Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.
Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.
Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.
I first spotted this on a book blog, and I liked the sound of it. Eventually, I got it, and it stayed on my TBR shelf for a while, until finally I picked it up and started reading. Let me tell you, I was hooked from page one. The writing was like nothing I'd ever experienced before, and Hazel was an engaging, empathetic character who I wanted to be my friend. Unlike so many YA characters, she was intelligent, which is something that authors say their characters are, but don't give much proof of. But anyway, Hazel was funny (I love John Green's humour!) and she loved reading, something which I identify greatly with ( :D !!). Augustus Waters - excuse me while I swoon - was like the jelly to Hazel's peanut butter. They just clicked, and they got each other immediately. Augustus was so sweet and clever and funny and generally gorgeous that I hope there's an Augustus out there for me ;-) Their whole relationship was beautifully done. The thing about this book is that you think it's going to go one way, and then there's a massive twist halfway though and it goes the other way completely, and my heart just broke for Hazel and Augustus, because really, it was so unfair. They really were star-crossed lovers. This book made me laugh and cry all at once, which is a sign of a really excellent book, don't you think? If you haven't read this one, I suggest you go out and buy it right now - you won't regret it.
I've since purchased one of John Green's other novels, Paper Towns, so expect a review in the near future. P.S. here is one of my favourite passages, a conversation between Hazel and Augustus, to show you what I mean:
“May I see you again?" he asked. There was an endearing nervousness in his voice.
I smiled. "Sure."
"Tomorrow?" he asked.
"Patience, grasshopper," I counseled. "You don't want to seem overeager.
"Right, that's why I said tomorrow," he said. "I want to see you again tonight. But I'm willing to wait all night and much of tomorrow." I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious," he said.
"You don't even know me," I said. I grabbed the book from the center console. "How about I call you when I finish this?"
"But you don't even have my phone number," he said.
"I strongly suspect you wrote it in this book."
He broke out into that goofy smile. "And you say we don't know each other.”
Rating: A+
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