The Fault In Our Stars

 
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The Fault In Our Stars
Author(s)
Age Range
14+
Release Date
January 10, 2012
ISBN
0525478817
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Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, 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.

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.

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, 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.

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.

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4 reviews
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4.5
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Beautifully Written
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I spent an entire year mentally preparing myself for The Fault in Our Stars. I read some terrible books, awesome books and your classic "meh" books. And whenever I'd go to decide which book I wanted to read next, I'd glance at The Fault in Our Stars' spine and simply turn my head away. To be completely honest, I don't think I have ever truly went out of my way to avoid a book like this and it's unlike me to do so. I usually tackle things head on, showing no fear, but with this book I had to approach things differently due to its subject matter. But then Jenn from The Bawdy Book Blog threw this in as a review suggestion, because obviously I needed some John Green edumacation. And I'm so happy someone finally pushed me to read this book because it did not disappoint. Well, not exactly...

It's easy to see why John Green has the following he does. There is just something magical in the way he strings his sentences together that I can't help but admire it. It's simple, deep and humorous all at the same time. And the biggest thing I worried about when diving into this book was the sadness. You go into the book knowing the characters are terminal and I didn't know how I would fair connecting with a character, loving a character, to ultimately have them suffer and die. I'm a really easy crier and I don't like seeing people (fictional or real) suffer. But somehow John Green manages to take a cancer book and fill it with the sweetest memories.

For a good portion of The Fault in Our Stars, I found myself chuckling at Hazel and Augustus' dry humor. The first half was generally light-hearted despite the grim situation the characters were in. Even when things got more serious, the humor was subtly there as a convenient ice-breaker of sorts. If I could describe it, I'd liken it to a grandparent making a joke about their impending death. It's awkward and uncomfortable, but oddly reassuring that it's possible to joke about something so morbid. Life goes on.

The plot was simply "ok" for me, never wowing me or keeping me on the edge of my seat. It, at times, seemed to just float by with occasional things happening. There weren't many plot twists or "ah ha!" moments because you could tell from the beginning how it would end. You knew from the subject matter that it would be sad, and yet... I did not really cry. I did shed The Lonely Tear, but it wasn't for the characters. It was because of the situation they were in. It was because cancer sucks. Don't get me wrong, this is a beautifully written book, but the problem I ran into was the questionable authenticity of the protagonists. They never felt like teenagers. I get that they were intelligent and spent a lot more time contemplating life than your average teen, but they never felt real to me. Now, I'm not exactly a stranger to John Green himself. I religiously watch his history webshow on Youtube and I'm often amazed at this guy. But it was like he sat down and created mini-Despicable-Me-minon-like John Greens for this novel. They are all witty, super intelligent and too pretentious for their own good.

Further, it was almost like Green relied on the severity of the ending and the character's intelligence to jar emotion from the reader. Clearly, this worked since two weeks after finishing, I cried while making pancakes just from thinking about Augustus' letter to Hazel. But again, this was not for the characters. It wasn't remotely similar or as powerful of an emotion that I'd felt after I read A Walk to Remember where I cried in my 8th grade English class under my desk. I'm talking about complete and utter sorrow for Landon and everyone else. DON'T JUDGE ME. :P

Anyway, while I remain conflicted on how I feel about the characters, it doesn't negate the fact that this is a fabulous, smart read that I'd recommend to others.
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My New Favorite Book
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5.0
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You guys. This book.

I have to share the original moment I lived while reading this book. I was on the bus, riding home from our field trip to a science museum, sharing a seat with a 6th grade girl who used JUSTIN BIEBER twice as her word in our morning games of Hangman. I was a bawling mess over the book, so these sweeties were trying to comfort me, while also asking me to try on the mustache-shaped mood ring they bought at the gift shop so they could see what color "sad" is. I love being a teacher.

Anyway, back to John Green's masterpiece. If you read young adult literature, you've probably already heard tons about this novel about two star-crossed teenagers who have cancer. I really don't want to give any of the plot away, so I will share how much I loved the main characters, Hazel and Augustus.

Hazel is the type of sixteen year old we all wish we were (without the cancer, obviously). She is wise and funny, beautiful and confident, plus she gets along well with her parents. The novel is almost overwhelmingly sad, but it is Hazel's narration that prevents it from going over the edge. Her sarcastic and honest voice had me laughing through my tears.

Augustus Waters is probably the best YA boyfriend to ever be written. He says gorgeous things like, "You are so busy being you that you have no idea how utterly unprecedented you are." His clever, generous heart is what you wish everyone experiences in a lifetime, even if it is far shorter than it should be.

I am the endearing combination of broke and cheap, but this is a hardcover book I was happy to pay for, if only because it makes it easier for me to lend it to everyone I know.
Good Points
Nobody writes dialogue like John Green.
Tremendous tearjerker
The characters are funny, smart, and awesome.
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4.7
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4.6(59)
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4.7(59)
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Beautiful and heartfelt
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5.0
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I remember the film coming out and I was quite curious to see what it was about but I wanted to read the book first. I'm so glad I decided to read the book which is amazing!
In my opinion, The Fault in Our Stars is John Green's best book-it is truly a masterpiece. Only John Green could make a book about a girl with stage 4 cancer hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. The characters are well-written and I love that Hazel is not completely one-dimensional. Augustus is charming- a total gentleman!
Overall, I would totally recommend this book!
Good Points
The writing was so beautiful and emotional.
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Beautiful and heartbreaking
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4.0
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It's easy to see why this became such a hyped up popular novel. It was very well written and the characters were complex and intriguing. It is very easy to read in one sitting, which does not diminish how beautiful the novel is.

Green writes amazing, intelligent characters.

Read this if you are in the mood to cry.
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Book for the Soul
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4.7
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I have read this book so many times I just may have it memorized. I LOVED this book and the story of Hazel and Gus. It was a typical love story, nor was it a typical cancer book. This book made normal love stories boring. This book had so many quotes and lines that just hit my soul and haven't left me.
Good Points
Hazel Grace made it so that cancer wasn't portrayed like it is in any other story. She made it real, she made it hurt, she made it hard hitting. When Hazel meets Augustus, their stories of cancer fade into the back of your mind. These two just wanted to be normal, but knew of their limitations. Finding a dream and pursuing it, no matter what disease, sickness, or hard times was an essential part in their lives.
The writing was so deep and made you cry and laugh in a single page. The characters were beautifully written.
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Captivating. Heartfelt. Heart warming...and most of all, REAL.
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Captivating. Heartfelt. Heart warming...and most of all, REAL.
And also a bit scary.
But not scary in the way you think. It's scary because it's so real.
That is so true. Honestly, I've had this book for a long time now. I actually got it a few days before we found out my mama was sick with cancer. Of course, after I found out, I didn't want to read the book. Because reading this book would have just made it all to real for me. Months went by and I had friends always asking me if I had read it yet or even saw the movie. My answer was no, of course. After my mama passed (a few months ago) I thought "well, maybe I can read it now.." I think I read maybe a page before I started crying and had to put it back up. So, on my shelf it has been collecting dust. Every time I would go to get a new book to read, I would actually grab it first, but then I would put it back and get another one. I thought I would never be ready to read it. Till a few days ago my sister got me to sit down and watch the movie (yes, I watched it... and cried so hard I couldn't catch my breath.) But, that was the push I think I actually needed to get passed this. I don't know how else to say it. I mean, when you lose someone so close to you, you really don't want to open up, you don't want to talk about it and you DEFINITELY don't want to hear or see the word "cancer" (If that's what the person as passed from)
If you know me at all, you know I HAVE to read the book before I ever see the movie, but this time, I'm glad I watched the movie. It prepared me and set me on course to read the book. Which I ended up devouring.

TFIOS is probably the most real book I have ever read and has made the most impact on my life. Never would I ever think I would find a story more beautiful than Romeo and Juliet. But here it is.
I loved everything about this book. The story, the writing, the honest truth of it all. John Green opened the door on cancer and reveled the honesty of it. It's not easy, fun, or something that you can just shrug off. It's hard, ugly, and world shattering. But what's so amazing about this book is that he not only showed how hard everything is, but he also showed beauty and love through characters having to live with this and their families being there through it all.

This is a book I would recommend to everyone and if I could rate it a million billion trillion stars, I would for infinity. Lol
Good Points
That's the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.
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Couldn't put it down!
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5.0
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At first I thought it was going to be a boring book. But as i got into it more it was amazing! John Green had me at every word! Hazel was my favorite character. I felt as if i was right with them the entire time. (Which if I was that would be a little awkward in some scenes of the book!) It didn't get slow after the beginning at all, which is great I hate it when books do!
Good Points
John Green is awesome!!!
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Could have Been Better
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4.0
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This book is amazing, but there are some things that don't make sense. It is a tear-jerking novel about two teenagers with cancer, who talk like 60-year-old librarians. I understand test this is to enhance the idea of them looking at life as if really is, but they are still teens. Let them talk like they are. There should have been more humor; there where little to no moments when you sat there laughing for a moment after Gus cracked a joke, only after his extreme moments of cockiness. There were also no moments when you were excited after a plot twist, because there were none. The idea of the plot was good, but the way it was delivered could have been better. Don't get me wrong, I respect John Green and love his work, but this one could have been better.
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AWFULL!!!!!
(Updated: February 27, 2015)
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1.0
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Originally posted on Goodreads.
Actual rating: 0.5

I read this book because my cousin made me. She really likes this book and so does one of my closest friends. So I was like, "Okay. Sure. I'll give it a try." And let me tell you, I expected it to be WAY better than it actually was because it got so much hype, and so many people like it. This book is on my Top Least Favorite Books list. Some people say, "I loved this book. It was amazing," or, "This book broke my heart," or the fangirls say "lafjkghgkjf." And I'm over here saying, "I didn't shed a tear," and, "I wanted to throw this book at the wall because it bugged the crap out of me-"

Here are some things I didn't like:
*The word Okay: It was used way too much. And it was used at times when it didn't make sense. Because of this book and it's over-usage of okay made that word my least favorite word.
*The characters: They were not realistic. As some other reviewers say, "They are cardboard cutouts." The characters have no depth to them, and no personalities. The main character was pretty rude and really whiney. And the teenagers didn't act or talk like teenagers. I don't know any teenagers who can talk like that without rehearsing. The main characters were getting so annoying that half way through the book I was like, "JUST DIE ALREADY!" (Note: I had not seen any spoilers but it's a YA book so someone is bound to die). I wanted to kill the characters myself because they were driving me up the wall and driving me crazy.
*Bad parenting: The parenting was terrible. What kind of mom lets their kid go home with someone they have known for a few minutes, bad lesson. If I was the mom I would say, "No, you have to know them for at least two weeks before you go to their house." Plus the parents were being bossed around by their kids. Shouldn't the parents be the bosses and not the other way around?
*The Genie thing: There actually is a foundation like that called the Make a Wish Foundation. And they got no credit.
*(Mild Spoiler) The death: If it was narrated it would have been sadder and I probably would have cried. Instead I laughed. (End Spoiler)
*Insta-love: Need I say more?

Things I liked:
*Peter Van Houten: He was the only thing I liked about this book. He was the only character who, to me, had a personality and was more than a cardboard cutout. I liked him because he taught that just because you are sick doesn't mean you get special treatment all the time. He was also the only character to keep me sane while reading this book because he was rude to the main characters and I hated the main characters. He was my favorite character.

Over-all I really hated this book. If you like crappy, so-called sad and heart-breaking realistic fiction books then go ahead and read this book. If you don't like those kind of books you can try reading this, it's your choice, but it might not work out for you. If it does good for you.
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Mainly excellent
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4.7
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I first read the Fault in Our Stars back in 2012, when I'd just gotten into the whole John and Hank Green fandom thing. I instantly fell in love with it and for a while I was pretty sure it was the best book I had ever read.
Now, a few years later, I am willing to admit that it probably isn't the best book I have ever read, and that maybe it is a bit overrated. Don't get me wrong, I love John Green and I love this book, but I think it's all just a bit overhyped.

The story has a strong plot and is beautifully written, and although the unrealisticness of the characters bothered me at some point, I like that they are unapologetically pretentious.
Still one of my favourite books, despite it not being 'the best book I've ever read' anymore.
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5 stars
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Wow. I was impressed when I read it, almost to the point of tears. The characters are well developed, and the setting is really well described. I especially liked when Hazel and Augustus kissed before he died. And I liked the ending, which left me with questions. All in all, it is an AWESOME book and I would recommend it to all my friends!
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Enjoyable "sick-lit"
(Updated: February 01, 2015)
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4.3
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All last year I felt guilty for not having read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. How could I call myself a YA fan and not have read such a popular book? Well, today I remedied that situation. Start to finish. Cover to cover. Quite a lot of Kleenex.

At its heart, The Fault in Our Stars is a teenage love story set against the backdrop of cancer. Hazel drags her oxygen tank everywhere she goes and Augustus has a prosthetic leg. Both are erudite, witty, and converse in a fashion that I’ve never heard teenagers sound like ever–and I’ve been around a lot of smart teens. Like, literally, I’ve never heard teens talk like that. Still, the Gilmore-Girl-esq dialogue is fun to read, although if it doesn’t come across as realistic.

If you enjoy tear-jerkers, this is a great book for you. If you’d rather not put yourself through an emotional wringer, stay away. The only thing that bothered me was Augustus and his unlit cigarette. Hopefully that doesn’t spawn a fad of cigarettes becoming cool again even if they aren’t smoked.
JB
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