English BM Q1: Audrey's Book Review

photo (3)
photo (3)
​Audrey Pham
BM Q1 

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green 

This is charcoal artwork done by me. I sketched out a pair of lungs with cancer masses (those black balls on the left lungs) to represent Hazel's thyroid cancer. I wrote "Imperial Affliction" because that is the name of the book that pulled Hazel and Gus together. The amputee leg represents Gus' leg that was lost to osteosarcoma cancer. 

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A 2006 award Printz winner, reached number one on New York Times Best Seller List for The Fault in Our Stars in January 2013, and made it into ALA’s Top 10 Best Books for Young Adults. He is John Green. John Green is a young adult fiction writer, a youtube vlogger and an educator. John Green was inspired to write this book because of a youtube vlogger name Esther Earl. She was sixteen years old and passed away from Thyroid cancer. Two years later, he dedicated this book to her. I heard about this book from numerous friends in school, on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, magazines, television, just everywhere. I refused to read this book for a long time because those I know who read it, said it was a very sad book about two people with cancer. Hearing that too many times, I had no interest in picking up the book because I’ve watched too many movies about characters with cancer. Book and movies are very similar to me, except reading a book, you are able to repeat certain words or phrases, maybe even lines that could make you think so deeply. And each time I did, it would break my heart because it’s just so upsetting. Finally, one day, I decided to pick up The Fault in Our Stars and read it out of curiosity.

The Fault in Our Stars isn’t your typical cancer genre book. It isn’t your stereotypical teenage love story. Hazel is 16 year old. She’s a quirky, smart, community college student. She is obsessed with her favorite book “The Imperial Affliction” and has a desire to meet the author, Peter Van Houten, one day. She’s suffers everyday from fluid filling up in her lungs by tumors. Gus is 17 years old, he’s a handsome, humorous, charming, brilliant amputee who enjoys most of his time playing video games, reading poetry or hanging out with his one eyed best friend, Isaac. Gus is in a remission of osteosarcoma. During a cancer support therapy group session, Hazel notices Gus staring at her, the two meet and casually become friends. Hazel talks about her favorite book to Gus and he decides to give it try. The two become instantly attached which results to a beautiful, twisted, unpredictable romance.

I didn’t know cancer books can be filled with such beautiful, happy, heart melting memories until I finished The Fault in Our Stars. It’s not filled with constant tragic that you would think. It’s pure mutual love between two people who have limited times and they can make the best out of it. There’s a very beautiful theme of this book which is...value your youth and cherish what you have left because this book does affirm that life is truly and unfortunately short. Of course, in the story, there is pain, struggle and terrible circumstances but it is well balanced out.

The way John Green writes is very powerful. He is able to suck you into the setting with very few characters in the plot. Hazel and Gus were the stars of this story and he can keep it interesting until you are done with the last page of the book. And that is my problem when I read. If I put a book down, it is most likely because it was boring and I got tired of hearing from the main characters. The second I picked up The Fault in Our Stars, I spent the next four hours of my day reading it non stop. Because the characters were so unique and I honestly felt like I was Hazel, myself falling in love with a hot amputee who is attracted to me.

So I’ve read dozens of pretty sad books and I’ve never cried once, until I came across The Fault in Our Stars. That is exactly the reason why I will never forget about this book. I shed my first tear for fictional characters in a book when I finished The Fault in Our Stars. The fact that I actually cried because of Hazel and Gus’ beautiful chemistry for each other, is a big deal to me. John Green was able to make me feel so overwhelmed over these characters on paper, it’s just crazy. After I finished crying, I immediately called my boyfriend of almost two years and told him that I love him and that I appreciate his existence. Sounds pretty sappy, but this book made me realize how I should really value my physically healthy relationship and my own well being.

My favorite quote from this book (not giving away a spoiler, I promise) was when Gus told Hazel “Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” After I read this quote, I shouted “exactly!” outloud to myself. Why? Because that’s how I felt about this book. This book is so powerful in every way that I just felt like everyone needed to read it. Which is why I chose this book to write a book review on.

In no doubt, I promise you this is a book to remember once you give it a try. Remember to keep a box of tissues next to you while reading it. Don’t worry, these tears will be from enjoying the book, loving the characters, and overall, appreciating a beautiful, well written story by John Green.

Book Information:

Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Publisher: Dutton Books

Date of Publication: January 10, 2012

Number of Pages: 313

Genre: Young adult novel

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