(Review) The Fault In Our Starts - John Green

Title: The Fault In Our Starts
Author: - John Green
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 316 pages
ISBN: 9780525426004
Publisher: Dutton Books
Date Published: January 23rd 2012

Summary (from Goodreads)

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.

Review:

There was a point wherein every other post I saw on my Tumblr dashboard was how amazing and great John Green is, and how the tumblr world revelled in the release of his book The Fault In Our Stars. At this point, I was still very much into Paranormal Fantasy and wouldn't dare pick up a contemporary YA title but I gave in. Peer pressure? Perhaps. Curiosity? You bet. 

I read the book in one sitting, mainly because I knew that I wouldn't dare crack it open again unless some miraculous push happened to me. What I thought, initially, was that it gave an unrealistic portrayal of teenagers suffering with cancer. Hazel was thirteen when she knew she was not going to be living her life like the rest of the teens her age, but instead John Green chose to write her down as a mature and somewhat fearless and calm teenage girl who, aside from that one bout of fight with her mother, was somewhat passive and calm throughout the story. I still think it's highly unlikely that that would be the case with actual cancer patients. Cancer is scary, and scary things make teenagers feel fear. 

I think Augustus came off closer to human nature than Hazel did. He showed and shared his fear of oblivion to people, and faced his issues the best way he could've. For this reason, I think Augustus was the better character. His numerous flaws made him lovable. In a way, he opened up Hazel's shell and showed her that there was more to her life than her college classes to make her feel normal, TV show marathons, dragging her breathing equipment and showing up at support group meetings. 

There were also numerous really tacky scenes in the book that I thought were a little silly. For example, the kiss at the Anne Frank house. Even my boyfriend thought it was a little silly but I guess if it goes, it goes. 

I've recommended this book to my boyfriend, who, as far as I know, also enjoyed this book as much as I did. We are going to watch the movie that is coming out soon. Here's the link to the trailer if anyone is interested.

Rating: ♚♚♚♚♚