The Fault In Our Stars

I'm not going to get all Oprah on you here, but every once in a while you read a book that needs a good old-fashioned shout-out.  I recently went through my Amazon Kindle wish list looking for items that had dropped in price.  If it made my wish list then it had an initial appeal and a lowered price makse it a must read.  So I purchased this neat little book by John Green, The Fault In Our Stars.  It's been around a while and made Time's #1 seller list I think.  But I am not a prolific reader, just a damned dogged one.  I take forever to read a book, enjoying daily pages rather than chapters.  I get my money's worth.  And I sure got my money';s worth out of this one.  

Meet Hazel.  She's a kid who is sick.  Dying, really.  Since her diagnosis her world shrinks to a kids support group.  She spends too much time with her parents who seem to always be pushing her to go out and live, or some semblance of that given her condition, or premature mourning.  And then, at one group session, in walks Augustus Waters.  Thus our tale begins.  And what a fun tale it is, too.  

Now before you start rushing to Amazon to read the reviews (which are all reassuringly good) I have to tell you this is a YA book.  For those who don't know the jargon, and who may be turned off by it, YA stands for 'young adult'.  I'm not sure why they have a designation like that in literature, it seems to me young adults "get it".  And yeah, there is sex.  And death.  And courage.  And all the other things adults experience be they young or otherwise.   

If you are still interested, given the somewhat downer context, and the YA label, I invite you to find a copy or download on Amazon ($3.99) and nestle in for a great read.  Hazel and Augustus, I swear, will remain in your noggin.  Fast, funny, touching, sad, with characters you care about, I wouldn't be surprised if it's the best fiction you will have read in a long while.  And maybe a long while to come.  

Two more notes of interest.  First, go ahead now and start reading some of the reviews on Amazon.  And secondly, Hollywood is turning it into a movie, so you'll want to read it before they dumb it down, or make it too sweet, or too funny, or whatever vision they have for it.   

Better yet, download it or get your copy and put it on a shelf for awhile.  Not too long, mind you, but awhile.  Savor it like you would a lottery ticket that you haven't checked on yet.  Or an expensive wine that you are dying to taste. Roger Ebert famously said, "You can only watch a movie for the first time once."   And like that movie, when you finish you will want more of these guys.  But unlike your untouched lottery ticket,  The Fault In Our Stars is a winner. 

John Green