Review of The Fault In Our Stars By John Green

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS BY JOHN GREEN

This is not your regular tragic romance...

The fault in our stars will make you laugh, cry, and angry sometimes. It has the perfect amount of humour and romance that will leave you with the urge for more.

Plot

The story revolves around two teenagers - Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters who are suffering from cancer, both of them meet at a cancer patient support group meeting and bond pretty well on their first meeting and eventually, decide to read each other's favourite novel An Imperial Affliction and The Prince of Dawn, respectively. It is their long late-night chats and their mutual struggle against cancer which bring them closer. After Hazel expresses her wish to meet her favourite author, both of them are set on a journey to meet him but things take a different turn from there on. 

John Green always uses a lighter tone for his novels which is usually heavy on the heart. With this one as well, he sets up the novel on a very light and fun note with easy conversations between the leads as well as their raw emotions towards any situation. But as the story unravels, we are exposed to the unseen aspects of their personality.

https://images.app.goo.gl/KPbTov2QrUVVUi3J8

Characters

Every character in this novel has their own struggle and life to deal with, along with the battle of cancer. I will begin with the main characters Hazel and Augustus; both are battling cancer, but they don't let cancer control their life. However, it doesn't mean that people around them were also ready to see them as a normal person. The frustration that has been demonstrated through the character of Hazel for not being treated as a regular person is very relevant. Cancer has made Hazel a mature person but the recklessness and blunt attitude are the charms of her personality. On the other hand, Augustus is a fun-loving guy who gives a boy next door vibes. It is the revelation of their fears which establishes the vulnerability of these characters. Their conversation will not only give you the jitters but will make you smile unknowingly throughout while you see them living their infinity.

Coming to the secondary characters, Issac, the best buddy of Augustus, a cancer survivor, is an emotional guy and a doting friend who adds to the humor and warmth of the novel. He provides much-needed comic relief in the novel. I believe while writing the character of parents, Green has stayed very true to the emotions, deliberately. No matter how strong their kids are, parents will always try to protect them, and since their parents have always seen them in nothing but pain, their possessiveness is bounded. But sometimes it can be suffocating for the children as well as tiring for the parents, and all these feelings are displayed with proper care. It demonstrates the realistic side of the impact that such terminal diseases have on a family, it is not only the person who has cancer, suffers, but their family and friends are also very much part of this journey of sleepless nights and terrifying days. 

Dialogues

This is my favourite aspect of the novel. John Green's writing has a very fresh feeling to it and The Fault in our Stars is no different in that matter. Its dialogues will resonate with you and stay with you forever. Even the smallest of dialogues carried the deepest meaning, for ex: "Some infinities are bigger than other infinities", "the world is not a wish-granting factory" and how can we forget "okay" which holds a special place in the heart of us readers now. These hopelessly romantic dialogues can give you a different perspective on life and not be cheesy at the same time. In my opinion, these dialogues are the USP of this novel which makes this ordinary plot extraordinary. 

At last, I would just say that it might not appeal to everyone, but once you start reading it will make you feel all the emotions that the characters have felt. It is a perfect blend of humour and tragedy that will leave a smile on your face at the end. It has shortcomings but is definitely a worthy one-time read. It not only tells the struggle of cancer but also provides the perspective of teenagers towards this terminal disease in a very honest manner as well as the struggle of the parents during this journey of battling cancer.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!