Review - The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Title and Author: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Publication Date: January 10th, 2012

Paperback/Hardcover: 318

Genre: Young Adult 

Summary:

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

Review:

I can’t start this review without saying that The Fault In Our Stars is definitely a tear-jerker. An amazing and brilliant tear-jerker.
This book tugs at your heart in the best way possible. I knew I would like it but I underestimated just how much it would get to me by being so brutally honest and touching.
Hazel Lancaster is a cancer survivor who need an oxygen tank to keep her lungs functioning. She’s a bit of a loner but when she meets Augustus Waters during one of her weekly support group meetings they can’t help but to bond over books and the issues they have to deal with. Even though Hazel never believed love was for her, Augustus might just prove her wrong…
Hazel was such a good main character! She’s strong and honest and even though she had gone through a lot she is always able to keep her sense of humor and she’s always ready to enjoy the good things in her life. She often worries about hurting the ones closer to her when she dies and even tries to keep Augustus away because of that. She’s not perfect, though. She has flaws like everybody and her feelings and emotions are complicated.
Augustus is the type of character that you can’t help but to immediately like. He was able to win me over the moment he appeared in the story. He’s definitely a complex young man. He’s funny, intelligent and sweet and incredibly likeable.
The relationship between Hazel and Augustus developed quickly, which definitely works in this book. They were definitely meant to be together and their story is full of emotional and sweet moments.
I definitely loved this book. It is very well-written and there’s a perfect balance between funny and witty moments and those incredibly sad ones.
As I’m sure you can tell I feel in love with the characters in this book and their stories. I couldn’t have enjoyed this book more and I’m sure any Young Adult fan will too.

Rating: Must Read (5 Stars)

Goodreads
Bookdepository

Review - Looking For Alaska by John Green

Title and Author: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Publisher: Puffin

Publication Date: March 3, 2005

Paperback/Hardcover: 221

Genre: YA

Summary:

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Review:

It took me a while to finally read this book. I had heard a lot of things about it and wasn’t sure it would actually be an enjoyable read.

I am definitely glad I’ve finally read Looking for Alaska, though because it is an amazing book. All the good things I heard about it are true.

Looking for Alaska is about friendship, loss, grief and learning how to deal with it. The book follows one year in the life of Miles Halter who begs his parents to enroll him in Culver Creek Preparatory School. Miles doesn’t have friends and he hopes to start a new life in Culver Creek. He dreams to seek what François Rabelais called “The Great Perhaps.”

Miles quickly befriends his roommate, Chip also known as The Colonel and falls in love with Chip’s friend, Alaska.

I loved all the characters in this book. They are all extremely well written and well drawn. They have unique backgrounds and their emotions are real. Even the secondary characters are well developed. As I read the book I got the feeling I knew exactly who each character was and how they felt. There are no card board cut-out characters in this book, which is a great plus.

I have to say The Colonel is my favorite character. I love the fact he’s a walking human encyclopedia, a good friend and a prankster.

As a narrator Miles is extremely reliable. His voice is clear. He’s honest and easy to connect to.

As the plot develops and the characters try to find out who they really are and what the answer to, for instance, Simón Bolívar’s question “How will I ever get out this Labyrinth?” is, you can’t help but feel connected to them. No wonder this book has won several awards. It is extremely well written and deals with important issues.

Looking for Alaska is a book I would recommend to anyone. John Green wrote a beautiful, heartbreaking story that will stay with you for a long time. It will make you think about life and dead and the effect some people have on your life.

It will make you think about some of lives’ most important questions.

Rating: Must Read

Good Reads

Book Depository