The Fault In Our Stars by John Green -313 pages

Book Blurb:

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.

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.

My Review: 5 stars

It feels like the largest juxtaposition on the planet to be so utterly moved by the beauty of this book and itโ€™s ugly subject matter. Seriously who wants to curl up on the couch on a cold, dreary day and read about kids with cancer who fall in love? I know that even the Good Book Fairy was keeping this book on the sidelines as I knew Iโ€™d be drained from reading it. Admittedly, at the beginning I was only able to read a few chapters at a time as I got to know the main players, but soon after, I couldnโ€™t get enough of Hazel and Augustus. No spoilers, but I was able to predict the ending pretty soon into the book so that did help me get through the story, because I knew thereโ€™d be no way to sugar coat an ending with this subject matter.  These kids were unique to say the least and the existential questions they posed each other I found fascinating. They were wise, funny and aged before their time. The subplot of the Dutch Tulip man was an added bonus. I think this is Greenโ€™s best work to date. Truly beautiful writing.

Quotes I liked:

As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.

-โ€œYou don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world…but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices.โ€

-โ€œWhat a slut time is. She screws everybody.โ€

-โ€œOh, I wouldn’t mind, Hazel Grace. It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.โ€

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