The Fault In Our Stars

It’s time to review The Fault In Our Stars, the book we selected to read for the March PBF Book Club!

 Brief Summary

The Fault In Our Stars follows the life of Hazel, a 16-year-old girl with terminal cancer. To appease her mother, Hazel frequently attends a cancer support group where she one day meets Augustus Waters, a 17-year-old handsome cancer survivor who tells her she looks like Natalie Portman. Augustus and Hazel’s relationship grows quickly through a shared understanding of living with cancer… and a desire to uncover the ending of a book that ends mid-sentence. 

My Review (with spoilers)

I was so happy when this book was selected because so many people told me it was a wonderful read. I totally get it. I loved this book.

I loved Hazel. I loved Augustus. I loved the writing. But more than anything I loved that this book wasn’t glossy, cliché and full of fluff. A glimpse into the life of Hazel, the life of someone with a terminal illness and, eventually, the life of someone in love with someone who is dying, was raw and emotional.

The book wasn’t sugar-coated. It poked at clichés. It didn’t glorify death or cancer, but talked about it in a way that I found real, uncomfortable, refreshing and raw. Augustus talks about how the souls of the dead are always remembered as “beautiful” when, in reality, they may have been a bitch. Hazel talks about how hard it is not to be able to talk to Augustus about Augustus’ death.

The relationships between the characters in The Fault In Our Stars captivated me. The friendship between Isaac, Augustus and Hazel was so pure and unfiltered. The way Hazel frequently talked about her parents and her concern for their well-being once she passed away was loving and moving, but didn’t cause her to behave like the “best daughter ever.” She still got annoyed with her mom and still acted like a teenager. All of this added to my adoration of this story.

I must share my one gripe with the book. The dialogue between Hazel and Augustus. Though the way they communicated was very entertaining, at times I found their dialogue too far-fetched for two teenagers. I had a hard time believing that two teenagers would communicate using the language and literary references that they did, no matter how intelligent and well-read they happen to be. (I loved the way Sarah said they fell into the trap of Dawson’s Creek dialogue in her review. I totally agree!)

But that was easy for me to overlook because I was too busy falling in love with their love. And with this book.

Also, did anyone else think this book was going to end mid-sentence?

P.S. If you found yourself craving more after finishing this novel, you might enjoy this interview with the author that I found on his website.

Blogger Link Up

You can find additional reviews of The Fault In Our Stars on the following blogs:

• Food, Fun and Life in Waukesha
• Just a One Girl Revolution
• Pieces of Jess
• Eat Books
• Day-By-Day Masterpiece
• Hungry Healthy Girl 
• Fit ‘n’ Cookies
• Becky’s Blog
• Sprouts ‘n’ Squats
• Sarah’s Book Shelves
• Ashley Unfiltered
• Southern Belle Living Well
• Kristina Masten
• Three Men and a Mommy
• Healthy Happy Stephanie
• Good For the Soul by Dani-T
• Run Pretty
• Freeing Imperfections
• Biting Life
• Peace, Love and Oats
• Run, Eat, Play 
• Live Every Week Like It’s Shark Week

Discussion Questions

• How do you feel about Hazel’s overall attitude regarding her diagnosis?
• What did you think about Peter Van Houten?
• How did reading this book make you feel?
• Did you like the way the book ended? Why or why not?