The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, 336 pagesThe synopsis (teenagers with terminal cancer) is really not a selling point for a lot of readers, and only being familiar, and a fan of, John Green's writing that inticed me to read this book. He does his usual wonderful thing, with characters that feel real, and full of witty teenage humor. How does a family with one child deal with a cancer diagnosis? How does a person live with, not die from, cancer? (I think I stole that line from a Rent song.)
It's as good as all the rave reviews say, it's as sad as you would imagine, and it's still a good book. I do enjoy a book that makes me cry, and I started well before the last hundred pages. There are a few leaps of faith the reader has to make in the plot, which has some coincidences at the end, but by then you are so invested, and emotionally involved, you let them slide a bit. Because by then, you can't stop reading (oh, dear, how is it going to end?) so you keep reading.
It's a really great book that is as much about living as dying.
also reviewed: sprite at into the stacks; pam at sidewalk shoes; laura at musing by laura; alison from piling on the books; katie at katie's book blog; softdrink at fizzy thoughts; rhapsody in books; heather at capricious reader; marg at reading adventures; kailana at the written world; michelle at 1morechapter; raych at books I done read; suey at it's all about books; nymeth at things mean a lot;
Wow! I really was one of the last people to read this book. I actually pre-ordered it from Chapters, and received a signed copy. However, I thought I'd be smart, and preorder another book not released until May. My evil plan was that even though I picked free shipping, and they tell you that it will be shipped in one package (hence, May) my experience has been that they send a book once it was available, and you wait for the later book. But Chapters decided not to reward my attempted sneakiness, and didn't send either book until The Age of Doubt was released in May. So I preordered The Fault in Our Stars, and then didn't get it till May. But I didn't pay shipping.
