The Fault in Our Stars: Book Review

After reading a few of Nicolas Sparks books, I was hesitant at first to read another romantic novel that most likely ends in tragedy. These types of books are never my cup of tea, but a few days ago, I gave it a try. I haven't read the book A Walk to Remember, only watched the movie, and a lot of people are comparing it with The Fault in Our Stars. I remember crying every time I watched the movie AWTR, even if I knew how it was going to end, I still wished otherwise. And so, I was curious.


The Fault in our Stars got its title from a quote from Shakespeare's book Julius Caesar.

Cassius:
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

Julius Caesar (I, ii, 140-141)

It explains that the decisions we encounter in life and how it will progress are entirely dependent on us, not on some pre-ordained destiny. That we must take ownership of our actions and not blame it on the stars.

Plot:
The story takes place in Indianapolis, where there is a regular gathering of cancer patients in a place called the Literal Heart of Jesus. Our protagonist, Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16 yr old thyroid cancer patient, regularly attends the support group meetings only because of her mother's request to try to live and make friends. One day, a fellow support group member Isaac brings a friend to the meeting. That's where we met Augustus Waters. From there started a connection between the two characters which later on resulted into a sweet tragedy.



My thoughts:    **Spoilers ahead**

The first few chapters gave off a very melancholic feeling. The protagonist, Hazel, has long accepted her fate that she will eventually die from her illness. She reads the same book over and over again; An Imperial Affliction, watched the same tv shows, attended support group and goes straight back home. It was a very monotonous life. I didn't enjoy the first few chapters too much, but it was necessary. I thought that Hazel was too philosophical for her age but I guess if you don't have anything else to do everyday, you only have your thoughts for company. It felt a bit pretentious for me. I haven't really met any sixteen year old who is as intelligent as Hazel and thinks about life in ways very different from others, so I didn't really connect with her character that much. I knew in my heart that she was only a fictional character. On the other hand, I found Isaac and Augustus Waters very refreshing, very different from Hazel's character; so much that they are great together. I like how Augustus is able to keep up with Hazel's thoughts. How could anyone not love the bond they had, that started from loving the same book? Also, the story had a goal, an end point that readers are looking forward to discover in every chapter.

I guess, the only part that really didn't sit well with me, **                      spoiler alert                         ***  was the sex part. Sure, they were both going to die soon, and most people will agree that it's sweet that at least they have that one moment before they die, but for me, it was disturbing. Maybe it's just me. I didn't get the giggles from reading it. I only imagined how hard it must be for Hazel to breathe while doing 'it' and how they'd be able to do it with Augustus only having one leg; add to the fact that his cancer has returned and has spread everywhere. I mean, the dinner they had was good enough for me. It was really sweet, something that you know you'll be able to cherish in your heart forever. I guess, once I watch the movie, wherein the characters look a bit older, I'll feel differently.

I think I cried more (internally, because I was reading this in the office) during Gus' fake funeral than his actual one. Hazel's message about some infinities being bigger than other infinities was really touching and has that certain tug in your heart. The actual funeral euology from Hazel, felt less personal. I like that even though this is a cancer book, the humor between the characters was so well put together, that it didn't feel offensive to those who are actually experiencing it. I guess in the end, I kind of expected that Hazel will die too, since she was in a worse state at the beginning of the book than the other characters. Now, like Hazel's questions about AIA's ending, I'll always be wondering when and how she'll die and how she lived after Gus' death.

All in all, I like John Green's genius writing, just not the characters. Isaac, maybe. :)


My rating: 3.4 out of 5. I would still recommend this book, and maybe later, I'll try to read Green's other published works. Suggestions? Thanks for reading.:)