The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
A little while ago I was signed off work for a few days and needed something to take my mind off things - my current read just wasn't hooking me (Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn - anyone read?) and when buying a few bits in Sainsburys I picked up this. I'd seen a bit of a buzz surrounding it, but knew nothing about the story line or even what genre it was. Now I've read the book and know a bit more about it, I keep seeing it everywhere! They've made a film adaptation which will be hitting British cinemas in June this year.
The Fault in Our Stars is a story about a girl, Hazel, who meets a boy, Gus. The truth is Hazel has cancer, and they meet at a support group. Gus is a cancer survivor with something to show for it - a prosthetic leg. This tells their story, and boy is a rollercoaster of emotions! As always, there are no spoilers here, merely a recommendation. I really enjoyed this read, and whizzed through it in a brief three days, something of a record for me! I loved Hazel's obsession with An Imperial Affliction, a story that somewhat mirrors her own, and her search to find the author to complete the ending for her. This is not a rosy, idealistic account of a cancer-sufferer - it is sad, raw, frustrating... and lovely, all at once. It shows that sometimes life (and its actors) is a bitch. Prepare to shed a little tear, folks.Have you read The Fault in Our Stars? I'll be interested to see how the film turns out, and whether they Hollywood-ise it at all. It really isn't that kind of story. Let's see!