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Jim Fonseca's Reviews > The Fault in Our Stars
The Fault in Our Stars
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by
[Edited 1/15/23]
I didn’t intend to like this book. Not having read this author before, I thought, who is this guy who writes YA stuff and has a video blog? But I read it because so many of my GR friends have read it and rated it highly.
Indeed, it’s a great book and not just YA. It gives a brilliant picture of three bright young people (barely college-age) struggling to deal with cancer. How do they deal with it? With loving parents, friendship, sarcasm, cynicism, irony, tears and anger.
The main character, a young woman, not only has to “fight” terminal cancer but has to deal with knowing she, a single child, is the “alpha and omega of her parents’ suffering.” Her father is constantly in tears. She is devastated when she overhears her mother say, “I won’t be a mom anymore.”
She falls in love with a young man who lost a leg to cancer, but is in remission, and who has just lost a girlfriend to cancer. Initially she won’t return his affection because she thinks “I’m a grenade” and doesn’t want him to lose a second love. She corrects her parents when they say “Even if you die…” with “When I die…”
There are so many reviews that I will just focus on the good writing, much of which is dialog.
“But, in fact, depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is side effect of dying.”
“Osteosarcoma sometimes takes a limb to check you out. Then, if it likes you, it takes the rest.”
“…my dad just kept telling me he loved me in this voice that was not breaking so much as already broken.”
“And yet I still worried. I liked being a person. I wanted to keep at it. Worry is yet another side effect of dying.”
On phone calls with her boyfriend: “…we were together in some invisible and tenuous third space that could only be visited on the phone.”
“Sometimes it seems the universe wants to be noticed.” This statement could be the thesis for a philosophical treatise on consciousness.
She calls one of the more sterile hospitals a “prematorium.”
One young man accidentally puts his hand on the leg of another young man who is terminal. “I’m taken” he says.
And a real tear-jerker.
With the sale of 50 million books, John Green (b. 1977) is one of the best-selling authors of all time. Many of his books on Goodreads have ratings numbering in the millions – right up there with the Harry Potters. After Fault, his most popular books are Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns and Turtles All the Way Down.
Top photo from nhsctcancerservices.hscni.net
The author from nytimes.com
I didn’t intend to like this book. Not having read this author before, I thought, who is this guy who writes YA stuff and has a video blog? But I read it because so many of my GR friends have read it and rated it highly.
Indeed, it’s a great book and not just YA. It gives a brilliant picture of three bright young people (barely college-age) struggling to deal with cancer. How do they deal with it? With loving parents, friendship, sarcasm, cynicism, irony, tears and anger.
The main character, a young woman, not only has to “fight” terminal cancer but has to deal with knowing she, a single child, is the “alpha and omega of her parents’ suffering.” Her father is constantly in tears. She is devastated when she overhears her mother say, “I won’t be a mom anymore.”
She falls in love with a young man who lost a leg to cancer, but is in remission, and who has just lost a girlfriend to cancer. Initially she won’t return his affection because she thinks “I’m a grenade” and doesn’t want him to lose a second love. She corrects her parents when they say “Even if you die…” with “When I die…”
There are so many reviews that I will just focus on the good writing, much of which is dialog.
“But, in fact, depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is side effect of dying.”
“Osteosarcoma sometimes takes a limb to check you out. Then, if it likes you, it takes the rest.”
“…my dad just kept telling me he loved me in this voice that was not breaking so much as already broken.”
“And yet I still worried. I liked being a person. I wanted to keep at it. Worry is yet another side effect of dying.”
On phone calls with her boyfriend: “…we were together in some invisible and tenuous third space that could only be visited on the phone.”
“Sometimes it seems the universe wants to be noticed.” This statement could be the thesis for a philosophical treatise on consciousness.
She calls one of the more sterile hospitals a “prematorium.”
One young man accidentally puts his hand on the leg of another young man who is terminal. “I’m taken” he says.
And a real tear-jerker.
With the sale of 50 million books, John Green (b. 1977) is one of the best-selling authors of all time. Many of his books on Goodreads have ratings numbering in the millions – right up there with the Harry Potters. After Fault, his most popular books are Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns and Turtles All the Way Down.
Top photo from nhsctcancerservices.hscni.net
The author from nytimes.com
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The Fault in Our Stars.
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Reading Progress
June 18, 2018
–
Started Reading
June 21, 2018
–
Finished Reading
June 29, 2018
– Shelved
June 29, 2018
– Shelved as:
american-authors
June 29, 2018
– Shelved as:
young-adult
January 15, 2023
– Shelved as:
cancer
Comments Showing 1-27 of 27 (27 new)
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Calzean
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rated it 4 stars
Jun 30, 2018 03:46AM
Agreed, it's a beautiful book that handles a sad situation extremely well.
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Calzean wrote: "Agreed, it's a beautiful book that handles a sad situation extremely well."Yes indeed
I loved it too. Not the sort of book I would willingly delve into, but it was recommended by a friend and I was absorbed in it before I knew what I was getting into.
An excellent review. While I've been a fan of John Green for some years (through his articles and on line work) I've avoided his novels due to the YA tag, but I know that this is silly ad your review further encourages me to correct that deficit.
Nancy wrote: "I loved it too. Not the sort of book I would willingly delve into, but it was recommended by a friend and I was absorbed in it before I knew what I was getting into."Nancy, yes, I guess you have to get past the "why do I want to read a book about kids who are dying from cancer?"
Paul wrote: "An excellent review. While I've been a fan of John Green for some years (through his articles and on line work) I've avoided his novels due to the YA tag, but I know that this is silly ad your revi..."Paul, that's a good point and I think about it too --- "just because" a book is about teenagers, does that make it YA?
This is on my TBR list because I just read his Turtles All the Way Down it is about a teenage girl with OCD. I have OCD and I feel that he did an excellent job of depicting it. I don't like spoilers so I won't go into the rest of the story. I liked it so much that as soon as I finished it I bought the case set with four books in it for my granddaughter.
Jim wrote: "Paul, that's a good point and I think about it too --- "just because" a book is about teenagers, does that make it YA? ."I think it's more that it is marketed as YA than the fact it is about teenagers - despite the fact that I know that this is largely all genre is: marketing.
Kathleen wrote: "This is on my TBR list because I just read his Turtles All the Way Down it is about a teenage girl with OCD. I have OCD and I feel that he did an excellent job of depicting it. I don't like spoiler..."This is the only one of his I have read but I think, yes, they would be good books for teenagers.
Paul wrote: "Jim wrote: "Paul, that's a good point and I think about it too --- "just because" a book is about teenagers, does that make it YA? ."I think it's more that it is marketed as YA than the fact it ..."
I imagine that anything that gives a book a marketing edge will be used.
Yes, I was hesitant about this book, too, but it really is a fine, heartfelt story told with great skill and compassion. I was very impressed.
Reid wrote: "Yes, I was hesitant about this book, too, but it really is a fine, heartfelt story told with great skill and compassion. I was very impressed."Agreed. I too was reluctant because I thought it was only a YA book.
Fine review, Jim. I agree YA is somewhat of a misnomer. I have found some with this designation are suited for everyone.
Barbara wrote: "Fine review, Jim. I agree YA is somewhat of a misnomer. I have found some with this designation are suited for everyone."Thanks Barbara, and yes I agree, it's fine for adults too.
Kathleen wrote: "This is on my TBR list because I just read his Turtles All the Way Down it is about a teenage girl with OCD. I have OCD and I feel that he did an excellent job of depicting it. I don't like spoiler..."Thanks for the idea ... I borrowed the audiobook from the library and am listening to it ...
I'm a sucker for John Green's books, too! Sniff, sniff.....Beautiful review, Jim!
Terrie wrote: "I'm a sucker for John Green's books, too! Sniff, sniff.....Beautiful review, Jim!"Thanks Terrie, I thought it was good although that's still the only one off his I have read
I thoroughly enjoyed this story too
Jonathan wrote: "I thoroughly enjoyed this story too"yes a good story if a bit sentimental but I guess it's really YA
We enjoyed the movie adaptation very much, but I couldn't get into the novel.
I love the movie based on the book.
Ed wrote: "Wonderful book."Yes Ed, truly a good read.
Christine wrote: "I love the movie based on the book."I'm not much for movies but I'll check it out.
Well, I'm a movie buff since early childhood, but normally only like film noir from the 1940's and 1950's. Most new movies are disappointing, but this one was not.
Christine wrote: "Well, I'm a movie buff since early childhood, but normally only like film noir from the 1940's and 1950's. Most new movies are disappointing, but this one was not."
Thanks Christine
