Monday, January 16, 2012

One of the best books you'll ever read

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Rating: 5+++/5


“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”

“My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.”

“That's the thing about pain...it demands to be felt.”

I've been waiting for this book for so long, just like a lot of other people. When I found it in my mailbox after school this wednesday, I instantly started it, and the next few hours had me on an emotional roller-coaster. I laughed, I got really happy, I got irritated and angry and I cried like crazy. I knew that the book was going to be sad, but honestly I thought that I would cry in an a-few-tears-rolling-down-the-cheek way, not loud sobbing, throat hurting, nose running, crying. No other book has had such a big impact on me. It was horrible.

But this is one of the best books I've read in my whole life.

I've read books about cancer before. I've read books about dying teenagers, teenagers who fall in love, teenagers who have a big dream. Although John writes about common topics, he does it in an extraordinary way. He has the most amazing writing, he gets you to see different perspectives on things, he makes you really care and he makes you feel all the things.

A John Green book can't be a John Green book without a great set of characters. They are always so alive, have the weirdest hobbies and passions. They (Augustus) are people I would just love to have as (boy)friends in real life. The conversations feel natural and not forced at all, and Hazel and Augustus really fits perfectly together.

The only good way I can describe John's writing is everyday-ish, but wonderfully different. He doesn't use some poetic language, it is more like "he did this and she did that". But his brilliant vocabulary, remarks on deep questions and just different comments on usual things make it something so different from other books. It has this kind of philosophical feel without getting too dry or heavy to read. It feels like every page has at least one good quote that I just want to write down somewhere.

The Fault in Our Stars is a book that is going to be in my mind for a very long time. This is one of those few books that I really want to keep in my bookshelf forever, one of the books I would keep if I in some point in my life have to life with a limited number of books. 

Just read it, you'll understand what I'm talking about.

9 comments:

  1. Hej! Har frågestund på bloggen så du får gärna kika in och ställa en liten fråga! :D

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  2. First of all great review... I have seen this book around and will definitely be checking it out soon :) I love how your wrote this review it is well written and has me itching for this book.

    Second: I just stopped by your blog for the first time today and wanted to tell you how much I like your layout. Your title picture is absolutely wonderful!!

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  3. Wow, vilken bra recension! Jag måste läsa den någon gång!
    Förresten, jag gillar ditt "rating system"! :)

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  4. I love John Green's books :D There's always something so different about them. Glad to see you liked this one, because I NEED TO READ IT! Great review and I'm a new follower :)

    Rabiah
    Confessions of a Readaholic

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  5. Hittade precis till din blogg och tycker att du skriver väldigt, väldigt bra recensioner! :D

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  6. This is a very heart warming story. A story of romance and survival. I can't wait having a copy of this. Plus this was written by an award winning author.

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  7. I really really love that you are writing on English. I feel sometimes that I would like to do it too but my grammar and spelling is like the worst thing in the world ;)

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  8. Fin blogg med underbara recensioner! Kolla gärna min blogg! ;)

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  9. Hej Olivia,
    Vilken fin blogg du har - och vad läckert att du skriver på engelska!

    Jag har skrivit en ungdomsbok, som ännu inte är publicerad, men nu har jag börjat lägga upp den i en blogg och skulle gärna vilja ha kommentarer på historien. Läs gärna om du vill (och hinner).

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