Image taken from goodreads.com
Reading is huge part of what we enjoy here at Abstract Square and recently we got our hands on John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars.
Before we get into the review, here’s some facts on the novel. Published in 2012 by Dutton Books, The Fault In Our Star has been named the #1 New York Times bestseller, the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, the #9 The Bookseller (UK) bestseller, #1 Indiebound bestseller and New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice.
Some Reviews
A blend of melancholy, sweet, philosophical, and funny. Green shows us true love…and it is far more romantic than any sunset on the beach.” –New York Times Book Review
“A pitch-perfect, elegiac comedy…it will linger long and hard in the minds of teens and former teens.” –USA Today
“John Green deftly mixes the profound and the quotidian in this tough, touching valentine to the human spirit.” –Washington Post
GoodReads’ summary on the book found on their website states:
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.
We came upon this book from a BuzzFeed list of books that turned that will hit theatres this year (yes, there will be a movie for this in June 2014). We were a little hesitant at first because of 1) the genre (teenage contemporary) and 2) the subject matter – cancer and the inevitable death which most times follow a cancer diagnosis … BUT THEN … there was that curiosity about wanting to find out what happens and so we decided to give it a try!
The story is centred around the live of a 16-year-old Hazel and her journey battling the C-monster. We are transported through her frustrations and disappointments, her happy moments, her sad days and the ones filled with romance (with Augustus Waters) that we all long for (sometimes you even forget that you are reading about teenagers and not adults).
The book is filled with so much humour and at the same time there are moments when you can’t help but shed a few tears. Mind you, this book is not one that constantly keeps you on the edge of your chair – there were more mellow moments. What might have kept us reading was the goal to find out how it would end (which most people had probably figured out/guessed). One particular part of the book that we enjoyed was the Amsterdam journey where Hazel and Augustus travelled to the Netherlands to meet the author of their favourite book, An Imperial Affliction, to find out how it ended (sounds very familiar if we might add). In this particular section, Hazel’s life takes a turn for the worst and yet it was probably the most memorable experience (in a good way) in her entire life.
We must say we were a bit disappointed with the abrupt ending, which we assume John Green did to get a reaction out of us, but then we can’t say too much for the sake of those who haven’t read it as yet. We must agree with USA Today, even after reading, it still lingers in your mind and not many authors are capable of doing that. Maybe it’s the subject matter or maybe it’s the way it was written but he (Green) has managed to use this book to give us all a new perspective on what many cancer patients (especially younger ones) have to go through.
All in all, this was a good read and we highly recommend it! Be sure to stop by and tell us what you think of the book!
Abstract Rating – 4.25/5 stars
Side note : If you’re interested in the other books that will become films this year, check out this BuzzFeed article.
XO
-Abstract Square
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