The Fault In Our Stars: Not Your Average Cancer Book

*This post contains no spoilers from The Fault In Our Stars (though it may contain minor fangirling)

The Fault In Our Stars is a novel that centers around a sixteen-year-old girl by the name of Hazel Grace who suffers from terminal cancer and is slowly but surely succumbing to death. Sounds depressing, right? But if you're thinking about putting this novel to the side as just another one of those melancholy "cancer books", then think again. 

Sara, if you are at all interested in young adult literature or YouTube (which I know for a fact you are), then it's pretty safe to say that you've heard of bestselling author John Green who is one half of the immensely popular YouTube channel, Vlogbrothers. If not, crawl out from under the rock you're living under and see what you're missing, my friend. With John Green being one of my favorite authors, it might sound a bit biased when I say that JOHN GREEN IS A WRITING GOD! But seriously, with all fangirling aside, Green really is an extremely talented writer (I'm drowning in envy of him) and The Fault In Our Stars is a great example of that talent.

This novel really is a ticking emotional time bomb that seems to blow up every other page; one chapter you can't breathe because you're laughing too hard, and the next you use about a billion tissues to stop the flood of tears that won't stop flowing. Not only is this book full of witty, sarcastic humor and tender, tear-jerking moments, but it contains some surprisingly dark yet insightful themes. Through Hazel, the reader learns the truth about dying, and living as well. This unique perspective isn't often seen in young adult novels, and is in one word, refreshing. Not only that, but Green boldly takes on the soul-stirring questions that people ask themselves: When I die, will anyone remember me? Will I have changed the world? Will I be seen as a hero? A success? A failure?

 I simply love how Green chose to portray death in this book because it's so different than one might expect. People (including me) tend to have this idea that when we die, we'll be ready. That we'll bravely accept our fate and die peacefully, quietly, and gracefully. At least, that's what we want our death to be like. In reality, when death rears its ugly head, people break down and cower before it. Death crushes and rips people apart, physically and mentally, and not just for the one dying. Death, is in one word, ugly.

Even though I tried my best not to pin this book as a stereotypical "cancer book", I still knew I was going to shed some tears by the end. I mean seriously, half the main characters have cancer; something bad is bound to happen, right? So as I was reading, I did attempt to mentally prepare myself for the worst, but let me be the first to tell you; it didn't work. I don't care how "tough" you think you may be. When you finish this book, you're going to need some emotional therapy. And there will be crying. Lots of crying. Overall, this emotional rollercoaster of a book will take you places you never thought to explore, places of tragedy and places of joy. At its core, this novel is about life, death, and the beauty and heartbreak in both.

~Sam