(Book and bed = perfect combo... Maybe not for photos though!)
Blurb:
“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 a gorgeous
plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group,
Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.”
My Thoughts:
I read ‘Looking for Alaska’ by
John Green after I saw a quote from it all over Tumblr. I fell in love with
John Green’s writing style immediately and it quickly became one of my
favourite books. I’d been meaning to read more of his stuff for a while but
didn’t – probably because I have the biggest ‘to-read’ pile you could imagine,
but also because I’m quite cheap when it comes to buying book.
You can imagine how happy I was
when I saw ‘The Fault in our Stars’ as part of Asda’s 2 for £7 deal In fact, the last book I reviewed – 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' by Rachel Joyce – was the book I bought
alongside this as part of the deal.
Along with my already declared
love for John Green’s writing style, I knew a lot of people were raving about
this book and saying it had brought them to tears so I was fairly certain that,
even if it didn’t make me cry, I was going to like it. I was wrong. I love it.
The story follows the
relationship the builds between Augustus and Hazel after they meet at a support
group for children who have, or have had, cancer. The relationship that
blossoms is incredibly special and perfectly written, as is the friendships
between Isaac, Hazel, and Augustus. It’s touching beyond belief.
It’s nice to see a book that
touches on cancer in teens without leaving the reader depressed – there’s
always an uplifting, positive emotion sweeping through, regardless of what
tragedies might happen.
It’s a tragic love story but
there’s much more depth to it than your typical ‘boy meets girl, they fall in
love, they fall apart’ story. There’s real hurt in the words, there’s humour
that makes you chuckle inside, there’s anger at the harsh reality of life but,
there’s also the sense that life is there to be lived, not dwelled on.
The ending made me sob like a
baby; not because it was hopelessly sad but because it was a beautiful truth.
What’s your favourite
tragic love story?