OK, I know that I am one of those rare beasts that didn't fall head over heels in love with this book. I have always liked John Green's writing, but I think my background in medicine set me up to not love it as much as everyone else. I liked a lot of it, however.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The Fault in Our Stars (love that title by the way) by John Green is a book about Hazel, a cancer patient, who develops a relationship with Augustus Waters, another cancer patient. The way they meet, how their relationship develops, etc is very well done. I loved all the literary references, and the witty dialogue is something I've always loved about Green's writing. The conversations are really sharp, and that was probably the biggest strength of this book. I also thought a lot of the medical talk was very authentic-- and since I'm in the medical field and rarely feel this way when reading a book, that's a big compliment.
And now for my reservations. I know everyone has loved this book and I am very much in the minority with these issues, but hey, I'm a reviewer and this is my honest opinion. I wasn't as incredibly moved overall by the book as most people, likely BECAUSE I am in the medical profession. I think to a certain extent that we medical professionals get rather numb to this sort of thing because we see it all the time and if we were completely overwhelmed by it, we couldn't do our job. I think I was less into this book because it is so much like my life, and I use reading as an escape.
A couple of other minor details. I was a little shocked that a method of cheering up Hazel was taking her to Anne Frank's house. What?! Someone could at least ask her if she was okay with this plan. Second, I'm a little freaked out by how Augustus is attracted to Hazel because of her cushinoid appearance from the steroids she has been taking and how this makes her look like his ex even though in reality, they look nothing alike. That really bothers me.
Overall, extremely well written and I can see why it got all the glowing reviews it did-- it deserves them. But because of my background, this is not my book.
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I would like to have water as my elemental.
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