the fault in our stars.

I read this book with my book club and while it was short and written in the simplistic young-adult type of narration, I think we all enjoyed it. Hazel and Augustus both meet in a youth support group for adolescents with cancer. Off the bat, you love Hazel's sarcasm and biting sense of humor as well as her profound intelligence and appreciation for deep, philosophical thinking. Then you love Augustus, who meets Hazel and is immediately taken by her seeming depth and her uncanny personality.

Of course - teenagers with cancer - it's a sensitive and inevitably sad situation and the book will no doubt leave you in tears. But not before you fall in love with it. Written from Hazel's point of view, I laughed out loud several times and was very impressed at the male author's ability to take on the personality of a teenage girl - Hazel's character is different, but also realistic. When she gets angry she says things like, "What? WHAT IS THIS LIFE?" When Augustus asks her what she reads, she says "Everything. From, like, hideous romance to pretentious fiction to poetry. Whatever." Hazel and Augustus' story is romantic but just when you worry that it's getting too cheesy or shticky, Hazel says something so grounding that you remain sucked in.

This book wouldn't be for everyone, but it's definitely a good one if you, like me, enjoy a little romance tied up with big life questions and biting, witty humor. It's an easy read and if it sounds like an interesting story to you, then you'll probably love it.