Thursday 31 October 2013

The Fault In Our Stars

Eleanor isn't big on reading so I was somewhat surprised when she came home from school a few weeks ago with a book in her hands. I was even more surprised when I couldn't get her head out of it for the next forty eight hours.


The Fault In Our Stars by John Green is a book which many of her friends have read and were discussing in school. Eleanor decided that she wanted to read it, so one of her friends lent it to her. Now Eleanor isn't the fastest reader, but she finished this in two days flat, she couldn't put it down. Since reading it, she's mentioned it many times and said that she'd like to read it again, but she'd given the book back to her friend. I think when you've read some books, you can't get them out of your mind for some time afterwards, and this is obviously one of those books for Eleanor.

I decided that I'd buy a copy so that Eleanor has her own copy, but also so that I could read it too. It's actually aimed at young adults, and some of the language actually gives that away, but I enjoyed reading it.

The book is narrated by Hazel, a sixteen year old Cancer sufferer who meets Augustus Waters, a seventeen year old amputee, at a support group. To put it in a nutshell, it's a teenage love story, but it's not just for teenagers, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Be warned though, it will reduce you to a blubbering wreck.

I finished this book in bed a few nights ago. When Eleanor knew that I was on the last chapter, she laid next to me and waited patiently for me to finish, at which point, she took the book straight from my hands, took herself off to bed and started reading it again. This is the girl who seldom reads, praise for The Fault In Our Stars indeed.

24 comments:

  1. So great that your daughter loved this book, perhaps it will send her off into a whole new reading direction. I love the idea that she was laying there in wait for you to finish so that she could snatch it from your very hands as soon as you were done! That is keen indeed. xx

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    1. I hope it does. I've always tried to encourage her to read, but it's not something you can make someone do. I think I need to suss out some other good books for teens.

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  2. I'm sure that now she's read and enjoyed that book she'll seek out others to read. Flighty xx

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    1. I'd love for her to enjoy books, I love them myself and can't understand people who don't.

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  3. I've heard good things about this book and I'd like to read it too. I enjoy a lot of young adult fiction, it's really gotten very good these days. It's so much better than it was when I was a teenager. I hope to do the same when my two are older, reading the books as they do. I have saved many of my copies of the classics so that I already have one copy if/when they read the same books later on.

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    1. I agree, young adult fiction is certainly better these days than it was when I was in my teens. Another book aimed at young adults that I can recommend is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, that was another one which I thoroughly enjoyed.

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  4. That's lovely when you can both enjoy the same book and it might start Eleanor reading a little more. My daughter has been an avid reader most of her life, but with children that has slowed down a bit. She has also had some of her own short stories published in a magazine. Take care and I'll look in again next week.

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    1. I totally lost my reading mojo when the kids were little, I just didn't have time to sit and enjoy a book. Bedtime reading became a thing of the past as I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow, but it's something you come back to as the kids grow up.

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  5. Wow that is a very strong reaction to the book. To read it a second time so close to the end of the first.
    Lisa x

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    1. It's obviously captured her imagination. I just wish she'd explore some different books now rather than re reading ones she's already read.

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  6. The best thing about having a teenage daughter is being able to share our love of reading, We have similar taste in books so she tends to borrow the books I've read, Well she is a poor student you know!!!!

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    1. I wish it was the same with me and Eleanor. Perhaps reading is something she'll come to later in life. I can live in hope.

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  7. It's lovely to see children engage with books. Sounds like this story will remain with her for a long time. x

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    1. It is, I always had a book in my hands when I was young, I just wish that Eleanor was the same.

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    2. Googling it as we speak - Amazon! Wayhey!

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    3. I can recommend it, I hope you enjoy it.

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  8. That sounds like a really good read! I'll find out if any of my kids at school have read it next week. I hope that you are having a good halfterm. Jx

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    1. It seems to be a bit of a craze with teenagers at the moment so I bet you'll find lots of kids at school have read it. We've had a lovely half term, a bit quieter than usual with Daniel at uni, but lovely nontheless.

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  9. I enjoy hearing what our grand daughter is reading independently of school English Lit. studies although we're more likely to be discussing movies she's been watching (some of which were novels). It's good when a well written book becomes a talking point and encourages reading.

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    1. Definitely. I always think it's better to read a book rather than see the film of it first though. The imagination is so much stronger and I think you get so much more out of a book.

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  10. Flowers in your last post look lovely what a nice surprise to find when you open your door! I have not heard of this one, Mikayla is a big reader will have to ask her. Gabi and I just finished the 2nd Mary Poppins she really enjoyed it, its so nice when they enjoy reading.

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    1. The chrysanthemums are gorgeous, they're still going strong. This book seems to have been read by lots of the girls at Eleanor's school, Mikayla will probably know of it. I never knew there was a second Mary Poppins book, though I've never actually read the first one, I've only seen the film, which is one of my favourites.

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  11. My daughter has read this a number of times and cried. Part of her birthday box was for the rest of John Green's books. It's so lovely to see a 14 year old picking up a book rather than a Kindle to read and actually show emotion while reading. Brilliant author! xx

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    1. We've looked at the other books which John Green has written on Amazon but Eleanor isn't keen to read any of them, I wish she would. I'd love to know what your daughter thought of them in comparison with The Fault in our Stars. I agree that it's lovely to see teenagers actually connecting with books.

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