The Fault In Our Stars - Light In The Dark

"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 August Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten."

If I should be honest, when I watched the film adaptation of this novel I found it utterly boring. With such an experience, I wasn't expecting too much when I read the book... I was so wrong.

The story is told from the perspective of Hazel Grace Lancaster, a girl with thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. At the beginning of the book, she is totally depressed and has lost the will to live. That changes when she meets Augustus Waters, a boy that has survived osteosarcoma at the cost of losing one of his legs. Unlike Hazel, Augustus is a happy person and is always looking at the bright side of life. While spending time with Augustus, Hazel becomes more optimistic. 

With over 300 pages, the novel is pretty engaging and you will finish it in about a week. It's not necessarily a young-adult book. In fact, I think that both adults and teenagers will enjoy reading it, as the story is not silly but profound. Moreover, the story is well distributed between its chapters and it doesn't feel rushed but delivers a natural reading. 

Talking about Hazel, the main character, it is easy to empathize with her as readers are constantly aware of her thoughts and almost feel her emotions. She is definitely a round character, and we see a whole evolution of her personality throughout the novel; she is undoubtedly not the same person at the end of the book as she was at the beginning. 

Again, this is a book that deals with a sensitive topic, which relates it in some way to 13 Reasons Why, with the difference that this novel tackles the cancer theme more lightly as its main focus is not cancer itself but how people handle it. 

Finally, the novel conveys the message that right people can greatly influence you if you let them. As a final commentary, there is a common joke throughout the narration about ending books with cliffhangers. Well, such a joke becomes real at the end of the story, for the ending of the story leaves the fate of our main character open to readers' interpretation. 

To sum up, "The Fault in Our Stars," is a book that will rapidly engage readers, who will efficiently empathize with the main character due to the compelling writing. Even if you don't like the movie, you will for sure like the novel. 

Score: 4.5/5

Favorite Quote: “I believe the universe wants to be noticed. I think the universe is inprobably biased toward the consciousness, that it rewards intelligence in part because the universe enjoys its elegance being observed."