The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene

SPOILERS BELOW

The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene

4 out of 5 Wonderful Stars

I feel like I expected more than this book offers because of all the hype; nevertheless, I did enjoy The Fault In Our Stars and am very happy I read it. 


Pros:

Hazel and Augustus make such a great couple, and I love their "okays" and how even when times get tough, they're still there for each other. They face real problems in horrible situations, and Green portrays this truthfully. 

"This was the truth, a pitiful boy who desperately wanted not to be pitiful, screaming and crying."

"I hate myself I hate myself I disgust myself I hate it I hate it just let me fucking die."

'Last time I imagined myself as the kid. This time, the skeleton."

Yeah, these are a few of the really heart-breakingly truthful scenes I mentioned. 

But then John Green goes and balances it out a bit with quotes like these:

"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'm in love with you."

So poetic ~

Aaaaand then back to the harsh truth:


"Grief does not change you, it reveals you."


but then...


"You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world, but you do have some say in who hurts you."

This book really is an emotional ride, and it's brutal in it's honesty, but I really wouldn't want it to be any other way.

Cons:
 
Okay, I have to admit, there are parts that happen a too little quickly for my liking. Say, Augustus telling Hazel he loves her by page 153. I feel like that's a bit premature, but Gus does say he's "not in the habit of denying himself the simple pleasures in life" so okay. I mean, I did read this book in two days, so that's why it might have felt a little short/rushed to me, but it is only 313 pages. Maybe adding more would have ruined the novel a bit, but who knows?

The book is moving along wonderfully, until Gus's cancer comes back with a vengeance. I kind of expected it, with the way he was acting, but I wish we had more time with him semi-healthy. The last third of the book is him sick, and then BAM, "Augustus Waters died eight days after his pre-funeral." Well, okay then.... I guess we don't get to know his last words, or the last time he sees Hazel. This sentence is the only part in this novel that really caused me to feel something physical. There are other parts that I smiled at a bit, and felt sad over, but this sentence literally caused my heart to pang, but mostly at the shock of how sudden it was. I guess with all the hype I expected to feel that "pang" a bit more often. Also, I'm not a big crier, but I fully expected to break down while reading this novel. I didn't. Not sure what that says about me, but again, I think all the hype has led me to expect more than this novel offers. 

John Green pulled a total Van Houten at the end of this novel. Okay, Augustus dies, but WHAT ABOUT HAZEL? Does she find love again, when does she die? And Isaac; does he ever confront Monica? Does he find love with someone else? I get that Gus died, but I need to know what happens with the other characters! I guess Hazel and I have that in common.

Also, while reading I found the way Augustus and Hazel spoke (very maturely) endearing, but after reflecting on it, well, I feel that this hindered me being able to connect with the characters. I'm sorry, but people don't really talk like that. I get that they're intelligent and all, but... I don't know... It just made it hard to think of them as really real and without that, I feel like the connection to the characters is either fake or kind of forced, if that makes any sense.

Final Thoughts: 

I expected this book to change my life, alter my way of thinking about the universe and all, etc.,etc., but it didn't. It doesn't. I'm not really taking any life-lessons from this book that will affect me forever. I've read books like that, and still think about and thank them for what they've taught me, and sadly The Fault In Our Stars is not one of those books. However, it is still a great novel that is truthful and honest in all the ways that matter, and is definitely worth reading. John Green is on my radar now :)