I just finished this book in less than two days after both laughing and
crying. When I heard that John Green had released a new book, I
immediately had to go to Barnes and Noble to get it, and it did not
disappoint. This is the first time he has written from a girl's
perspective, but he does so hysterically yet realistically. Without his
trademark sense of humor, this could have simply been a depressing book,
but with it, it's almost... optimistic?
Even though the book is not really violent, I can't think of how else to
describe the fact that it may upset sensitive readers with its not so
much graphic as simply intimate description of living and half-SPOILER
(can't completely spoil it): knowing someone who dies of cancer. The one
time the main character has sex with her boyfriend, it is not really
described except for the fact that it is safe. There is language in this
book, but it's not as harsh as Green's other books have been; language
is about PG-13 level. The (teen) characters drink alcohol but don't
really use it to drink to excess, unlike the author who Hazel (the main
character) meets, but he is clearly not someone to look up to. Yes, the
boyfriend (Augustus) does put cigarettes in his mouth, but does not
smoke them. They are merely a metaphor, as he explains, for control over
how he dies. Overall, this book was smart, funny, sad, and just plain
awesome all at once. Unless you do not have a heart, you will be
laughing and crying thoughout the whole book. DFTBA!
(Post-note: after I finished, I gave it to my mom to read, since I've
been dropping TFiOS in any reasonable conversation, and she had to read
it to see what all the "John Green this and John Green that" fuss was
about. Though she took longer to finish it than I did, I knew it
affected her as well. She read most of it on a field trip with a my
brother on the bus, and when she came home she was sniffling a little
bit, and the sniffling got louder as she got comfortable on the couch.
When I asked her if something was wrong, she simply said, "I just about
finished The Fault in Our Stars, and I..." and she trailed off a little
bit. It was that good, for both teenagers and adults.) -- Anonymous --
This is THE most amazing book I have ever read. It's better than Harry
Potter. The writing is fantastic, and the philosophical questions it
deals with are of amazing proportions. TFiOS essentially deals with the
meaning of life in one, not terribly long novel. The message of living
and loving despite dying are profound and much more worth thinking about
than the topics of most other teen (and other) books published today.
That being said, there is some swearing that feels natural with the age
of the kids. Also, the two main characters kiss and have sex. The way
this part of the book is written though is not focused on the sex. It is
focused on the love these two characters have for each other. It also
isn't graphic. Augustus puts cigarettes in his mouth, but never lights
them. It's a metaphor to him; putting the thing with the ability to kill
you in your mouth, but not giving it the power to do so. Hazel and
Augustus are underage when they drink champagne, but I think it is
completely excusable as they don't know whether they will ever be of
age. The vocabulary, let's just say there were several words I didn't
know by page 50, which is a rare thing for me. I think mature 13yos and
anyone older should definitely read this, as it is fantastic, deep and
addresses the meaning of life. (It's also VERY funny :) It is by far the
best John Green ever and I'm currently smiling at all the DFTBA's
below...
-- Anonymous --
This isn't normally the type of book I read, I normally read very clean
books and I did a scan of this and didn't see any language so I thought
it would be fine...But this book gripped me from the first time it
described Hazel! Such a good piece of literature! A YA novel with depth,
where teenagers actually know real words! I found it to good to be
true! It's a fabulous story, though heart wrenching. It makes you
appreciate every moment, it gave me a desire to leave less scares. Even
if it meant not being loved by the whole world. This author should
really be thanked! -- Anonymous --
I am not quite finished with the book, but so far, I think it is very
well written. It covers a topic that is difficult to talk about and is
often avoided. It has been challenging for me to get through; however, I
feel like I should add my perspective. I was diagnosed with cancer at
10. I am now 15 years old and a teen-age cancer survivor. I am a
volunteer and advocate for pediatric cancer awareness.
This book has gotten negative reviews based on several points:
1)
This is from another reviewer: "The characters are not believable. They
do not speak like teenagers. They do not even handle situations like
teenagers do. So many interactions between Gus and Hazel are
interactions which, plain and simple, just would not happen between
real, emotional, scared, awkward, virgin teenagers, let alone ones with
cancer who have been socially cut off for much of their lives."
*My
point-of-view: Have you spent time with any of us? They are believable
as teen-age cancer patients/survivors. We may look like teen-agers, but
in our heads, we are not. We have had to face our own mortality and make
choices we should never have to make. It makes us grow up...quickly.
Most of us do not act or speak like teen-agers because that is no longer
how we think. After treatment, many of us find the things most teens
(and sometimes adults) are worried about are trivial. Society cuts us
off, but we are not cut off from each other. These types of interactions
do happen. And, it is emotional and scary, but we learn to tell it like
it is, without the normal fluff and awkwardness. We find 'normal' where
we can and try to live every single day we have because we know that
time is an illusion.
2) The parents are not real, not deep characters, and they do not have their own identities.
*My
point-of-view: I have seen my own parents (and siblings) and the
parents of other friends struggle with this. Many times, they do not
have their own identities anymore. Every single minute is spent trying
to make it to the next! They try to keep the family together and
functioning, in spite of the effects of treatment, fevers and midnight
trips to the emergency room, 3 weeks of the month spent in isolation,
jobs in jeopardy, birthdays and holidays interrupted, not to mention
talks that parents never want to have with their child. I've talked to
my mom about this. This becomes their identity. My mom said their jobs
become about doing whatever it takes, travelling all over the country
(which is very common), researching new studies, and new medicines, all
to help us survive and thrive with grace and dignity. It is also their
job to prepare, if treatments don't work, to help us die with just as
much grace and dignity.
I hope everyone can read this with an
open mind and an open heart. Then, reach out to the patients and
survivors in your communities. They are wise beyond their years, funny,
brave and inspiring.
-- Anonymous --
