The Fault in Our Stars

"Sometimes, you read a book and it feels you with a weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read that book"

Oddly, enough its the book itself that puts into words just how I feel about the book. The Fault in Our Stars is such a rarity to me, one of those books that speak to me. Everyday, hundreds of books are published and the amount of books that exist in this world is well past the billions. But somehow, every now and then, you'll come across these deep jewels that you want to treasure forever, it's like finding a needle in the haystack. There are so many good books out there but there are rare few that really get you, that really entrance you in a way that no other can. This book is one of those rare few. 

The Fault in Our Stars is told from the point of view of  Hazel, a sixteen you girl who has lung cancer and her story of how she falls in love with a boy named Augustus, who also has cancer. They also both, have a friend, Isaac, who has cancer as well. With so many people with cancer there's bound to be one who dies, and there is. I sincerely thought it was going to be Hazel, but about halfway through the book, when she really started to fall in love then I just knew it was going to be Augustus who died. And that's it, I completely and totally expected it, and yet, I still cried like a baby when it happened.

First off, I adore how Hazel and Augustus's love is. I love any story about young love that isn't vapid, half-seen, or considered puppy love. Too many adults in this world see young love as 'puppy love' and therefore make it hard to see that there can be a wholesome and truly pure love among the young. I think age is no defining factor in whether love is true or not. And the way John Green presents the two, how much they understand each other and how the faults are healed by each other, it gives me all the hope in the world to believe that love is out there and it is true. It really exists. 

Also, in this book both Augustus and Hazel seek out a writer who wrote their favorite book about a girl with cancer who died, mid-sentence, at the end of the book. They even go as far as traveling to Europe to meet him. But it turns out he is a lazy bum of a drunk, and they learn later that he was that way because his daughter had cancer and died. He wrote the book for her and when they came and pestered him about questions it reared up in him too much pain and he was quite the douche bag. The brilliant thing about the writer in this book, he says that pain demands to be felt, and I think he's somehow wallowing in all the pain and forgetting that even though pain will be felt, happiness that can be felt will outweigh all that pain. And honestly, the most emotional moment for me in the entire book is when the writer shows up to Augustus's funeral. He came to explain his behavior, sort of, and explain his thoughts on the book and why he wrote it, though, not the answers Hazel truly wants.

The best thing about John Green, in all his works, is that his thoughts on the world are so unique and beautiful. It's just, he sees things in such a clear way. Let's face it, most writers now a days have the typical thoughts of pain. God, I'm even one of those writers, and I'm waiting for the day when my brain will somehow think outside of the box. And John, he always does. If you haven't read this book, I suggest you do. It's just, simply one of the best books I've read in my life.

And also, it helped me, with the blog I posted the other day, about just writing. Honestly, I think it's the thing that knocked me over. I had been thinking about it forever but when I finished the book I was like, this is what I want to do. I want to write, I want to create literary masterpieces like this. Which is odd, considering the book isn't much about following your dreams. It's about existing, living, death, human interactions, and just life. Life is so lovely sometimes, and painful, but still great. It's a great expanse that we all have to go through and no matter we will always be connected in that one way. John Green captures that.

-Fin

Keshia

#12/100 Books in 2012: War of Worlds by H.G. Wells