It was only in December when I started reading again, with The Fault in Our Stars being the third book I read that weekend. I was honestly disappointed in myself because I had chosen to read such a breathtakingly beautiful novel nearly a year after its publication.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green tells the generic story about a girl who meets a boy who completely turns her life around. However, John Green adds in the fact that the girl, Hazel Grace Lancaster, is barely getting by with the help of a miracle drug that keeps her thyroid cancer at bay. The boy, Augustus Waters, is an osteosarcoma cancer survivor and amputee who completely changes Hazel’s perspective about life and love. It is during a cancer support group meeting when a simple handshake leads to the creation of their masterpiece of a relationship.

John Green, famous also for writing Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Paper Towns, continues his winning streak by beautifully illustrating the locations most important to both the characters and the reader. Green transports the reader as far as an enigmatic author’s home in Amsterdam, or even as close as Augustus’ garage. He makes the lives of both teenage lovers easily relatable, regardless of the degree and only fuels the reader’s desire to meet Augustus and Hazel in person. What really stands out about this book is the fact that John Green effortlessly tells this tragic story without making it seem so tragic, balancing out the seriousness with comic relief.

In between the laughter and tears, this book was an absolute pleasure to read. I recommend this book to anyone who loves John Green’s work, loves a teenage romance, or may have lost interest in reading. I firmly believe that reading this novel will certainly rekindle one’s love for books.

-Danielle G., 11th grade