The Fault in Our Stars

Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Genre: YA/Romance

Release Date: January 10, 2012

My Rating:
♥♥♥

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis.  But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

~ Goodreads

I have read so many reviews on The Fault in Our Stars, all saying how much this book made them cry and how deep and insightful it was.
I didn't get any of that.
Sure, this book was incredibly sad and depressing, but that's about it.  In my opinion, it wasn't deep or reflective like I was hoping it would be...it was just terribly sad.

Hazel was a cancer kid up until she was given the opportunity to test a prescription that supposedly would be able to shrink her tumor.  And it worked.
Hazel's mother finally gets her to attend a Cancer Kid Support Group.  There she meets Augustus Waters, a handsome seventeen year-old.  Through their mutual love of a story, they experience something they never expected to find in each other: love.

I don't think Hazel was a very strong protagonist.  I mean, you can put all these obstacles in a character's way, but it doesn't automatically deem them as "strong," and I just didn't really feel that with Hazel.  I also couldn't connect with her, but let me just say that Hazel is a very old sixteen year-old.  I guess the cancer aged her in more ways than one, but she was just too much of an old soul for me.  Since this is my first John Green book, (I'm just guessing here) I have a feeling all of his characters are like Hazel and Augustus - odd and intelligent.  I liked that they were educated and wise main characters, but after a while it became a tad bit annoying.

I'm not into cancer books because it's just another way of saying 'There's a slight chance that someone in this book is going to die.  And you will cry.'
Total turn-off.
But I took a chance on The Fault in Our Stars and was wholly disappointed.  Too much sadness in a little over 300 pages.  Is it too much to ask for a happy ending, John Green?

Hazel and Augustus's obsession with An Imperial Affliction was also extremely annoying.  It's a book, Hazel.  Do not turn it into something it's not!  Ugh, okay I'll stop ranting...

Overall, I'm giving The Fault in Our Stars  a 3/5 because the story made me cry too much and the ending was disastrous.