1. The Fault in Our Stars

To kick off the book reviews, I began with one of the hottest reads of the summer. Copies of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars were flying off shelves as teenagers and adults alike devoured the novel and rallied for the movie. I myself am a terrible crier over stories. The stifled sob, endless torrent of tears dripping down my face, the whole shebang. Yet, I'm also too curious for my own good, and when a book receives this much media attention, I simply have to know more. So without further ado, I give you my thoughts.

...SPOILERS...

It goes without saying that most young adult books on serious illnesses (especially cancer) are overly emotional, excessively dramatic, and hopelessly corny-- but The Fault in Our Stars manages to pull it off. And this is all because of John Green's literary genius in his exquisite molding of characters. I cannot compliment Green enough for the way he develops his characters. When it comes down to the line, Augustus Waters is a pretentious teenager, but he pulls it off with such flair that his philosophical musings seem deeply introspective instead. I myself found him delightful, with his witty little sayings peppered with obscure references. As for Hazel Grace, she has these moments of incredible awareness about life, and her lines about infinity are starkly beautiful. I can see why many critics call the characters unbelievable, in that teenagers are much more shallow and less insightful than this. However, therein lies the reason for my absolute love with the novel; I like how the characters, young as they are, understand life and death better than many adults. I am thrilled with teenagers being given this intelligent, worldly portrayal. Instead of being a book simply about puppy love and dying, Green has made it a novel about living life to the fullest and loving others. This all made the ending that much more frustrating. Oh, yes, death was expected. From the very first page, I knew that one of the main characters was going to have to die. But I had fervently hoped that some miraculous, deus ex machina type of pill would resolve the issue, giving us a happily ever after. Alas, it was not to be! But I suppose the story is more impactful with the ending as it is. That's why Green is the writer, and I am not; he can make the tough decisions.

The characters are just so easy to fall in love with, and I was surprised at how attached I became. The writing style makes the characters appear brilliantly eloquent, while at the same time not. It seems contradictory, but that's what the novel is. Hazel and Augustus have their simple sayings ("Okay?" "Okay."), but even those seems profound when considering their origin. Outside of that now-famous phrase, there are several quotable lines from the novel, which marketers have latched onto. That only goes to show how many people have noticed the prettiness (for lack of better word!) of Green's lines. I have a soft spot for quality writing, and I found that in this novel. Even with my aversion to tragedies, I can admit to the excellence of The Fault in Our Stars. Gorgeous story, and well worth the tears.