Jazzy Reviews: ‘The Fault in Our Stars’

This bestselling novel by John Green was published in 2012 and has since been made into successful movie. There is something truly remarkable about the pull of ‘The Fault in our Stars’, and while Jazzy was too young to read it when it was first published, I’m so glad she has discovered it now. It’s a good lesson in ‘wait until you are the right age to read a book’! There is little point in reading a book before you are emotionally ready – while Jazzy technically could have read the words on the page of this book back in 2012, she would not have had the maturity to deal with the subject matter and sophisticated plotline. I can’t wait for PudStar to fall in love with this book when she is 14 or 15…and I will wait until then to ‘let’ her read it as I want her to experience it as deeply as Jazzy has.

Thank you as always Jazzy for your insightful book review!

Click on ‘Buy from Booktopia’ when shopping online in Australia to #supportaustralian. Purchase in store from your local independent bookstore where possible #supportlocal.

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Rather than be searched by hand, I chose to walk through the metal detector without my cart or my tank or even the plastic nubbins in my nose. Walking through the X-ray machine marked the first time I’d taken a step without oxygen in some months, and it felt pretty amazing to walk unencumbered like that, stepping across the Rubicon, the machine’s silence acknowledging that I was, however briefly, a nonmetallicized creature.

THE GIST

Hazel is sixteen years old, and lives with an oxygen tank and a BiPAP machine. In other words, she has a cancer that could end her life at any given moment. She is alone and believes she will live out her days at home.

Augustus Waters is seventeen and bears only one leg due to the effects of cancer. He is addicted to metaphor and overanalyses every situation. His greatest fear is oblivion.

The two survivors meet at a support group for cancer victims and slowly fall in love with each other. Can people with severe illnesses achieve true happiness with so many obstacles in their path?

THE JUDGEMENT

This book intrigued me from the beginning, especially with its exclusively interesting characters and well-constructed, deep thoughts. Hazel constantly finds herself wondering about death and its repercussions, especially in relation to her illness. I have these ponderings, too; I have always wondered what happens after a person’s passing.

While I can’t relate to any of the characters in this novel as they are going through such tough ordeals, I can emotionally connect to them in a strange, unexplainable way. They react to situations in the same way that I would (except they deal with some things more bravely than I ever could).

I found the reality of this book fascinating. When Hazel and Augustus fly to Amsterdam to meet author Peter Van Houten, they are expecting an all-knowing, responsible man able to answer all of their questions. What they find is a drunken, old guy with strong opinions and disrespect for most existing life forms.

John Green is a New York Times bestselling author, and after reading this book, I was inspired to try out some of his other novels – such as ‘Looking for Alaska’ and ‘Paper Towns’. After lockdown is over, I’ll definitely be heading straight to the school library to wolf these down like the chocolate I’ve become so close to.

I completed ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ in less than two nights. By the time I had finished the novel, I was drowning in emotion and I’m now desperately begging for a sequel. Just like Hazel and Augustus’s collective interest in ‘An Imperial Affliction’, I would love to know what happens to the characters as the novel finishes after a terrible occurrence. This leaves the characters that I have come to know so well, depressed as a dimmed star. Therefore, I give this novel a well-earned 9 ½ bookbolts out of 10.

‘The Fault in Our Stars’ has some sad themes including a death of a loved one, and there is a sex scene (nothing graphic, however). This influenced my decision to recommend this book to readers aged 13+.

ISBN: 978-0-14-356759-2
PUBLISHER: Penguin Random House