by Madi Denton |    “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.”  This statement could not be more true, and it just so happens that it comes straight from the novel that strikes me with this feeling. The Fault in Our Stars  by John Green is not just some book. It is, in itself, what I would consider a “game changer.”
I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve read a lot of books, and I’m also unafraid to say that none of those writings have moved me in the way this book has. Never before have I laid in my bed, bawling and contemplating the meaning of life for hours, all over a book that I happened to read in one night.
John Green’s novel follows Hazel Lancaster, a 17 year old terminal cancer patient. Struggling with her condition, Hazel’s parents force her to attend the Cancer Kid Support Group at her local church, and it’s here that she meets Augustus Waters, the boy who turns her world upside down.
Now I’ve never been one to “fall in love” with a fictional character. Somewhere in the back of my head, I’ve always been able to somewhat disconnect. This is not the case with Augustus. Green creates a character that seems so real, that by the end of the novel I felt like I personally knew Mr. Waters, and that we were close friends.
The same goes for Hazel. Towards the beginning, I was convinced she was a whiney teenager with no ability to emotionally handle her diagnosis. Yet, as the book continued, Green managed to show her in a whole new light, and I felt that if this were to be real life, her and I would get along rather well.
This book is a must read for anyone and everyone. I think that this book carries many lessons that can be learned from, and aside from the outlandish situations, many relatable situations. So many books can be deemed good, but this book is most definitely great. It is beyond worth the read.