Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Fault in Our Stars

So I have a problem. Well, to put it more accurately, you have a problem. You see, I have so little time on my hands that it restricts the number of books I am able to read. This means that I only read the very best books available, and you have to sift through reviews that really only consist of "Wow, this book is amazing."

Wow. This book is amazing.

John Green never ceases to amaze me. I am not--strictly speaking--always a great fan of YA contemporary because of the teenage boy/girl writing that ususally accompanies the storyline, in which an author insists on writing dirty-mouthed, horny teenagers who want nothing more than to cuss/hate their life/get laid. When the author doesn't do this, though, the powerful storyline comes through to grab your heartstrings and hold them hostage.

And John Green's storyline in The Fault in Our Stars in the most powerful yet.

Here's the jacket blurb:
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.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

I really don't have words to describe how much this book moved me. I went from laughing to crying to cracking up to bawling in a span of about thirty seconds. It is touching, deep, moving, philosophical, humorous, and beautiful all at once, as it addressess some of the most important questions ever to lodge themselves in human consciousness: will I be remembered? Is love really forever? And, perhaps most importantly--why are eggs only a breakfast food?

Fantastic book, and a great read. I will definitely try to find some more good contemporary.
Rating: 6 stars / 5 stars (an extra one for the Shakespearean title)

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