Tolog Revew: The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green
reviewed by Olivia Amestoy, class of 2015

I'm sure countless girls have written about this book, and I don't doubt my review will be extremely similar to theirs. John Green eloquently writes a love story based on realism and well just life. There's no simple way to explain this book and give it justice. The story is relatable, real and wonderful. Green writes about how our lives are based on the opportunities we are presented with: both the ones we take and the ones we miss. The story isn't just a love story, it is about two people who struggle with their love and their lives, trying or not trying to make their marks in the world. I am writing this review after my second time reading it and I can confidently say that the book gives me a new meaning and perspective on life every time I have read it. So read it, you won't regret it. The quote "the world is not a wish granting factory" and "the existence of broccoli does not effect the taste or chocolate" are very interesting concepts and are talking about throughout the book. The book talks about suffering and making our marks, which are things humans have been pondering and struggling to answer since the beginning of time and always will, well into the future. Green does a great job of depicting Hazel as a relatable teenager, who thinks and feels the similarly as other teenage girls, with additional struggles from her cancer, which made me feel terrible for my complaints. Also, Hazel has a friend Kaitlyn, from her school days, who represents a lot of the "basic" girls I feel that I too have encountered and seeing Hazel chose being "friendless" over being fake friends with someone I find heroic and admirable. The story means a lot to me because I can easily relate to a lot of Hazel's emotional struggles and Green does a great job of reeling the reader in. In comedy, it is known that the funniest jokes are the ones where you see yourself in the joke, and in the same way, the best characters and stories are the ones that the reader sees themselves in or feels the same way. TFIOS also talks about how Hazel loves another book, where she relates to the girl very well. Green, through Hazel's obsession with the book and at the beginning of his novel, makes it apparent to the readers that fictional stories are made up and we should not idealize the characters. As much as I love the book, there are still some parts I disagree with. Overall, the book is thought provoking and amazing.