Thursday, July 2, 2015

XBR4OF #4: The Fault In Our Stars

Xyra's Book Review for Older Followers

The Fault In Our Stars 

by John Green

Notes

The book, like the movie, is geared for young adults over the age of 13. Therefore I rate it PG-13 for adult situations and language.

I read the book as the movie was being released and did not see the movie until it was on HBO. Yes, there were differences and if you google you will find a few articles on the 10 major differences. Honestly, a couple stood out while I was watching, but overall I wasn't bothered by the changes.

While there are very few instances when a movie is as good as the book upon which it is based...this is one of them. But, as almost always is the case, the book is better than the movie.

If you have been putting this one off, move it higher on your reading list. It's well worth every minute of the time you spend with it.

The Review

The Fault in Our StarsThe Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just beautiful. To think I was afraid to read this. Thank you to those who continued to say, "Read it" to me.

I didn't get a chance to read at lunch like I usually do, but did read some before bed. Some...I kept reading until the end. Yes, there were tears; they flowed silently down my cheeks as I kept reading.

Hazel, Isaac, and Augustus are wonderful characters. Ones that we need to know. [While they are older than my friend's son who has leukemia, they gave me a teeny, tiny idea of how he feels about what he is going through.]

The three teens are the main characters and we see them quite clearly through Hazel's eyes. Hazel is...Hazel is outstanding and honest and generous and caring and loving and supportive and compassionate. She is also angry and sad and in need of the very qualities and kindnesses she shows others. Thankfully she found that in Augustus. What a man?!

The two attack life with an acerbic wit - a wit that helps them and Isaac, but is quite lost on their parents. I love the way they interact with each other. [One of my favorite scenes is the egging.]

This is a wonderful love story. In fact a "Love Story" for this generation. Well written with very interesting main characters - suitably 3 dimensional just off main characters and appropriately flat third level/background characters.

I hope you get a chance to read this book. It's so different from everything else out there and so very wonderful.

Happy reading!

6 comments:

  1. Charlie and I recently read this book together. We took turns reading it out loud to each other. We both liked it, but I think Charlie liked it more than I did. I really don't like reading about romances at all, so the romantic relationship between Hazel and Augustus was very boring to me. But Charlie's more interested in romance than I am, so she enjoyed everything about the book. We both thought there was a lot of power in the way Hazel and Augustus faced their situations. We were talking with our friend Elijah about it, and although he hasn't read it, he seemed to be most interested in Peter Van Houten. He says no one should ever meet their heroes, because everybody has a tendency to put people on pedestals and have unrealistic expectations of heroes, and you're bound to be disappointed. I can't help being more idealistic than that... but it's a good reminder.

    Love,
    Audra

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    Replies
    1. I'm not into the more adult romances, but YA ones i think are pretty good. All the butterflies in the stomach and all that.

      Yes, very powerful how they handled what they were going through.

      It depends on the hero. I have met a couple of mine and were impressed and others were quite disappointing. Just have to remember they are human/regular people too.

      Love,
      Xyra

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  2. I loved this book, I remember staying up until way after my bedtime one night finishing it and bawling my eyes out. And that's from someone who never ever cries in books.

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    Replies
    1. "Never is a long time." I bet this was just the first. ;-)
      Special books will come along and make you do things you never thought you would. Now the door has been opened for more books to grab your emotions.
      ~Xyra

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  3. It really was a beautiful book . I remember my mom crying her eyes out when we read it together.

    -LuNa

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it was. I usually avoid books that others say make them cry and put this one off for some time. Then I caved and was thankful that I did. I'm glad you could share this with your mom.
      ~Xyra

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