The Fault in Our Stars
3 Good Things…
1) Augustus Walters – I am pretty sure you will fall in love with this character as I did! Although his is not nearly as ‘generically hot’ as Noah Shaw (if you don’r know who he is, you will soon) but he is really sweet and genuine and at times, downright sexy. I loved his personality and how he was really geeky but really attractive too.
2. The Narrative – Whilst challenging at times, the narrative was truly beautiful. It was so observant and reflected the theme of the ‘universe’ demanding acknowledgment that so frequently occurs in the book. Very vivid and moving.
3. The Philosophical Factor – Now I’m not always a great lover of ‘Cancer Books’ as they can sometimes be all the same and, whilst you have to admire and respect people diagnosed with these illnesses, they can sometimes be a ‘wallowing-in-self-pity’ kind of affair. This book, however, was written so well that it managed to make me think about my life and the world in ways that made me appreciate what I have and made me look at ‘pain’ in a new light without making me want to fall into a perpetual pit of pathos and sadness. This book is aptly described by Jodi Picoult as “Electric… Filled with staccato bursts of humour and tragedy” – which I feel is an extremely eloquent and apt way to sum up this book; meaningful and tragic whist still being entertaining and lighthearted. It made me realise that Cancer sufferers are no different to normal people, in retrospect.
2 Bad Things…
1. It took me a while to read- I don’t know whether this is because I have had a lot going on recently which has taken its toll on my reading time or whether it is because it is a relatively lengthy book (when I say lengthy I just mean that it is quite heavy going, it’s only 316 pages) I loved that it was philosophical but at times I lost it a little bit. However, this may be due to my lack of time and the fragmented reading pattern in which I read it.
2. The chapters were a little lengthy at times, but the superb plot and unbelievably good characterisation made up for it. (I literally felt like the characters were real, especially Isaac)
Star Rating…
****/* 4.5/5 StarsOverall I loved this book! The characters were phenomenally developed and I loved that it made me think about life and pain and just the universe in general.
