The Fault of the Stars -- review

I had to steal the cover from Amazon. Shame on me.

I created this blog "Love in the Library" originally for a Library Science class I was taking on Web 2.0 tools.  And the name is not merely to address that I love libraries, it's also a song by Jimmy Buffett that I love.

I restarted this blog (after all my classes were finally over - 5 years later) to review books I was reading both to my kids and personally.  And I did review Charlotte's Web, sort of, but unfortunately not every book can be a Charlotte's Web, so I haven't reviewed since then.  So, I tried today.  But then after a few tries, I realized that I'm just not that good of a book reviewer.  And I should have known, I can't re-tell a story to save my life.  If you've ever suffered through one of my "and then he did this, and she did this" stories, you know that it is true.  I can't tell jokes either, heck, I can't even remember jokes.  I think telling jokes and stories out loud is a gift.  I know people who can do it.  They are charismatic in their entertaining.  But me, not so much.  I'm more of your quiet observer.  Either you got it, or you don't.  And I don't.

But, despite my inadequacies at reviewing, I am wholeheartedly giving a thumbs-up for the book I just finished, The Fault of the Stars by John Green.  It's a YA (Young Adult) book and mostly what I read is either YA or lately a lot of memoirs and biographies.  I received my first John Green book, Looking for Alaska, six years ago when I was given an advanced copy from one of my classes.  It was his first novel.  It was a great novel, though I wasn't sure if the content would work for every high school and I was thinking, at the time, about a Lutheran South library. It's very intellectual and very edgy. But, when it comes to putting words on paper, John Green is good.  He's written 5 books since then and his most recent, Fault of the Stars had enough good reviews that I decided to pick it up and try again.

This book is about two teens who have terminal cancer and how they build a friendship/relationship together despite the fact that death is at their doorstep.  Sounds depressing?  I will admit, I did cry.  But don't let the depressing setting scare you away from reading it.  The interactions between these two teens, Hazel and Gus, is humorous, real, and touching.  And for any teen, or anyone for that matter, living with disease, the book is very honest. Their point of few about heaven, for me, is off-putting, but not enough to keep me from loving the book. I think, though I may be wrong, a movie is in consideration right now.  But, really as stated before, don't take my word for it.  I have found lately that my excited "You'll love it!" recommendations often come back to me as, "It was okay, I guess."  But on Amazon, it had 5 stars and 485 reviewers, so that supports my conclusion a bit. Or if you are so inclined, go to this blog.   My go-to librarian, Naomi Bates reviews YA novels regulary.  She will have you checking it out from the library today. (Notice I said library, and not Barnes and Noble - just a plug.)