The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Completion Date: February 5, 2012
Reason for Reading: Author auto-buy/read.

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.

Once upon a time I didn't read young adult novels. I didn't like them when I was a young adult, so I planned to avoid them when I was an adult. Then, I started blogging. I was amazed by how far young adult books had come and slowly started working a few here and there back into my reading line-up. It was slow at the start and mostly consisted of books I received for review. I remember the book that started it all was A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. Then, in 2009 I rejoined the local library and started exploring some of the young adult authors I had been hearing so much about. That year was a bit year for new finds including John Green. And, it all started with Dewey.

You see, Dewey was a book blogger that unexpectedly passed away a few years ago. In 2009 Chris hosted a challenge in her memory and the aim was to read books that she had read and recommended. One such book was Looking for Alaska by John Green. (If you click the link you will be taken to a letter I wrote to Dewey after reading this book). Now it is 3 years later and I have read everything that John Green released. I wound up reading An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns in 2009 and also writing letters for Dewey. It was sort of my 'thing' that year. I would have kept it up but her blog no longer exists... The whole point is that Dewey and John Green are connected in my mind. When I heard that he had a new book coming out I knew that not only would it probably be another wonderful read, but I would also have the chance to connect with an old blogging friend. It's sad that the person that lead me to John Green in the first place wasn't around for me to be able to discuss the book with when I finished.

Anyway, since a lot of bloggers have no idea who Dewey even was outside of maybe the Read-a-thon, I should probably move on to the actual book. I finished it yesterday and let's just say it was my first 5 star review of the year. I had started it the night before, but only read 50 pages. Yesterday I planned to sit down with it for a bit and then move on to something else. That did not happen at all. I pretty much read the book in one sitting. I only stepped away from it for a moment because folks, the book made me cry a bit. I am not much for crying during books and movies, but I got so caught up in the story and the characters that I felt a lot more emotion than I normally do. (I was a bit glad that other than the cat I had the house to myself at the time...) I really thought I had my favourite John Green and nothing would replace it, but this book was amazingly well done. I don't even really enjoy contemporary novels, but this one will likely make my best of list for 2012. I don't care if it really is too early to say.

I chose to ramble about other things because this book is really making the blogging rounds; so you probably have heard a few times what the book is about. And, if you haven't you can visit blogs such as things mean a lot, Stuff as Dreams are Made on... and still with nothing of importance who chose different ways to express their thoughts on this book and maybe even mentioned the plot...

And, I can't join in on what colour my signature is because my book is not signed... I pre-ordered it and then had to email the book store looking for my copy. They were nice and sent it, but I guess by then all the signed copies were gone. I was a bit disappointed, but I'll live.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

When the new John Green and David Levithan novel came out, I kept hearing how good it was. I am glad that I took the chance to buy it and read it soon after its release, though, because it lead to a buddy review with Nancy aka Bookfool. We each came up with 3 questions and answered all 6 of them. My answers to the questions are below, and you can go to Nancy's blog to read her answers.

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans.

My answers to the questions that Nancy asked me:

1. What other books have you read by John Green and/or David Levithan and how do you think Will Grayson compares?
I have read everything that John Green currently has out, including short stories, so it made sense to read this one, too, so I could say that I have read everything by him. As for David Levithan, I plan to read several of his books eventually, but as of yet have only read one book by him last year. I think Will Grayson, Will Grayson is still a well-written book like the others I have read by both authors, but it was the sort of book that I needed to take a few days after finishing to think about. And, really, that's not so different from their other books. When you finish them there is still a lot to think about afterwards.

2. There was one thing about the book that really, really annoyed me but which I eventually became accustomed to. Did anything about the book get on your nerves?
It took me a bit to get used to the sections where the Will Grayson writing them didn't use capitalization, or really any sentence structure at all. That writing method always bothers me, but you get used to it eventually. The ending annoyed me. I thought it was really rushed. And, sometimes the characters in general annoyed me, but that was almost to be expected.

3. What did you consider the main theme of the book? Do you think the sheer quantity of gay characters diluted the theme or made it more powerful?
I think the theme of the book was about acceptance regardless of your interests. It was talked about in the broader sense of the book, but also mentioned by the use of Tiny's play. I don't think the amount of gay characters necessarily was too much, but I also don't think that it seemed realistic to me. I could see the themes of acceptance a lot from both characters, but since I got that the story was about more than just acceptance of sexuality, then it wasn't necessarily to throw it in your face that there were a lot of gay characters. It was almost over-whelming, and yes, it could have diluted the theme of the book more than was necessary. I appreciated how Will Grayson #1 discovered that he was accepting in the case of his best friend, Tiny. Both Will Grayson's, though, had to also become accepting of themselves. I think that was important for the story.

My answers to the questions I came up with:

4. How did you feel when you finished the book? Has your initial reaction stayed the same, or do you feel differently about the book?
I didn't know what to think when I finished the book. I love John Green, and the one book I read by David Levithan was pretty good, too, but this book I didn't know how to get my head around. I think I was overwhelmed by everything that was going on and I wasn't entirely sure that everything worked well for me. I kept thinking about how it didn't seem to be as good as John Green's other books to me. Then, a couple days went by while Nancy finished the book and I got a chance to think about it a bit. Then, even more days went by before I am answering these questions, and I think I actually really liked this book. It was one that I had to think about and I think it was a good idea that I waited to write the review.

5. Which character in the book was your favourite? Least favourite?
I think my favourite character was Jane. She plays the straight Will Grayson's love interest and there was something a bit fascinating about her. Likely because of how the story played out around her. I also enjoyed Tiny. He annoyed me at times, but he made the book entertaining and I appreciated him as a character. I think the scene where he drinks a bit too much, though, was really unnecessary in description! As for least favourite, I think part of my hang-ups with this book is I didn't really love either of the Will Grayson's. It's not that I strongly disliked them, but more that they just didn't grow on me. We had a love/hate relationship the entire book and I think that is why it took me so long to find love for the overall novel.

6. What did you think about the ending? (Without giving too much away.)
I didn't know what to make of the ending. I thought since the entire book had been basically making its way to that point that it was too rushed, though. It sort of disappointed me that it wasn't drawn out a bit more. I found the ending touching, but I am not entirely sure I found it believable. It is just one of the things that I can't entirely make up my mind about, I guess.

Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

Today is my very first buddy review with Amy from My Friend Amy. We actually read the book in 2009, but were a bit slow in writing up the review. I have the first part and Amy has the second part on her blog. Enjoy!

The weather outside is frightful, but these stories are delightful! When a huge blizzard (that doesn't show signs of stopping) hits, Gracetown is completely snowed in. But even though it's cold outside, things are heating up inside, proving that the holiday season is magical when it comes to love. In three wonderfully (and hilariously!) interconnected tales, YA stars John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson create a must-have collection that captures all the spirit of the holiday season.

Amy: First of all thanks so much for reading a holiday book with me! Actually, this is my favorite kind of holiday read...feel good Christmas romance :)

I thought this read was very fun and it was my first exposure to these authors.. Have you read them before?

Kelly: I don't read a lot of romance, but when I do this is perfect for me! I am so glad we decided to read it together.

I read all three of John Green's novels this year and enjoyed all three of them. He is a very gifted author. I have read most of his short stories, too, so I can safely recommend him. You should read him! Maureen Johnson I am still relatively new with. I have only read book by her, Devilish, but she is a fun author that I would like to read more from. I have never even heard of Lauren Myracle before, but this was a good introduction to her work. That is the main reason I like short stories anthologies. It is an easy way to discover new authors.

My favourite part of this anthology was even though they were short stories, they were all connected. What did you think about that?

Amy: Yeah I actually have been wanting to read John Green and Maureen Johnson for some time and recently got Lauren Myracle's book at the bargain book store. (sorry Lauren!) I will read more of them all because I thought the writing was really engaging. I also loved the way they were interconnected and while that's a favorite feature of Christmas romance anthologies, I felt like they were a lot more connected in this book than probably any other I've read. Did you have a favorite story?

Kelly: Not really actually. I was surprised by that, but I actually really enjoyed all three of them. They were written really well and I enjoyed the characters. I felt that even though they were short stories you still got to know them and relate to them by the end of them. I think a lot of that was because technically they were one story, but just told from different perspectives. I liked how all the stories had happy endings. There really is nothing worse than a tragic ending to a Christmas story. I want them to be nice... That's just me, though. What about you?

Amy: ha, Yes at Christmas I like hopeful sweet endings. I felt like this book was pure fun, really like I said before the perfect Christmas read. I think if I had a favorite it was A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle because I was impressed with the humor. I thought it was funny how in Lauren Myracle's story, the character Addie said she was intimidated by Tobin and his friends because they were really clever. That is probably EXACTLY how I would feel about those people. :) I have to say, living in Southern California, it was super fun to read about a big snowstorm like that. Probably not so much for you, huh? ;)

Head on over to Amy's blog to read the second half!

Paper Towns by John Green

Books Completed: 52
Completion Date: February, 2009
Pages: 320
Publication Date: October, 2008

Reason for Reading: Dewey's Reading Challenge.

When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night-dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge-he follows her. Margo's always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she's always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they're for Q.

Printz Medalist John Green returns with the trademark brilliant wit and heart-stopping emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of readers.

Dear Dewey,

As far as I can tell, you never reviewed this book on your blog. Jill at Fizzy Thoughts is hosting a mini-challenge for your reading challenge, though, and the idea is to post a list! Since I can't do my normal type of letter format, I am going to use this book as my mini-challenge entry. I searched John Green on your blog, and my list is going to explore these references. You actually made a lot of lists in your blogging days, so I am thinking you liked lists.

1. According to your Mailbox Monday post, you first received Paper Towns the week leading up to November 3.

2. You read it in October because it is included in your reading stats for that month.

3. In a post called 'Up Next', you had a bit of a problem with Amazon and the shipping of this book: "Paper Towns by John Green (pre-ordered from Amazon, sent on October 13 with 2-day shipping, arrived….yesterday? Boo, Amazon, boo!)" (Yesterday would've been the 28th of October.)

4. For Weekly Geeks #19, the object was to post your favourite book published in 2009. You hadn't read Paper Towns yet, but you expected to love it.

5. Back in September you posted your review of An Abundance of Katherines in an interview format.

6. In August you posted a meme. One of the questions was: "Who’s the most recent addition to your list of favorite authors, and why?" One of your answers was: "John Green. Why did Brotherhood 2.0 have to end? Why?"

7. In June, you finished the Book Awards Challenge! One of your 'bonus' books was Looking for Alaska. (It won the Printz award).

8. For the Cats Herding Challenge, you mention how other people had included books you wish you had thought of. An Abundance of Katherines was one of the books.

9. You read An Abundance of Katherines and Looking for Alaska in February.

10. Your review of Looking for Alaska.

11. A lot of the results for John Green are for various challenges that his books work for. Like I said, you really seemed to like lists!

12. You first mentioned wanting to read Green in July of 2007 in one of your Sunday Book Coveting posts. (I really liked those posts, by the way! Bad on the TBR pile, though.)

So, there is a list of your John Green-related posts! I have now read all three of his books, too, and I have to say he is a very good young adult author! I look forward to reading more from him in the future. Since you were partly to blame for bringing him to my attention I just wanted to say Thank you! You have definitely had a lasting affect on the reading community.

Until next time,

Kelly

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Books Completed: 51
Completion Date: February, 2009
Pages: 256
Publication Date: September 26, 2006

Reason for Reading: Dewey's Reading Challenge.

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washedup child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun-but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

Dear Dewey,

It is time for another letter! I actually received this book without even remembering that it would work for this challenge, but when it dawned on me I discovered I could write another letter! I really enjoy this review format, so I was excited to be able to do so once again. When you read this book, you did it as an interview-type post. That's interesting because that's how this post was originally supposed to play out, but life got in the way!

What was your favorite part of An Abundance of Katherines? How do you think it compared to Green’s other book (if you’ve read that one)? Did you find it funny?

Your answer, my answer:
My favorite part, I think, is when Lindsey Lee Wells shows Colin her special hideaway. I have to agree with you, there. I really liked this scene!

I don’t think it’s as strong a book as Looking for Alaska, but I still really enjoyed it. It’s more lighthearted. There were aspects of this book that I liked more than Looking for Alaska, but I thought Looking for Alaska was the stronger book.

I did find it funny; I think humor is my favorite aspect of Green’s writing in general. Yes, me too. There were many scenes where I couldn't help laughing. I think that is a lot of what makes Green's books so wonderful.

Did you enjoy Colin’s quirkiness or did he annoy you?

Your answer, my answer:

I liked Colin, though I liked Hassan even more. I didn’t find Colin annoying, or really even overly quirky, aside from obsession with Katherines. A real annoyance with me and young adult characters is sometimes I just plain find them annoying. I have been really lucky so far this year in that it has been mild, but it can be a real problem! This is me leading up to saying that Colin didn't really bother me at all. I loved Hassan. He was an awesome character that made me laugh many times!

Okay, so not how these letters normally work, but I figured it was the easiest way to proceed. It was still fun! And, the next book I have to review is another letter. I can call today 'Dewey' day.

Until next time,

Kelly

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Books Completed: 24
Completion Date: January 24, 2009
Pages: 256
Publication Date: January 2, 2007

Reason for Reading: Peer Pressure (in the form of lots of reviews!), Dewey's Reading Challenge. New Author Challenge.

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave "the Great Perhaps" even more (François Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything but boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite ofsafe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. After. And nothing is ever the same.

Dear Dewey,

I had planned on reading more books for your challenge sooner, but your website was down, so I was holding off until I was sure if it was going to come back online or not. Now that it is back up, I feel that I should try and get as many books read as I possibly can, just in case it goes down again! I also didn't really think of this as a book for your challenge when I got it out of the library. It was just a book that I had seen reviewed all over the blogosphere, and decided it was time for me to see what all of the fuss was about! Remembering that it was a book for this challenge was just an added bonus!

So, yeah. This book is a bit of a tough one for this letter idea. I was reading your review and, well, this book is about death and when you wrote your review you said: "It made me think about death, and what happens after we die (my answer = I don’t know and neither does anyone else)." After I read that, I was trying to figure out what I was going to say that wouldn't make this post incredibly depressing! I doubt you would have wanted that, but I know that people that are reading these posts still miss you, so I don't want to upset anyone. Frankly, after I read that sentence, it dawned on me that you know what death is like now, and, well... it sort of put this book in a whole other light for me.

Okay, attempting to move on from that depressing topic! I agree with your opening thoughts on this book. You said "I usually feel that the highest praise I can mentally (or in this blog) give a YA book is that it will make kids think. But then I read this book, which made me, a sophisticated adult reader with an actual literature degree, think." This book made me think too. It is about death, but it is also about fitting in (not something that is always easy when you are in high school) and suffering (Alaska really suffered in this book). It also got me thinking about my high school years, which were rather different than the ones presented in this book. While not necessarily as hard for me, when you are living through high school it never seems easy!

The main character and narrator in this book is Miles. He wasn't having very much success at his other school, so he goes in search of something better. While there, the very first person he meets is his roommate, the Colonel, who in turn becomes his best friend and introduces him to the crowd that would become his closest friends. At the centre of this group of friends, though, is Alaska. She really was a great character! She does very well at the beating to her own drum ideals that everyone does sort of strive for, but as we get to know her better we discover that life has not exactly been great for her. Miles might be with a wrong crowd, by some standards, but they work well together. He has friends for the first time in his young life, and he comes to care about these people.

Miles really grows in this short novel. He experiences so much in that first year at a new school that is entirely foreign to him, but it helps him grow into the person that he eventually will be. I belong to the Green fanclub, now. This is a great young adult novel and I can't wait to read more from him! I also enjoyed the addiction to 'Last Words'. It is not something that I have really thought about before, but it was a learning experience. I hope you had really great Last Words, Dewey! Who knows, someone might even write a biography about you one day!

Until next time...