Hazel Grace has never been anything but terminal. At 16, her cancer has taken away her ability to breath for long on her own without oxygen, so much to her delight (NOT), she travels with oxygen wherever she goes. Her life is a daily repeat of her parents watching and waiting, afraid to look away from her for fear it will be the last time…. this is no way for a teenager to live, or for a teenager to die…
During one of her Cancer Support Group Sessions, there is a new guy. The easy on the eyes Augustus Walters shows up with a twinkle in his eye, and a limp in his step, having lost a leg to cancer and still struggling with the amputated one. Augustus is not terminal, he has an 80% survival rate and therefore Hazel knows they have no chance of being together, after all – who wants to date someone like her, a grenade about to blow out of this world at any moment.
Yes, Augustus is like a drug, his quick wit, and great sense of humor are too much for Hazel and she finds herself falling even as she tried to hold back. In a different life, in a different body, not one riddled with cancer, he would have been her Romeo…
Why did I want to listen to this audio? For way too long I have heard the raves of this book and of John Green – yet I succumbed to neither. I don’t know if the cover did not speak to me or if was the more obvious reason… who wants to read a book about teens with cancer?
The Fault In Our Stars is a book that I wish I would have read when it first came out. After listening to this book on audio I am left a blubbering mass of emotion – and in a good way. Like in the way when you know you have just experienced something BRILLIANT and you can not believe you are not surrounded by people so you can SQQQUUUUEEEEEE all about it.
“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 seven hour audio narrated by the amazing Kate Rudd is a “do not miss”. Seriously, if I could wrap up a copy of this audio book and had it to each of you reading this review, I would… because audio book lovers, you are in for a listening experience that is like going to a high-end restaurant, eating a wonderful meal and discovering the bill has already been paid… and non audio book lovers, if you were ever on the edge of trying audio, let me personally recommend you make The Fault It Our Stars your #1 book to try.
“What a slut time is. She screws everybody.”
Where do I began my gushing? Hazel and Augustus may very well right now be my favorite fictional couple. Hazel is dry and funny, and you can not help but laugh out loud with some of the things she says. And Augustus, so gets her. He too is extremely funny and witty. Now you have heard of the Make A Wish foundation and you hear how many people choose a trip to Disney World? In this book you will find the great wish to be a trip to see an author of a much beloved book to find out what would have happened next if there had been a sequel. (These… are my people.)
You may think a book about cancer is just too much, but this book is not about cancer. Cancer is there, sure, but it is merely a back drop on an incredible story of two young people who decide to take a chance despite the odds, and in the end, both are better for it.
Without experiencing great pain, you can never experience great joy.
I don’t think I can rave enough to do this book justice. If I had a “John Green Rocks!” banner I would wave it. It made me laugh, it made me cry. It made me think. John Green has a way with words that sent me full speed hurdling towards another of his books. I wanted more… I needed more…I may be an addict.
If you have already read this book, I highly HIGHLY recommend you go through it again on audio. Treat yourself to something spectacular.
Amazon RAVING
Goodreads Review
Audible.com (listen to a sample here)
A few other reviews of this book by awesome bloggers:
Book Journey 
I liked this one, too. One of the things that I enjoyed was the dialogue. I feel like it is closer to how I talk with my friends, the ones I know really well, than the kind of dialogue that keeps turning up in modern works. We talk differently now and our writing should reflect that. Green captures it.
Thanks for your review. I enjoyed it.
I agree, this is the way I talk as well with close friends, we get each others humor… the book – was brilliant.
LOVED this book! I bought my copy right when it came out, but now I’m kind of curious about the audio. 🙂 Thanks for the great review!
Randi you MUST listen to the audio. Seriously, you will thank me 😉
I like that you put other reviewers on your website, so we can see what they say too. Thanks.
I try to do that Margie, but sometimes I just dont take the time to do it…need to get better at that.
I read this book (reviewed it today, too!) and I enjoyed it, but not as much as you. I didn’t really feel very close to the main characters, so that was a pity. I did enjoy their story, especially when they go to Amsterdam.
Maybe the audio added a new dimension to the book. I’m not an audio person myself, so I don’t think I will try. But I’m glad that it works so well for you. I can imagine you on your lawn mower, laughing like a mad woman or crying your eyes out. 🙂
Judith I read your review and I thought perhaps the audio made the difference too. I can see where this could be a different book if it was read – but the narration was so spot on…
Oh and this time I wasn’t on the mower as I finished this one, I was in the beginning but I ended it on the fourth riding on the back of my hubbys motorcycle… and yup, cried on the motorcycle 😀
I love the quotes you selected. I NEED to buy this book!
You have to go audio Kathy! It is soooooo awesome!
I have been curious about this one….it is one I might read, at some point. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Oh Laurel, if I could I would PLEAD with you to listen to it on audio… did you ever read my comment a while back here when I said that I have now added to my bucket list “Have Laurel try one really good audio book”. Seriously…. you are on my bucket list. 😛
You are definitely enthusiastic about audio! lol That’s so funny that you have me on your bucket list; I will say that I would have loved to hear The Help on audio (if there is one), as I enjoyed hearing the dialect in the movie more than I liked reading it in the book.
Or listening to a British narrator would appeal to me. Any suggestions?
There is Laurel!!! And The Help on audio is excellent, in fact the lady who plays Minnie, also narrates her part on the audio 😀
I made the mistake of listening to this one on the bus to work. Even after having read the hardback the previous month. What was I thinking? A couple of times towards the end, when Kate Rudd adds just a little ‘crack’ to her voice, utterly destroyed me!
Oh it is fantastic isnt it? I am sush a new John Green fan…. listening to Will Grayson! Will Grayson right now….
Ok, ok, you’ve convinced me. I’ve been shying away from this one because it sounded like a sad story, which it is, and then there’s that boring cover. I’ll go with the audio.
YAY Leslie!!! And yes, the cover I think was part of my delay… it just didnt connect with me, but I was a fool. Learn from my mistakes Leslie – ENJOY! 😛
I just checked my library and they don’t have the book in audio but will request it for me from another library. That will work because I already have a stack of audiobooks to listen to this month.
I haven`t read it for the same reasons as you didn`t when everyone was saying read it, I`m sold and will pick up a copy today!
Marion you are awesome!!!! I hope you go audio! I hope you love it as I did!
I sooooo want to listen to this! But haven’t found it at my library yet….Your gushing review is awesome.
Laura it is soooooo good. If you have an IPOD you can download it from Audible. If you have not used Audible before your first one is free… and no commitment to go beyond that.
Definitely a blubbering mess of emotion!
I was wiping my tears behind my sunglasses while on a motorcycle Jen…. audio can mess you up! LOL
John Green is swoon worthy. I’ve only got one more disc left before I’m done. Admittedly, I’ve had that one disc left since Tuesday. I just don’t want to say goodbye yet.
I understand not wanting to say good bye Christina…. do as I did and quickly move on to another John Green audio….LOL 😀
I really, really, really can’t wait to read this one!! So glad you loved it! 🙂
So wonderful Kim!!! Definitely a keeper for my collection. I have it in hard cover and it is going to go on my keeper shelves.
My reaction reading this entire post was “I know, right? So amazing!”
TOTALLY TRUE! 😛
I have this one on reserve t the library and I had to swoop over to see whether I had reserved paper or audio. It was the paper version. Not a huge audio lover, but maybe…
Try it while mowing the lawn Angie, or making dinner…. i think the narration on this one was the icing on the cake of an excellent book.
This is on my “Books I Want To Read” list. Thanks to your review, I know to get the audio book.
Fantastic Vicki! 😀
Just reserved audio version from the library…..you totally have convinced me. I usually don’t care for young adult book, but all the raving comments convinvced me.
Jen C
Oh good Jen, I hope you love it every bit as much as I did!
I loved this book — I’m glad you did too. 🙂
I loved this book even though I so get what the other lovers of JG have criticized. I am so glad the audio was good! I do think that your first John Green read is the most memorable.
If the first is the best, then I think I chose wisely Care 😀 I am listening to Will Grayson! Will Grayson! Right now which I think had to be difficult to write therefore I find it brilliant, but no, it does not have quite the same affect on me as this one has.
I read this a few months back and truly loved it. I found myself writing down each quote that rang true and finally had to stop. I had a “book” of quotes!!! I loved the banter and how there was no prettying up of cancer. It sucks, it’s unfair, it’s maudlin, and it hurts. That was evident and yet still hopeful. Thanks for sharing a great review. Now I will listen to it and re-remember what awesome “voice” this book had!
Yes! 😀 If you go on Goodreads they have a list of the book quotes as well…. it was fun to look at them and remember how truly smart this book is. Like you said, what a voice!
I am glad you read this one, it really is very good. My students definitely kept it off the shelves as soon as we got it. I think one of the things that I liked best is the attitude of the kids who are sick: they didn’t wallow in it, but lived life
Exactly Helen – it was never really depressing… I laughed more than I cried. 🙂
This is by far one of the best books I’ve ever read! I will have to check the audio book from the library to experience it again in a new way. Great review!
Thanks Liza, enjoy it – I know you will.
What an absolutely beautiful review, if I didn’t already have The Fault In Our Stars your review would have made me rush out to buy it. I’m kind of wishing that I had it on audio though 🙂
Oh, shoot…I have SOOO many books waiting to be read, but I really need to find time to squeeze this one in – I’ve been wanting to read it ever since its release. Thanks for the great review!
Sue
Sounds marvelous! Great review.
I read this one last month, so really late I guess, but I didn’t do it on audio this time. It still made me cry as I sat on my couch and told my husband how I didn’t see part of it coming. He looked at me like I was crazy, a book with teenagers with cancer and someone has something awful happen to them? How could I not have seen that coming? But cancer was such a backdrop, always there but in the background that I forgot for periods of time that their time might be running out.