Saturday 18 May 2013

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green



Augus­tus Wa­ters drove hor­rif­i­cally. Whether stop­ping or start­ing, every­thing hap­pened with a tremen­dous JOLT. I flew against the seat belt of his Toy­ota SUV each time he braked, and my neck snapped back­ward each time he hit the gas.

When I commenced reading this novel I knew only that it was an extremely popular work of YA fiction. Had I known the subject matter it is unlikely I would have read it. I find books about the big C very difficult to take, having watched too many people go through its torments over the years. That aside, this is a beautiful, heartbreaking work and the characters are a delight.

While they perhaps speak in a far more verbose and mature fashion than most young teens, this appears consistent with the maturity they have had to draw upon given their circumstances. In fashioning a tale that is so full of beauty, humour and love, the author has developed young characters that possess a richness of life that is fascinating. If I was 14 I would be completely and utterly in love with Augustus, despite his poor driving skills.

If you feel like a good cry and have some kleenex on hand, check this out. If you want to be cheered up  - look elsewhere.  5 out of 5.

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