From the Bookshelf of YAholics Anonymous!…

The Fault in Our Stars

John Green

Start date: October 1, 2013

Finish date: October 31, 2013

Discussion: Group Read

Why we're reading this: Contemporary BotM
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What Members Thought

Sep 13, 2012 Annie Brewer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite, unforgettable, 5-star-worthy, favorite-authors, tearjerker, emotionally-devastating, death

God. I just. I can't. *breaks down in sobs*

Not sure when I'll have it in me to write a review. I'm seriously broken. ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2012 Megan (The Book Babe) rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed-on-my-site

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Just stop and think for one second before you read this review. Think about all of the books that you've read because people have told you that you will cry. How many of them have actually made you cry? Really, truly, just bawl your eyes out. None. I have never bawled at the end of a book. I've cried, though. And that's all that I did in the end. Just a few short tears.

I'm a little disappointed. I was expecting this big, ea [image error]

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Just stop and think for one second before you read this review. Think about all of the books that you've read because people have told you that you will cry. How many of them have actually made you cry? Really, truly, just bawl your eyes out. None. I have never bawled at the end of a book. I've cried, though. And that's all that I did in the end. Just a few short tears.

I'm a little disappointed. I was expecting this big, earth-shattering, bawl-inducing kind of event, and that was taken from me. I kind of wish...that I could have loved it more. I liked it, that's for sure, and I honestly can't find any flaws with it, but I wasn't exactly blown away by the beautiful writing or anything. I had myself built up so far about this book that it only disappointed me because I didn't get to have a good cry. I really think that.

I really think that it could have been better. Don't get me wrong, the ending was good. The story was good, and the execution was good. But I...I'm a victim of my own build-ups.

Hazel was a really good character, but sometimes I couldn't help but wish that she wasn't such a debbie downer. She has this life, these few extra days or weeks or even months for her to live, and she acts like it's this huge curse that no one should have to endure. Then she meets Augustus. Who is the ultimate swoony type of guy that you know that every girl who's ever read this book has fallen in love with. He brings out the best and worst in all of us. ;)

For the sake of not revealing spoilers, I can't tell you everything that makes him such a lovable chum, but he just is. I honestly don't want to go into more detail, because that's really all that I can say. But just know that this book made me laugh. It made me smile, and in the end there were tears involved. Maybe there weren't as many as I would've liked (eh, I'm weird), but it is what it is.

And Isaac? Man, he just needs a hug. I really wanna hug him, and I want to beat his girlfriend to death...and...well, I might be embarrassing myself, but he's just a sweet guy. Who's funny. And no one else is mentioning him, so there.

All in all, I did like The Fault in Our Stars, but I do feel like it could have been something better. So shoot me. ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Jun 05, 2012 Justin rated it it was amazing

Where do I even begin? I've read a lot of books that bring out all forms of emotions, but The Fault in Our Stars was able to bring out those emotions in a way I have never experienced while reading a book. It's so hard to explain exactly what it feels like reading this book, you could be laughing one moment and feel like crying the next. The Fault in Our Stars is easily one of the greatest books I have ever read. How John was able to imagine this story, and write it the way he did is beyond me, Where do I even begin? I've read a lot of books that bring out all forms of emotions, but The Fault in Our Stars was able to bring out those emotions in a way I have never experienced while reading a book. It's so hard to explain exactly what it feels like reading this book, you could be laughing one moment and feel like crying the next. The Fault in Our Stars is easily one of the greatest books I have ever read. How John was able to imagine this story, and write it the way he did is beyond me, but he did an astounding job.

I knew this book was going to be tough to read, since it is dealing with cancer. I feel like the fact that it is younger people, makes it even tougher to read. Although, with the way John wrote this story it wasn't nearly as difficult as I had first thought it would be. The story has a lot of clever humor. I honestly didn't really expect all of the humor, and it's not really humor in the way you might expect. I think it was a really nice touch though.

Hazel and Augustus... I always use the word strong to define characters when they show certain characteristics. In this case though, strong isn't anywhere near enough to describe these two characters. I can't even imagine going through what these two have to, you read what they are going through but it is so hard to put into focus exactly what it might be like outside the words on the page. I became so emotionally attached to these characters. Not just Hazel and Augustus, but Issac and a lot of others also. The parents also deserve to be mentioned, both Hazel's and Augustus. They were in yet another situation I could never imagine going through, but I felt like they would of done anything in the world for their kids and that is extremely admirable. One other really interesting character that I want to mention, is Peter Van Houten. This was the author of Hazel's favorite book "An Imperial Affliction" he was a really complicated character, but I feel like he had an important role. John has done such an amazing job writing these characters, it is so hard to put it all into words to explain just how memorable these characters are, but I am sure once you read this book you will know how I feel.

The ending of The Fault in Our Stars was one of the most touching endings of a book that I have ever read. This book as a whole is extremely sad, if it wasn't for the very clever humor from Hazel, Augustus and some of the other characters throughout the story I feel like it would be very depressing too. I am sure this book, and the words enclosed will remain with me throughout my life. I very rarely find a book that I feel will be something that I will always remember, and hold onto. But this book is just so powerful, that I really do feel like what I read on these pages will stay with me forever.

I can't stress this enough, this is a book that everyone should read. I don't care what type of books you like to read most, I don't feel like The Fault in Our Stars needs to have a label. I think it is a book that everyone should read, without question. I can only think of a few books that I have read where I have felt this strongly. But as I mentioned before, it's just so hard to explain what it feels like to read this book until you actually do it. I really, really hope that anyone that reads this review and hasn't read this book yet will go out and buy a copy and read it. When you're done, put the book up and save it for someone else to read one day. This is a book that needs to be shared, and read by anyone that is capable of reading it and understanding it. ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 05, 2012 Renuka rated it really liked it

Shelves: humor, young-adult, romance, realistic, e-book, owned, philosophy, contemporary, my-fictional-boyfriends, fav-couples

Original rating and review: 5 stars

Cannot believe I laughed so much and cried so much during the same book. It doesn't really warrant a review. Just a good thorough reading with lots of emotions involved. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 01, 2012 Erin Schneider rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-reads

Goodreads Summary:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A matc Goodreads Summary:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

My Review:

I prolonged reading this one. I knew it was going to be good - not only because of the rave reviews I'd been hearing, but also because the subject matter was a tough one to tackle. And yet, I let it sit in my TBR pile for three months, while I stalled and read other books.

cancer touches many lives, and everyone deals with it differently. cancer touched my life in June of 2006, when my mom was diagnosed with late-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (cancer of the liver). It was predicted she'd have anywhere between four to six months, and that was with all the surgeries, chemo, and whatever else they could throw her way. Proving the doctors wrong and opting out of all Western medicines and treatments, she gave us four wonderful years.

In exactly two weeks from today, it will have been two years since my mom passed away. And maybe it's the timing, that caused me to finally pick up THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and start reading the first page of a book, I secretly think I'd been dreading to read all-together.

But what I found amongst those pages, was an exceptional story - and while beautifully written, it was tremendously bittersweet. Anyone who has had even a glimpse into this devastating disease, can completely relate to how raw and heartbreaking this journey truly was.

The relationship between Hazel and Augustus from start to finish, was nothing short of believable - full of emotion, yet flavored throughout with well-timed humor, as the two made their way through such unfortunate circumstances. Neither of them gave credit to their cancer - it simply was what it was, and they both dealt with the hand they were given, in the best way they knew how.

You may have noticed (or not?) that I didn't capitalize the c in the word cancer, anywhere above - and that's because I don't believe it deserves that kind of credit or attention. One day we'll figure out how this horrible disease takes over the human body, metastasizes throughout, and ultimately, takes the ones we love. And we'll stop it. Until then, it's exceptional books like THE FAULT IN OUR STARS that makes you realize, it doesn't matter who you are or what your age is, in the end, cancer affects us all.

John Green is a master at story-telling; a true artist in the way he delivered a journey that could have gone in a non-favorable direction, all too easily. A FAULT IN OUR STARS was an excellent read and a favorite YA contemporary for me - this is one I highly recommend to everyone. ...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Kayla rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I was terrified to read this book. I knew it was going to make me cry from the moment I began reading it. Throughout the entirety of the novel, I was aware I was going to have deeply mixed feelings about it. I do have mixed feelings, but I still loved this book. I feel I still have a love/hate relationship with it, but I'm not upset or regretting that I read it. This was my first John Green book, I wasn't disappointed, he is an amazing author and I hope to read more of his work in time. ...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Diana ❀ ☺ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This book was really good,I loved it, but i feel like she wasn't that much sad..
Summary of whole book (main points) : (view spoiler) ...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Lisa rated it it was ok

Shelves: i-own-this

I see what John Green was doing with this book, but unfortunately for me, it was just too commercial. And now there's a movie deal. See? Commercial. John Green's best work comes from when he tries less. This book just felt like he was trying too hard. ...more

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