TIME Magazine #1 Fiction Book of 2012
John Green is one of Entertainment Weekly's Entertainers of the Year 2012
#1 New York Times bestseller
#1 Wall Street Journal fiction list
#1 Children's Indiebound Pick
New York Times Editor's Choice
Unprecedented EIGHT starred reviews
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.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
This heart-wrenchingly beautiful novel about a teenage girl and boy who meet at a cancer support center has already won emotional accolades from readers and reviewers.
At the end of the first chapter of The Fault in Our Stars, I was literally laughing out loud over a joke about the "incorrect use of literality," shared between two cancer kids — one terminal, one in remission — shortly after a scene in which the two bond over one's philosophical answer to the other's stated "fear of oblivion" and both learn that a third friend is about to lose a second eye to cancer.
Hazel Lancaster, sixteen, has incurable thyroid cancer, with an "impressive and long-settled colony" of cancer cells in her lungs, but to Augustus Waters — mahogany hair, "aggressively bad posture," and a slight limp from a prosthetic leg nicknamed Prosty — she looks like "a millennial Natalie Portman." But what really brings them together is a joke about their Support Group director's well-intentioned prayer in which he describes the cancer-ridden children as "literally in the heart of Jesus."
"I thought we were in a church basement," says Augustus. "But we are literally in the heart of Jesus."
"Someone should tell Jesus," says Hazel. "I mean, it's got to be dangerous, storing children with cancer in your heart."
Three years (and one near-death experience) removed from high school, Hazel knows she will die soon, and this certainty has shrunk her world to her three best friends: her two parents and Peter van Houten, the reclusive author of her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction. To do otherwise, she feels, is to become a human "grenade" — the fewer people who love her now, the fewer lives she will shatter when she inevitably goes. But Augustus has other ideas, and soon the two are on an international quest to Amsterdam — oxygen tank, Prosty, and parental chaperon in tow — to meet van Houten himself.
Hazel's beguiling voice is utterly believable as a thoughtful, prematurely somber teenager who borrows from Shakespeare, Eliot, Dickinson, Anne Frank, and the fictional van Houten in telling the story of a romance of "the young and irreparably broken." But it's the crackling humor between the two lovers that makes them most human. "You have a choice in this world," says Hazel, "about how to tell sad stories, and we made the funny choice." This book, already a bestseller, is every bit as good as its reputation and easily one of the best of this or any other year.
Amy Benfer has worked as an editor and staff writer at Salon, Legal Affairs, and Paper magazine. Her reviews and features on books have appeared in Salon, The San Francisco Chronicle Book Review, The Believer, Kirkus Reviews, and The New York Times Book Review.
Reviewer: Amy Benfer
xxdance4lifexx24
Posted Sat Jun 29 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Oh God... I'm not even sure where to start with this book. I've been whipping through John Green books all week, and while I really did enjoy Looking For Alaska and though Paper Towns was well written if just a little boring, The Fault In Our Stars takes the cake as Green's best so far. I doubt anyone knows this, but John Steinbeck wrote the book East of Eden with the mindset that it was going to be his best piece of literature. To this day I equate certain works of art with Steinbeck and East of Eden; like if I believe that Bradley Cooperman's best movie was Silver Linings Playbook, then I call it Cooperman's East of Eden. When I finished The Fault in Our Stars in my boiling hot bedroom today, I was so wrapped up in the book I didn't even realize how hot it was. I decidedly will not start another book for at least two days in order to have to time to make sense of everything I am feeling towards it and the characters right now. That, to me, make The Fault In Our Stars John Green's East of Eden; my only fear in saying that is that he will never write a book again that reaches my newly high standards for him, but as of right now, I don't honestly know if he could. So to put it into as few words as possible, read this book. And I would recommend buying it, because you will want to look back at certain parts over and over again. You will laugh and undoubtedly cry, but that does not mean you should deny yourself the privilege of reading this fantastic piece of contemporary literature.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Jun 26 00:00:00 EDT 2013
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Jun 18 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Before reading this, I read the BN reviews as always, and I can't figure out why people didn't enjoy it. I honestly wondered if we were reading the same book. I found the plot and situations inspiring and compelling. the ending was great, couldn't have done it better myself. This sparked my interest in John Green. Am amazing read, you won't be able to put it down (and you won't want to.)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.An extraordinary young adult novel, The Fault in our Stars strikes a perfect balance of tragedy and wicked humor through the eyes of teens battling cancer. I highly recommend this book, but keep the Kleenex handy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri May 31 00:00:00 EDT 2013
DEFINITELY 5 STARS. Nuff' said. When i read the 1-star comments, (you know, all 29 of them?), I literally just laughed to myself '13 year old boy humor?'
'whiny characters?' and, my personal favorite. ' When people are dying, they don't have time to be poetic
and put cigarettes in their mouth for metaphorical reasons' This book was original, fantastic, and I
related to the characters very well. It is so good, my friend and I discuss parts of the book on a daily
basis. People say the book just isn't their thing, but in my opinion, this book is EVERYONE'S thing.
They should laugh, cry, and read the book again.This book is my favorite of all time, and to all the people
that rated it 5 stars, i now have faith in humanity. :)
john green, you better be writing a new book soon. And even if it just doesnt live up to TFiOS,
(which i am 100% positive it will), It will still be one of my
favorites, because if this book is my first, there is always room for a second fave!! EVERYONE
NEEDS TO READ THIS. I don't care if you read it illegally, or buy it off another site.
This book is definitely a life-changer
DFTBA!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars
May 28, 2013
Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Genre: YA fiction
Review: This brutally honest novel really throws life into perspective. Hazel, the main character, is a teenage girl with cancer.
To her, life is pretty crummy at the moment and her mom is constantly nagging her to get a social life. Hindered by her oxygen
tanks and carts (her lungs suck at being lungs), Hazel often loses herself in books in her bedroom to escape reality. That is,
until she meets Augustus.
Augustus is unlike anyone she has ever met. He understands how she feels, being a cancer survivor himself.
He's witty, loves literature and quickly befriends Hazel. Both Hazel and Augustus are characters you just want to
connect with (okay, maybe not the whole having-cancer part, but you know what I mean). Green truly brings his characters to life.
You grow fond of them. You want to talk to them. You want to meet them. Okay...getting off track here...back to the review.
As much as I loved the book, I have to admit that the theme was rather heavy if you think about it. The fact is, everyone dies.
Death is inevitable. Also, reality can really hurt the soul too. Augustus decides to spend his genie Foundation wish-gift on him and
Hazel. Thanks to the organization, they are able to travel to Europe and are given the chance to meet the elusive author of
"An Imperial Affliction", Hazel's favorite book in the world. *****spolier alert***** It turns out the author wasn't the man
Hazel had painted him to be--he was just a grumpy, rude person who turned them away from the door.
Having the book narrated from the point of view of a dying person (Hazel) is really eye-opening to me. I mean, she doesn't
treat the whole I'm-dying-at-such-a-young-age thing too seriously. She uses sarcasm. Actually, quite a bit of sarcasm and
irony in her narration. But there are also several scenes where you see the "serious" side of Hazel. The part of Hazel
where it shows that she's only just a teenage girl. And it's during those scenes you just want to give her a hug simply be there for her.
Well, I guess Augustus already has the part taken care of.
Favorite quotes: "The world wasn't made for us. We were made for the world"
Likes:
*beautiful writing--John Green's eloquence is inimitable
*So many life lessons you can learn from this novel
* a lot of unexpected twist and turns
Dislikes:
***spoiler alert****
* Augustus Waters, why do you have to die????
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed May 22 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I am absolutely in love with this book, I am a young female reader (I'm a teen) I am also a bit of a writer myself. Anyway to the point this book is the best book I have ever read, and I read a lot. I would love a sequel more than anything, which in relation reminds me of how Hazel Grace wanted a sequel for AIA. This is a wonderful book and would love Hazel Grace's story to go on, along with what her mother does for her career. I want to see Isaac progress with more of Monica in the picture. This is a book that feels as if I can relate to wanting a sequel to the book I love such as Hazel! I cannot explain how truly amazing this book is. I love how the book is full of emotion; Love, Despair, Sadness, Happiness, suspense. The sadness was what brought the book together for me. I would love a sequel, this will always be my favorite book I recommend it to anybody.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed May 22 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Best book I have ever read. I'm not really into romance and stuff but this book changed things. It changed my perspective of romance, life, cancer, death, teenager, ext. I even cried! This book is beautiful. This author is incredible and talented. After i finished this book I read all of his other books and they are all amazing.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013
For Hazel Lancaster, being able to live in the moment is uncommon. As a sixteen year old terminal cancer patient, your goals and dreams are pretty limited. Sitting in a cancer support group, once a week, wallowing in stories she’s heard a million times is far from the life Hazel wants. That is, until she meets Augustus Waters, a cancer patient in remission. They immediately click, and develop a bond that makes it seem as if they’ve been friends for years. They even travel to Amsterdam together for the experience of a lifetime. The problem with becoming so close to someone is that you never want to hurt them. Hazel and Gus learn to take chances and to never regret. My favorite character was Gus because he was always positive. Even though his life was rough at times, he always managed to have a smile on his face.
The plot was very believable, and John Green did a great job displaying the different hardships of being a cancer patient. I think that modern day readers could relate to both Hazel and Gus. Even though not everyone can relate to having cancer, the characters acted just like normal teenagers. I found myself imagining going through what Hazel went through many times throughout the book. Hazel and Gus went through catholic, real life situations. I think that Hazel is your typical teenage girl, and that Gus is your boy next door. Everyone can see a little bit of themselves in Hazel and Gus.
I absolutely loved The Fault in Our Stars. I thought it was believable, had a great climax, and had a very interesting denouement. My favorite part of the book was the ending. It really tied together the whole theme, and left you satisfied. In the book, Hazel and Gus bond over a book, An Imperial Affliction, which is about the reality of having cancer. An Imperial Affliction and The Fault in Our Stars end in the exact same way. I thought that was very creative. My least favorite part in the book were the letters Hazel and Gus received from Peter Van Houten, the author of An Imperial Affliction. They were quite confusing. Although, I did enjoy the part of the book involving Peter Van Houten. If I could change one thing about the book, I would change the fact that Peter is an alcoholic. It only detracted from the real purpose of the story. Aside from that, I don’t think that there was anything else I would change about this book.
I would recommend this book to readers of all kinds, young or old. I think that everyone can find someone they relate to in this story. I do think that people who like stories about medical issues, and love stories would like this book. Overall, it was a heartwarming story about learning to live in the moment. Even though it was very sad, the characters still managed to make me laugh. Just like the title says, sometimes the fault in our stars is what we choose to believe in. Hazel thought that her story had already been written in the stars. This time, the stars were wrong.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Apr 07 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Tragic subject excellent book
John Green's writing is amazing! Although this book deals with a horrible subject there is humor as these two teenagers stare death in the face. Are they mature beyond their years? I would guess a cancer diagnosis ages you in many ways. Hazel and Augustus are not your typical teenagers who worry about being popular, trendy clothes and school dances. Cancer has taken much away from them but they still have spirit and give to each other good witty banter and much needed unconditional love.
Peter Van Houten's appearances are amusing and random as you would assume from a somewhat washed out alcoholic author.
Here's a little piece of the book. A conversation between Hazel and Augustus.
"There were days of pajamas and beard scruff, of mumblings and requests of him endlessly thanking everyone for all they were doing on his behalf. One afternoon, he pointed vaguely toward a laundry basket in a corner of the room and asked me, "What's that?"
"That laundry basket?"
"No next to it."
"I don't see anything next to it."
"It's my last shred of dignity. It's very small."
Read this book it's worth every moment!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sat Mar 16 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I preordered this book a long time ago, well I got it a few days after it came out and I was okay with that. Then I started to read it... Well... The book was misprinted. I sent it back for a refund and I got my refund now.. I SENT THE BOOK BACK IN JANUARY AND IT IS MARCH 15! And... I didn't even get my refund back. So I haven't read the book, I can
t buy a different book, and I'm out a good 20 bucks. Thanks Barnes and Noble <3
1 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Mar 14 00:00:00 EDT 2013
FANTASTIC!!! This book is great! It's so real, and anyone who has dealt with loss, especially because of cancer or other illness, will find it so accurate. It really gets to your emotions and makes you think aobut the world in a deeper way.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Mar 13 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I just finished reading this book today and I am still in tears. It is one of the most beautifully tragic love stories I have read since Romeo and Juliet (only better!). John Green has a talent for writing with humor as well as grace. This book is no different. I love that just as I am getting to feel really sad about something Augustus or Hazel or their parents or even Isaac crop up and say something that just makes my gut hurt from laughing so much. Definitely a book that will be read again and again until the end of time.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Jul 19 00:00:00 EDT 2013
One of the most saddest and yet amazingly beautifully written story about love, life and death. It is now one of my favorite books of all time and it makes you think, like it gives you a whole new perspective on the world, and a new take on life. WARNING:this book will make you laugh and cry insanely all at the same time. Words alone cannot explain how good it was.
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Posted Thu Jul 18 00:00:00 EDT 2013
One of the most moving books I've ever read. My favorite by him. Read it. Love it. It expands your brain, your heart, and your soul.
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Posted Wed Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 2013
This book was a real tear jerker, I loved the fact that two people could fall in love despite having to deal with the burden that their time is limited. It opened my eyes to how someone with cancer must feel. I loved that it wasn't a happy ending, the fact that they fell in love was so touching. Not everyday do you find someone to look past your imperfections and love you unconditionally like Augustus did with Hazel. John Green is an exceptional author, and knows what he's doing. I read this book in a day, because I just couldn't put it down. I was certain Hazel Grace was going to be the first one to pass; but I was wrong. This book changed the way I look at life, and I am proud to say that this book was an exceptional piece of art and John Green did an amazing job writing it; now lets all just hope its just as good when it becomes a movie and isn't completely changed and becomes a horrid mess.
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Posted Fri Jul 12 00:00:00 EDT 2013
An amazing book. It's one of those stories that will "change your outlook on life. One of the best quotes in this books is "the world is not a wish granting factory". It deals with touchy subjects in, at some points, even hilariously. Plain and simple. I don't give five stars too often, but this book whole-heartedly deserves it. READ IT!
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Posted Mon Jul 08 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Absolutely amazing!
John Green has become my favorite author!
Anonymous
Posted Sun Jul 07 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Honestly one of the best books I have ever read. I fell in love with Hazel Grace andAugustus Waters from the start.
Not your usual "cancer" book, the point of view is AMAZING. If you don't read anything else please read The Fault in Our Stars
You won't be disappointed. I promise
Anonymous
Posted Sat Jul 06 00:00:00 EDT 2013
This is an exceptional book. I borrowed this from my aunt, at her recommendation and could not believe what she was making me read at first. I assume this book would leave me crying and pouting at the final pages. To my surprise, through some heartache, this is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. You finish this piece of work with a different perspective on life. Great Job John Green. You definitely made me finish this book in one day.
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Overview
TIME Magazine #1 Fiction Book of 2012
John Green is one of Entertainment Weekly's Entertainers of the Year 2012
#1 New York Times ...