So I was told to read 'The Fault in our stars' by John Green by 3 other library staff. It's also one of our new Book Club titles, a teenage novel, a bestseller and a quick read (my favourite kind). Well.....
I was smitten from the very first pages, and it's the quickest I've read a book in about a year. The fact that I was staying awake at night to read it was evidence enough. Why is it so damn good???
The storyline itself is incredibly sad, but uplifting at the same time. The 2 main characters, Hazel & Augustus, both cancer patients, are incredible people who meet at a support group & I totally fell in love with them (as they did with each other). The dialogue between these 2 wonderful teenagers is quirky, intelligent, and hilarious, all while they dealt with some terrible odds. Hazel (who narrates the story) completely had me when she started quoting my favourite poem of all time "The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock" by John Keats. Seriously, who does that?
Beautifully written, this is the first time I can actually remember openly sobbing while reading a book. My daughter was very concerned & quite sensibly suggested "why don't you stop reading it if it's making you so sad?". No way, no how was I going to stop reading this, in fact I didn't move from the couch that Saturday arvo until the last page was turned. Very novel for me (pun intended).
"The Fault in our stars" is now at the top of my 'favourite book ever' list. Give it a go, if you don't mind the tear-stained pages...
Jo :)
