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.
Review
So. The Fault is in Our Stars. So many people adore this book. That’s part of the reason I read it, and because I wanted to read it before the film comes out. Oh and because I forgot something to read in the bath whilst away from home.
I enjoyed it, I really did, but, I don’t know, I felt there was something off with it, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then I read Una’s review. She got me thinking
“Augustus may be the most unrealistic teenage boy ever written: he keeps cigarettes but doesn’t smoke them, his first topic of conversation is ‘oblivion’ and he talks like a Nietzschian philosopher. ” (from Una’s review)
It was Augustus. I didn’t like him instantly. He seemed so pretentious, and yes unrealistic. I’ve sorry but no teenage boy talks like that. And the whole not smoking cigarette’s so they loose they’re power. It’s a bit stupid. For one thing I doubt that most people start smoking because they want to breathe smoke in, so not smoking a cigarette doesn’t make it loose its power. I came to like Augustus more. He went from someone pretentious to a ‘perfect’ boyfriend. It’s still unrealistic but it was more real. I didn’t feel for him in himself though. I more cared about his effect on Hazel.
Hazel was more realistic. She seemed to struggle more. Maybe that was just because we saw things through her eyes, but, either way it made her more realistic. The whole battle type thing, in a way how she appeared. It was almost like she was a ‘normal’ teenager. Her approach to things is more hesitant, for a variety of reasons. Where outside she may be all bravado inside she has fears, and dreams.
Augustus had a more carpe diem attitude (or YOLO if you must), was that because he had been through different experiences, or did he just not care about potential bad consequences? Maybe a bit of both, but possibly the most realistic part of him was his denial of certain things which let him live in the moment. If I was Hazel I would have hated him for that. She didn’t, but they say love is blind.
There are better books about cancer. There are better books about love. This is an easy read however. Maybe a step towards more gritty books which whence your heart rather than pull its strings.
4/5
Buy it:
Paperback (£3.85)
Kindle (£2.49)
Hardback (£14.27)
Other Reviews:
Reading is the Ultimate Aphrodisiac
Reading With Tea
Owl Tell You About it
Quirky Bookworm
Roof Beam Reader