It's Monday! What Are You Reading? The Fault In Our Stars

Hi, Readers!

       It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a blogging meme that has been tailored to fit a younger audience (children's books to YA) by Teach Mentor Texts.   As a suggestion from my fantastic blogging mentor, Melanie Meehan from Two Reflective Teachers, I decided to give it a try!
   
      This week I finished reading The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green, and I can honestly say that this book touched me in a way that few books ever have before.  TFIOS is a realistic fiction novel about a girl named Hazel who is suffering from cancer.  She is forced by her parents to attend a support group in order to make friends, and it is there that she meets Gus Waters, a cancer survivor.  The two bond instantly and share a connection that is well beyond their years.  When one of them is threatened with a major cancer remission, Hazel and Gus try to hold on to the only thing that they can - hope.

       John Green's writing style is so pure and unfiltered that everything Hazel says and does is portrayed like a movie in the reader's head.  Hazel is an astonishingly strong young lady, and although she personally does not feel as though she has any worth, she positively impacts everybody she encounters.  Also, her relationship with Gus is so strong that there is no doubt the two are perfect for one another; the only problem is that they have to fight cancer at the same time.  Lastly, I love Green's characterization of Gus's best friend, who loses his vision partway through the book.

       I can honestly say that I laughed and cried while reading this book.  Mostly I laughed because of Hazel and Gus's hilarious banters and discussions about life, but I was certainly moved to tears by the end of the novel.  TFIOS is a book that everybody should read, irregardless of age or gender.  It's relevant theme of cancer is put into a modern and realistic setting, and everybody can relate to the story in one way or another.  If you haven't yet read TFIOS, I highly recommend it.

       On a side note, I just saw the trailer for TFIOS's movie, coming out on June 6.  The trailer literally made me cry again while remembering the book, but it also brought a sense of warmth to me at how wonderful the movie is going to turn out.  The movie looks like it will stay true to the novel's story line, so if you want a sneak peak, here's the trailer:

       But seriously, not to sound like a TV ad, but READ THIS BOOK!  It is skyrocketing in popularity, and a number of bloggers are even saying it's better than Harry Potter.  TFIOS is definitely the perfect book for me to write about for my first It's Monday!  What Are You Reading?  If you've read TFIOS or have any book suggestions for me to read, please comment and let me know.

Happy reading!