Ugh, John Green… you know exactly how to reach me as a reader and rip my precious little heart in two. This is my FAVORITE new book of the year. I mostly like classics and older fiction, but John Green and Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles) have turned into my exception as of late. =)

The Fault in Our Stars follows the romance between Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters. Do not misunderstand the previous sentence; the novel FOLLOWS the romance, it is not a novel ABOUT their romance. It’s a novel about death and cancer and heartbreaking truths.

Hazel Grace has been living her life safely and hidden. She refuses to drag down other people with her “crappy lungs” that are constantly fighting against her and the cancer that is now in remission, though it’s effects are lingering. Hazel does not want anyone to get too close and thus hurt when she dies, which she inevitably will.

Augustus Waters takes her completely off guard and she is somewhat powerless against his charm and oddities. They share common ground having met in a support group for cancer-ridden teens, as well as a love for reading, though their tastes differ somewhat in that aspect.

This novel is a roller coaster of emotions and a perfect read.

I never had the opportunity to read The Giver by Lois Lowry when I was growing up and that, my friends, is a travesty.

Not at all what I was expecting, but just as awe-inspiring as I’d been told. The Giver explores a world of sameness, a world without pain, love, or true feeling.

How Lois Lowry came up with this concept is far beyond me, though I am so glad she did. So many thoughts to explore when it comes to what the book tells us about our own world and the oddity surrounding the idea of a world without oddities.

Loved it and definitely suggest this novel. It was eye-opening, to say the least!