Review of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Series: None
Author:  John Green
Book in a series: Stand-alone
Pages: 313
Goodreads Excerpt:
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:
I have taken a few days to let the second read-through of this book sink in because of the crazy array of emotion I have felt from it.  First of all, I love this book!  It has quickly become a mainstay on my favorites shelf.  I can't say that I loved every single aspect, as I didn't, but as a whole I would recommend it to anyone.  I read it the first time when it first came out in 2012 and since then, I have recommended it to everyone that I thought would give it any kind of chance, and some I thought wouldn't!  My emotions when reading The Fault in Our Stars were all over the place.  In December I was diagnosed with kidney cancer as a result of having Von Hippel-Lindau disease, and when I read through it again a few days ago I couldn't believe how much more emotion I felt than when I read it the first time.  Well, I guess I COULD believe it.  But with the main theme of the book being people who have cancer, I was able to relate in ways that I never even thought of.  I am not terminal like Hazel is in the story, but the whole thing is so scary nonetheless and I think John Green portrayed that beautifully.  Also, the humor style of the characters made me feel like I was there at some points because it reminded me so much of my own humor.  All in all, I think it is a great book and those I have recommended it to have agreed.  Read it!

Rating: 5 of 5.

Warning!  Spoilers:
The Amsterdam trip didn't wow me.  I mean, I know Peter Van Houten turned out to be a total douchebag, but that wasn't even the reason I wasn't thrilled with it.  In all honesty, if you held me up at gunpoint and told me to give you a specific reason why, I couldn't.  I enjoyed their Amsterdam dinner and the fact that they got, uh, close?  But I don't think it had the effect John Green was going for when he sent Hazel, Gus, and Hazel's mom there.  Oh well.  It scares the crap out of me to know that Gus is the one that didn't make it.  I know Hazel doesn't in the long run, but Gus is the one John Green killed off in the book itself.  His cancer wasn't supposed to be terminal.  It scares me because mine isn't supposed to be terminal either.  Gah.  Such emotion!

Tell me what YOU thought of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green!

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I will be soon and I will definitely be doing a review of it with a comparison to the book.  Keep an eye out for that!