I ♥ Books: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Name:  The Fault in Our Stars
Author:  John Green
Pages:  313
Publisher:  Dutton Books

Summary

Hazel, an indefinitely terminal cancer patient, meets a hot guy at her Cancer Kid Support Group named Augustus Waters who pretty much changes her outlook on life and turns everything upside down.

Discussion 

I'd been hearing a lot about this book on Tumblr and just about everywhere else on the interwebs, so I figured I'd see for myself what was so great about it.

First of all, it's a John Green book, so it was a given that it was going to be awesome, but I really didn't know what to expect. I got lost in the book the second I started reading. I just didn't want to put it down, but at the same time I didn't want to continue reading, because I just knew that something was going pop up and smash my heart into a million pieces. It didn't disappoint.

I loved this book for so many reasons. The perspective, the thoughtfulness, the way I felt like I'd known these characters my whole life and the way I had a complete emotional breakdown every time something bad happened to them. I loved that it made me think, that it made me question my existence and made me want to start living my life. I loved that it made me cry in a corner like a little girl and had me desperately clutching the book like it was my only way of holding onto reality.

It was beautifully devastating and I loved that it was so simple at the same time. It will make you cry, no matter how hard you try to resist and it will also make you laugh when you least expect it.

My Favourite Line

There were so many. Just about every conversation between Hazel and Augustus were my favourites. Also, I liked it when Isaac said something weird, like: "Come over here so I can examine your face with my hands and see deeper into your soul than a sighted person ever could."

But honestly, I don't have a favourite line. Every second line became my new favourite line as I read.

My Verdict

Should you read it? Yes. Absolutely, positively, a thousand times, yes! This book is perfection. The story is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking and you'll go back to read it another fifty times or so after you've finished it.

Rating:

Being a Better Writer

Being able to write something that doesn't make people want to fall into a boredom induced coma is probably one of the most useful skills you can learn. You don't have to be the next Shakespeare to avoid doing this though. All you have to do is write and do it well.

"But I'm a sucky writer.", "I wish I could write like you.", "I wish I had your talent.", "I don't have the time." ...

STOP IT! Stop complaining and stop making excuses. The moment you start making excuses is the moment everyone else knows that you aren't willing to put some effort into this sought after skill. Yes, some people have a talent to write. They can sit down and basically throw up on a page and it will be considered good writing by a lot of people. This should not discourage you. The moment you sit down and start writing, that is the moment you become a writer.

As soon as you realize that every great author in existence started out just like you, the task of writing something marvellous becomes so much less daunting. It becomes exciting even.

Starting a story is probably the easiest thing you can do. Finishing a story though... That's something different entirely.

Finishing a story takes commitment, because you may start with this story of yours, bright eyed and full of excitement, but after a week, a month or even a year, you'll start to realize that it isn't that easy anymore. You'll hate yourself, you'll hate your story, you'll hate that you even considered starting that damn thing in the first place. If you actually finish the story and it's time to start editing, you'll probably just hate life in general.

What exactly is my point?

There is no universal rule for becoming a better writer, no magic trick to turn you into a bestselling author. Except one.

Write.

Write every day. The more you write, the better you get at it. Practice makes perfect, 'a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step' and all that jazz. There really is nothing more to it. The most insignificant sentence can lead to so many bigger things. Just don't take any idea for granted. Write anything and everything down.

Write.