Welcome to my blog where I give my honest opinion of Young Adult Fiction.
Twitter @YAFictionReview

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Review: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

The Fault In Our Stars (The Movie Version) is set to come out on Friday (EEEK!!!!)! In order to prepare, I am finally ready to post my review...

Though I have previously stated that Looking For Alaska is my ultimate favorite John Green novel, I will say that this novel, The Fault In Our Stars, is probably the most well written of his works. I think it is all perfection. Oh and can I say that I first read this novel in my AP Lit class my senior year of high school? That's how good it was. And yes, my 40 year old MALE teacher read it and loved it.


The Fault in Our Stars

Publisher: 2012 Dutton Books
Pages: 318
Series: N/A
"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."

Okay we all know how much I absolutely HATE romance novels with a passion. Like a fiery passion. But I really, really like this book. Even though it is centered around a romance. I will accept that I don't hate all of them. I felt like this book did a great job at not only capturing the essence of first love, and that it kept a good balance between the romance and the "normal" scenes. It was perfect. I mean when does John Green write any novel that isn't perfection in it's own way?

Hazel, or Hazel Grace as Augustus calls her, I felt to be the perfect female character for this kind of story. She is fully aware that one day soon she will die and leave her parents without a child and leave her friends without their Hazel Lancaster. She has started cutting people off from her so she doesn't hurt anyone but her parents when she does go. Augustus changes that in her. He shows her that having people there for you, that care for you, is a great thing. It's something that can help you grow. I felt that Augustus was the perfect guy to waltz into Hazels life. I keep using perfect too much. But it's true. Augustus has this heroic fantasy about him wanting to save someone or do something notable before he passes, and I feel that Hazel at first was that heroic duty but he fell in love with her all too fast.

There are so many great quotes from this novel too. I feel like John Green is a great person to quote, both in his books and in his own personal saying. He has a perfect balance of funny and sad in his novels. Some of my favorite quotes from The Fault In Our Stars are:


"Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book."

"What a slut time is. She screws everybody."

"But it is the nature of stars to cross, and never was Shakespeare more wrong that wen he has Cassius not, 'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/But in ourselves'."


This book is one of the best that I have read in the past five years. I am sure that it will survive for centuries. Maybe in 2342 kids will study The Fault In Our Stars along side Catcher in the Rye. It's just that dang good. So go read it if you haven't yet. Don't wait for the movie. If you wait to see the movie without reading the book you will miss out!

-Shawnee Smith

No comments:

Post a Comment