The Fault in Our Stars (John Green)

*****

         When asked to describe herself, Hazel Grace Lancaster would say she is a "professional sick person".  The past few years of Hazel's life have been dominated by a diagnosis of stage IV thyroid cancer.  Now a drug has stopped the tumor in her lungs from growing (at least temporarily), buying Hazel an undetermined amount of extra time.  Still, it's not a question of if Hazel will die from this cancer - it's a question of when.
         Unsurprisingly, seventeen year-old Hazel finds this more than a little depressing.  Her mother forces her to attend a Cancer Support Group in hopes that it will add an element of normalcy to Hazel's life.  Instead of finding it helpful, Hazel sees Support Group as another depressing aspect of her mostly hopeless life.  That is, until she meets the handsome and hilarious Augustus Waters.  A cancer patient in remission, Augustus understands Hazel like no one else can.  Together, the two search for meaning in a world where death looms closer than it has a right to.  

         The Fault in Our Stars was an amazing read.  The characters were fantastic: unique, spunky, strong, and real.  Hazel, Augustus, and their friend Isaac managed to turn things that should be heartbreaking into something humorous.  Their dry wit in the face of serious situations gave me a few laughs and helped to balance out the depressing nature of a "cancer book".  However, John Green didn't avoid the tough topics - Hazel faced some harsh realities and dealt with them in a believable way.  By the end of the story, you love the three friends for their strong personalities and their honesty.  This is the kind of book that opens you up to think about life, love, and death from a new perspective.  More important than that, though, The Fault in Our Stars successfully captures a piece of the human experience in a way that's both powerful and touching.  

Rating: 5/5

Completed: April 22, 2012

Gandhi (Kazuki Ebine)

***

         Gandhi: A Manga Biography tells the life story of Mohandas Gandhi through pictures.

         This biography was done well - a good quick-read for anyone who wants to know the story behind Gandhi's work without reading a long book.  Though it was nothing fantastic, I found Gandhi to be a very informative graphic novel.

Rating: 3/5
Completed: April 5, 2012


PS - sorry it's been taking me so long to get through these reviews!  I've been pretty busy with school lately . . . I'll try to keep up with the blog, but sadly, sometimes AP Euro has to come before novels.

Wherever You Go (Heather Davis)

****

         Holly Mullen tries to keep things together, even when her life is a mess.  She's in charge of her little sister and her grandfather, who has rapidly worsening Alzheimer's disease, while her mom works long hours to keep the family afloat.  She has almost no free time as she tries to meet her mother's expectations of her.  Meanwhile, Holly is still grieving the loss of her boyfriend, Rob - while his best friend starts to flirt with her.  
         Jason feels bad for Holly Mullen.  Or at least, that's his excuse for checking in with her months after the death of his best friend, her boyfriend.  He can't kid himself for long, though: Jason really likes Holly, but it's pretty obvious that she isn't over Rob yet.  Until she is, he's going to keep trying to win her heart.
         Holly and Jason miss Rob, but they have no way of knowing that he isn't quite gone.  Rob has been stuck in limbo all these months, and he wants out.  After months of searching for an escape, Rob thinks he's found one in Holly's grandfather.

         I really enjoyed the shifting perspectives in Wherever You Go.  It was great to understand each character from three different viewpoints.  I think that Holly, Jason, and Rob were all more likable than they would have been had I not been able to see how they were perceived by others.  Though sad and emotional at times, Wherever You Go was a good read with a satisfyingly happy ending.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: March 28, 2012