Saturday, June 8, 2013

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green


Summary


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.



  • Number of Pages: 313



Review


Augustus Waters. If there were anyone I would aspire to be like it would be Augustus Waters.

As I was reading this book, I tweeted my feedback and a few quotes on my personal Twitter account when a girl out of the blue asked me if she should read it. So many though jumped into my mind, but the 140 characters restrained me. In the end all I could do was warn her. I wrote “Prepare to fall in love with heartbreak.”

I began with the misconception that this book, though raved about to be unique and ultimately unlike anything else, would be cheesy and absolutely tragic like all books that pertain to this selection of genre. I read it and discovered how beautifully awful life could be. The true nature of Cancer.

I spent the majority of my hours over the past couple of months in an AP English Language and Composition class, in which my teacher drilled and drowned us in enough literature to be able to later dissect even the deepest meaning from a newspaper cartoon or an obituary. Though Hell at times, I now like to believe that as I read this book I understood it for its true meaning. This isn’t a light read. It isn’t even all that interesting in the beginning. It is life. It is the way that these two human beings of infinitesimal proportions loved, lived, and died that makes this book raw and real. Everything in this book is both a metaphor and not a metaphor. It is straightforward and yet hidden with deeper meanings.

I could write an essay on each moment of Hazel’s days with Augustus, the boy who represents all the good in the world and all the bad that happens to the good in the world. It all amounts to nothing in the end because the life that they and all of us live is filled with day to day moments that shouldn’t be analyzed . . . they should just be LIVED. I don’t even think any of this makes any sense, but that should be the reason that you read this. You should read this just so that the logic and the way you look at life transforms to a way where you see the joke in the tragedy and the hope in the hopelessness. Read it for the laughs you'll gain and the tears you'll lose. Read it for Gus. From 1-10? I give it a 7. 

Do Not Despair!


For whatever it's worth and to whoever is still reading . . . I'm baaaaaaaack. 

I say that with cheer and a light heart if only to deflect from the extreme remorse I feel at believing that I have abandoned you all in this cyber world I have created for you, my readers. I cannot say that it was all for nothing considering that I shirked my duties as YA book reporter in order to survive what I like to call Hell and many others refer to as “Junior Year”. (I survived, in case you were wondering—and with a few gray hairs.) As one of the most important years in high school, on of the most scrutinized and looked at, I took it very seriously and can only look back with a sad and knowing state of mind. It was in those months of sleepless nights and headaches that I temporarily neglected my first love and our offspring, i.e. Books and Nap. Snack. Read. respectively. I was so lost in a world of textbooks, lectures, and disgusting cafeteria food that I did not read as much as I would have like.

Who am I kidding? I didn’t even read one tenth of what I use to be able to do, and it was as depressing as it could have been. I admit to feeling like a starved animal only to gluttonously indulge in my favorite pass time when the chance arouse and gave no thought to stopping in order to relay any of my opinions to my blog. I was selfish, but, then again, I am fallible. In the past two days since I have started my summer vacation I have read 3 books and another one is well underway. Those along with any other that I read this year will be blowing up this website in an attempt to make up for lost time.

I mourn the loss of some of my viewers while rejoice in those of you I have not lost.

With love,

Camila (NapSnackRead)