in all of us. ;)

For the sake of not revealing spoilers, I can't tell you everything that makes him such a lovable chum, but he just is.  I honestly don't want to go into more detail, because that's really all that I can say. But just know that this book made me laugh. It made me smile, and in the end there were tears involved. Maybe there weren't as many as I would've liked (eh, I'm weird), but it is what it is.

And Isaac? Man, he just needs a hug. I really wanna hug him, and I want to beat his girlfriend to death...and...well, I might be embarrassing myself, but he's just a sweet guy. Who's funny. And no one else is mentioning him, so there.

All in all, I did like The Fault in Our Stars,  but I do feel like it could have been something better. So shoot me.
“I’m in love with you, and I’m not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you.” ~ Pg. 155

12 comments:

  1. Just like you, I've decided to read this book because everybody loves it.
    This book was beautiful in many ways, but I still felt like it was too pessimistic and depressing. I mean - teens suffering and dying? There wasn't even a hint of hope at the end. After reading this I felt emotionally crashed!

    Great review! and I'm a new follower.
    Sapir @ Diary of a Wimpy Teen Girl

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    1. That was EXACTLY my reasoning. I have this thing where I feel the need to torture myself with books that I wouldn't pick up normally because everyone else loves them...it's not pretty, LOL.

      It WAS very pessimistic and depressing. There were a few moments that were just beautiful, let it all go, teenage moments, but most of the time it was a little too adult-ish. According to this book, there is no hope. :(

      Thank you! (:

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  2. I love your review. It's better than mine I seriously could not think of anything to write since everything made it sound like I hated the book and I honestly didn't.

    Yay Isaac. I can't believe I forgot to talk about him :( I loved him XD

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    1. Aww, thank you Sarah! I'm not sure that it is...I just got up, and I'm checking it out now! ;D I honestly didn't hate the book either, but I know what you mean. I have reviews like that too. For instance, Glitch, LOL.

      In the big picture, he really doesn't make an impact! But he was my favorite, I think. (: I'm glad that I'm not the only one who loved him! Yay! :D

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  3. Glad you liked it but sorry it wasn't everything you'd hoped. I def have had a few like that and its sad.
    Happy reading,
    Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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    1. I'm sorry that it wasn't everything I had hoped too. :( It sucks. Thank you! (:

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  4. I completely understand about being the victim of build-ups. When I was reading this, I LOVED it and then when it ended, I wasn't so sure. However, after a while, I thought about it and I did love it and became one of my favorite books of 2012. Amazing review, m'dear :)

    Sunny @ Blue Sky Bookshelf

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    1. Hahaha, sometimes I just build myself up so far about certain things that there's no way that they can live up to it. Um, that's kind of me. I really liked it when I was reading it, but towards the end I was just so annoyed with everything going on that it made me rate lower. That is awesome! You're lucky. (; Aww, thank you Sunny! (:

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  5. Ah! you didn't go crazy for the book. A relieve, certainly. I didn't like it although that scene of Gus in the car almost made me cry. I think that if I had the book when I was 15 I would worship it :-)

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    1. Nope. I absolutely did not, LOL. Well, I'm glad that it's a relief. ;) I don't think I even remember that scene. O.O Haha, I agree! When I was younger, I'm sure that I would have loved it! Just not now. LOL.

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  6. I'm reading this right now. I agree with you yet disagree-it's an okay book, but I like the writing better than the actual story. I also really like Hazel, but with Augustus, I feel like John Green was trying way too hard to make him hot. And the cigarette thing was just stupid.
    BUT I'm glad someone else agrees that this book wasn't the best book in the universe. Great review! :)

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    1. I know exactly what you mean! I didn't really care for the story-- but John Green's writing is nice. The cigarette thing is just stupid. It makes no sense-- and no teenager would come up with that. LOL. Thanks! (:

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