I'm so glad a friend recommended this book to me. It is, quite simply, great.
The story follows Hazel, a sixteen year old girl living with terminal cancer. She refuses to let cancer be 'who she is,' whilst also knowing it will consume her sometime way too soon. From the worries Hazel feels about how her parents will cope after her death, to her annoyances at the way they smother her, the narrative is realistic, down to earth and heartwarming. When Augustus arrives, the reader is plunged into an unlikely and ill-fated romance, a story of two teenagers trying to live as normally as possible in the face of such hideous realities. I loved the way the kids are moody, sarcastic, into weird things, that they sometimes hate their parents, that they do sweet and deep things for each other. I loved that Hazel feels irritated at the way people see dead children as angels, rather than as being the normal people they were.
The book was funny, witty and wonderful, as well as being guttingly heart breaking. I managed to hold it together until around page 250 where I was finally found in bed huddled under a blanket, frantically wiping away the tears streaming down my face.
The Fault in Our Stars is a must read for anyone who loves teenage literature, raw honesty in the face of tragedy, and a good unadulterated cry.
***** 5/5
