Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

After a lot of excited anticipation and checking my phone regularly for the delivery of The Fault in Our Stars, my enthusiasm knew no bounds when the book actually got delivered to my place. To be honest, I was really looking forward to reading the book for I had read raging reviews and my expectation quotient had peaked considerably. The bright blue cover felt smooth beneath my fingers and there was something almost ethereal about the clouds enclosing the famous words of Brutus ’The Fault in Our stars’.

As I turned the pages, I was almost rendered speechless by the epigraph. Stunning and haunting in its simplicity, the epigraph dazzled my senses almost at once. And then began the story of 16 year old Hazel Grace. Afflicted with cancer at the young age of 13, Hazel Grace was a fighter battling both cancer and teenage. Increasingly annoyed at her mother’s continuous insistence that she attend Support Group meetings (and make new friends and meet new people and live her life as teenagers are supposed to), Hazel Grace gives in to her mother’s demands only after negotiating a deal that includes recording episodes of America’s Next Top Model! And we end up meeting Augustus Waters at the fated Support Group. Therein begins a romance that is refreshing and young and sweeps you away with its innocence.

What however stays with you after reading the book is not the love of the young teenagers but the thoughts that the author so brilliantly brings to life. And you almost grow to love An Imperial Affliction as much as Hazel and Augustus do (An Imperial Affliction and Peter Van Houten are figments of Greene’s imagination that are crucial to the plot of the star-crossed lovers). This is my first John Greene novel and I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of his books. Tinged with humour, joy, innocence and philosophy, the book delivers on its promise. The book is honest and devastating, boldly bringing to light the stories of two people fated to die, clinging to strands of hope and tragically in love. The part where Hazel finds Augustus in his car, covered in his own vomit and pleading to do one little thing himself is shattering. And after putting down the book, you cannot help but wonder about life and how often we take it for granted.

John Greene's The Fault in Our Stars is beautiful, stunning and tragic. And most importantly it’s alive and breathing in your heart even after you have finished the book. Brilliant is all I can say...

Verdict: A must read!!

Rating: 4.3/5