22 Nov / The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Perhaps you might label me odd (true) or contrary (no way!) or even disrespectful (dohhh!) to post about cancer and death today of all days, but let me just assure you that this really does make sense. Books like this are the best reminders to be aware, to dream … and to be very, very grateful in so many, many ways.
Here’s a minimal peek between the covers (to reveal any more would be utter injustice). Hazel Grace Lancaster is 16. In spite of being diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer three years ago, her “Cancer Miracle” keeps her alive. At Support Group, she meets Augustus Waters, 17, a survivor of osteosarcoma. He fears oblivion. She suggests he ignore it. He insists she needs to see V is for Vendetta “now.” She responds, “I hardly know you, Augustus Waters. You could be an ax murderer,” but goes home to watch the movie with him anyway. End of chapter one. That’s all you need to know … except that you’ll giggle, laugh, sigh, wonder, appreciate all the way through.
If you choose the audible route (the version inspiringly, wrenchingly narrated by Kate Rudd – small warning: hard to run and cry at the same time), you’ll get a bonus interview with John Green at story’s end. He’ll tell you straight out that he doesn’t have any plans to ever write for us old folks, although he appreciates that so many of us do read his books. I confess I’m gluttonously enjoying a John Green-binge currently and have only his first left to go (posts coming). He’ll also mention that he doesn’t think he has quite the right voice for a 16-year-old girl (he does a surprisingly funny growl to prove his point), but you can listen to him (and see him in humorously awkward action!) here.
Book in the hand, stuck in your ears, glued to your screen … doesn’t matter how. Just do. You’ll thank me. Really.
For the rest of the John Green oeuvre on BookDragon, click here.
Readers: Young Adult, Adult
Published: 2012
I read this recently too and it was so… wonderful. It captures a lot in it and doesn’t seem fake at all.
His other books are pretty remarkable, too, although this one is definitely my favorite so far. Wow.
Have you read any of his others?
Happy happy day of gratitude! Especially for so many great books!
No, I haven’t. The Fault in Our Stars was my first John Green novel. Do you have any that you would particularly recommend?
Fault was my first solo John Green title … but I started with Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which he wrote with David Levithan (you might recognize him as the co-writer of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist?). That finally got me to Fault (because my teenage daughter kept saying I HAD to read it — she actually read it for her 10th grade English class, which surprised me muchly), after which I went on a total John Green binge and will too soon be done with his first (my last), Looking for Alaska (just got it last night). And then I will be very very sad that I will have a LONNNNGGGGGGGGGGG wait for his next. Sniff, sniff. Am contemplating going through the rest of David Levithan’s oeuvre (he has three times as many titles as JG!).
But wait! I still haven’t really answered your question! How about this ranking … Fault, Will, Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns. Will let you know soon where Alaska falls in that spectrum.
P.S. I forgot to send you this link … In case you’re interested, I posted by JG-binge over the weekend: http://bookdragon.si.edu/2012/12/08/looking-for-alaska-an-abundance-of-katherines-paper-towns-by-john-green-and-will-grayson-will-grayson-by-john-green-and-david-levithan/ . Happy reading!
I had heard a lot about this book and finally asked my friend to lend it to me.
To say that this book is a masterpiece would be quite an understatement. I started to read this book a day before my chemistry exam and literally I could not put it down. I finished this book in 4 hours and got real sad when it was finished.
The characters are flawed but perfect and you can’t help but fall in love with them. You laugh, you cry but you never put the book down. And this book stays on your mind for a long, long time.
Kudos John Green.
You may also enjoy some of John Green’s other titles: http://bookdragon.si.edu/2012/12/08/looking-for-alaska-an-abundance-of-katherines-paper-towns-by-john-green-and-will-grayson-will-grayson-by-john-green-and-david-levithan/ .
Might I also recommend this wondrous Wonder?
Hope your chemistry exam went well … at least you got an amazing lesson in a different sort of chemistry between John Green’s pages.