The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I had been wanting to read this book since it appeared every time among the most favorites in the pop-ups of various e-commerce sites. It has also been read by at least a quarter readers out there and at least five people in my Goodreads friends list. I was previously not too keen thinking this book as just another from Young Adult Love genre with a very tragic end. I finally made up my mind and began reading it and realized my prejudice completely shattered. This book has also won the Goodreads Choice Award in the category Young Adult Fiction in 2012(OK, Now I HAD to read it).
The narration in the book is by the sixteen year old protagonist Hazel Grace who is suffering from thyroid cancer which has spread to her lungs. She is kinda witty and very normal and not too much of an ideal girl as they sometimes portray in those Mills and Boon series. She attends a support group for cancer patient where she meets Augustus Waters who also supports from osteosarcoma due to which one of his legs is removed and thus their bonding gets strengthened when he invites her home after the support group meeting for a movie where he thinks Hazel resembles the actress in the movie. Subsequently they keep meeting and thus their relationship begins and the reader never realizes how their acquaintance turns to relationship.
The book conversations and the video game sessions between Hazel and Gus(this is how he is referred most of the places) are their main relationship boosters and this is further strengthened when Gus gives fulfills Hazel’s wish of questioning the author of An Imperial Affliction which is her most favorite book about its incomplete end and the characters in the book. She also undergoes her first date, first kiss and first love during this trip and they realize their true love for each other.
However my most favorite character in the book remains Hazel’s mother who is constantly caring for her daughter never once feeling saddened or cribbing and finally deciding to move on with her career whilst caring for her daughter which is mentioned at the end of the book. Many conversations and quotes in the book are quite philosophical and for the thoughts alone I’m giving 3 stars out of 5.
This book never talks of the sad ending or about deaths and tragedy but reflects on surpassing all of that and talks more of living. Another one star for this. There are a lot of references to moving on and rays of hope and that is what makes this book very different from the other ones which talk of the sad things related to cancer. I would give it a 4/5 and to those who have refrained from reading this book due to the genre its associated with, its definitely worth a try.
Rating: 4/5(Philosophically Good)
