Book 11 -- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Nice Shakespeare reference there, John Green. I like it.

Spoilers ahead AS USUAL.

Context:

The Fault in Our Stars is the widely popular YA fiction about Hazel Lancaster, a sixteen year old girl with terminal lung cancer who hates going to her Support Group. That is, until Augustus Waters--an amputee with osteosarcoma--shows up and changes everything.

My Thoughts:

Well, I certainly didn't hate it.

On the good stuff:

I discuss my inability to believe in the characters later, but when they do sound believable, it's really good stuff. I especially like Hazel's reaction to correspondence from her favorite author: "WHAT IS LIFE!?" Someone's been on Tumblr.

I think he does a good job of capturing the pain and reality of cancer. I can't say this with certainty, because the only family member I've lost to cancer lived a state over from me, but it didn't feel like a Lifetime movie, at any rate. I like that he addresses how people are always painted as heroes when they die and how that's kind of bullshit--as if bad people don't die.

The Amsterdam trip was actually quite nice. I liked their little adventures. Very sweet, very emotional and thoughtful. The imagery was really lovely and kind of made me want to go to Amsterdam.

Andddd...the way she took care of him as he died was really sweet. Believable Mature Teenager moment. I felt really bad for Augustus at the gas station. 

Also:

"The world is not a wish-granting factory."

Accurate.

On the bad stuff:

Hazel and Augustus are the same person. The only difference between them is anatomy and Augustus's desire for his death to be a legacy. In that vein, they spout out these ridiculously philosophical quotes and metaphorical theories that are more befitting of the Wise Sage archetype than the Mature Teenager. I truly understand that these kids have been through some life-changing stuff, but going through something world-shaking like cancer doesn't suddenly give you the ability to quote classic literature in daily speech and reference obscure quotes that I, a 24-year-old grad student, have to Google (I'm thinking specifically of "sword of Damocles"--what the hell?). So much of it just sounds like he is trying very hard to wax philosophical and it usually doesn't work for me.

I also don't get the whole "great love" thing. What do they know about each other besides cancer and An Imperial Affliction? Do they ever have a conversation about anything else? I can't think of one.

Also...Van Houten, what the hell? While I liked his character development, the whole "him coming to America" thing was very, very weird and unbelievable to me.

My Rating: 2.5/5

Not an awful book by any means, but not particularly striking for me, either. Not a waste of time, but there are some really flat moments that stink of "trying too hard." Does handle cancer in a believable way, so if you like crying over the human condition, give it a shot.