Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
Young Adult Fiction
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kate Rudd
You might like this book if you enjoy quirky romances, stories about teens in uncommon situations, or stories that engage the emotions as well as the intellect. You might also be interested if you liked the movie.

Okay, I have to admit that I really only heard about this book when I started hearing about the movie. There, I said it. But now I'm completely won over.

My favorite part about this book was not the story, though the story is lovely and unexpected yet predictable as soon as you understand what and whom it's about but, in spite of that fact, is completely engaging. It's about kids with cancer, but not in a sticky-sweet, rosy glow kind of way. Its about kids with cancer still living real lives and being mad and funny and brave and cowardly and sad and strong and normal, all at the same time.

It was not the characters, though each one was developed really well and I could imagine them walking and talking in the real world. There was grace and romance and care given to portraying how kids in this situation might truly feel, rather than just pasting teen faces on fake adult characters.

No, my favorite thing was the language and the pacing of the writing. Oh my word was this a wonderful book to listen to. I really want to get the book book so I can see the words and the punctuation and get the flow and word choices into my head in another way. I could see and feel the words telling the story while I listened and that hasn't happened for a while.

Yes, I love the way John Green uses his words. The combination of vocabulary, cadence and structure, well, it moves me. I have been struggling to listen to books lately, and I know it matters which books you listen to, but when I got into this one I realized I just need more words in my life. I need to read more, write more and listen more.  I listened to this almost in one day because I actually didn't want to stop listening.

I have missed words.

Thank you John Green for your beautiful, sad, happy story that reminded me.