YA author John Green is certainly among the top five young adult writers publishing today. A Reader's Respite certainly would include his award-winning novel Looking for Alaska among the best YA books ever written (along with one of the few novels that ever made us laugh so hard that we peed....literally. Embarrassing, we know, but there you have it. You can read about that incident here.)
Over the years, we've also enjoyed his novels Will Grayson, Will Grayson, An Abundance of Katherines, and Papertowns. The release of his newest novel, The Fault in Our Stars, came to our attention when Huff Post Books featured the novel for their online book club. How excited were we?
So off to the library we trekked, then straight home to plop our butt on the couch in front of the fireplace (hey, it's Seattle...it's been cold and rainy for 8 months and counting) to read the entire thing in one sitting.
And how did it measure up?
A Reader's Respite turned the last page with a big, fat meh. But before you point out how sacrilegious it is to meh a John Green novel, give us a chance to explain.
Folks, this is what we call a no-win storyline. What we have are two teens with cancer. That's right, the Big C. We're not spoiling anything by saying that we knew from page one that someone was going to succumb. So the sentimentality feels rigged from the beginning. It should have been a tearjerker all the way through. Yet it wasn't. At least not for us. Our protagonists, as delightful as they managed to be, felt contrived and stereotypical. There was even the obligatory witty sidekick to round it all out. While the dialog was certainly as sharp as ever (perhaps a little too much...what are the odds of three teenagers that witty?), everything was a tad, well, predictable.
Yes, A Reader's Respite was disappointed. But that most certainly doesn't mean you will be. In fact, there's a darned good chance you might enjoy the novel. And that is why we are giving away a brand-new copy (no, we did not steal the library's copy.....who do you think we are? A literate Lindsey Lohan? Sheesh.).
Just leave a comment or tweet about it and you're entered. We'll keep this open until Sunday, April 14, and then announce a winner on Monday morning.
The Book: The Fault in Our Stars
The Author: John Green
The Publisher: Dutton Books, 2012
The Pages: 313
Source: We read a library copy. Our giveaway copy is courtesy of Mr. Reader's Respite who bought it for us not knowing we made the library exodus. His loss, your gain.
The Rating: Meh is a definite 3 stars
Yay! I am finally allowed to comment! Even on your last post it didn't work for some reason. But here I am with my big mouth. So here is the deal. I loved this book with all of my soul. I loved the characters, I loved the dialogue, it chewed me up and spit me out and I was left wanting more. I can see where you could read it and feel that it was rigged and contrived, but for me I bought into it hook line and sinker. I let it have its way with me. I was ready to stalk Green at his home in Indy. Would highly recommend the audio as well. So...oh well! Oh and by the way, I loved your last secretary but this one is even dearer!
ReplyDeleteYay! The comment problem may very well be fixed, glory be and all that. See? I knew other people would LOVE this book. And I was so upset that I wasn't one of them....arghhh. That's why I thought a giveaway was necessary....I wouldn't give away a crap book, ha. I do love John Greene and now am mad that I have to wait for his next book to fall in love all over again.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Sandy - I adored this book. Yes, the kids were witty but I felt that was a coping mechanism because of the cancer. A diagnosis like that would make you grow up awfully fast. No need to enter me.
ReplyDeleteSee? I knew I'd be in the minority here. BTW, I downloaded Life After Life after your review....can't wait to start it.
ReplyDeleteI love this book. A real tearjerker. Made me cry.
ReplyDeleteYou do have a point about the rigged sentimentality and unrealistically witty teens, but I have to admit that I lapped it up anyway! This is a gem of YA fiction.
ReplyDeleteI know, I must have ice in my veins instead of blood, lol.
ReplyDeleteI lap up anything he writes...even though I wasn't crazy about this one, I will still be first in line to buy his next book. ;)
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds interesting! So, even if I don't win myself a copy in this giveaway I'll be getting this book! Oh yes! Ha, ha! (I know, I'm a dork lol)
ReplyDeleteIf this is open to all, please count me in. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletemystica123athotmaildotcom
Of course it is, sorry I forgot to mention that!
ReplyDeleteThis great. I've been putting off reading this for a long time. I'd love to finally read it.
ReplyDeleteI too had to read a library copy, mum making me curve my spending on books :( I think it was worth more than 3 stars! I was sceptical at first, but cried like a baby at the end, Green is just an amazing author!
ReplyDeleteI loved it but I didn't cry either, I think because as you said, one is sort of "warned" at the beginning. I would have thought the dialogue to be too witty too, but for the fact that John Green and his brother Hank are uber-witty and talk just like that and probably ALWAYS talked like that.
ReplyDeleteI have not read the book yet, but I am very anxious to. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI adored this book. I welled-up at the end but thought it was well done. How anyone could write a book about cancer and still keep it positive is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteI liked the book, but my biggest issue with it was that I thought the teens seemed unrealistically witty in their conversation. Saying that makes me sound like I'm stereotyping teens, and I wouldn't want to do that. I was around some very clever teens in high school, but we weren't that quick with our verbal wittiness 24/7 like these two seemed to be.
ReplyDeleteI have this friend who has been urging me to read 'The Fault in Our Stars' By John Green for a while now.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to find any copies where I live considering that the library does not quite feed my famished literary hunger.
Thus I do hope I win this copy. Count me in ^.^
Here' my e-mail: Larina_bast@hotmail.com
I've been wanting to read this! Would love to read.
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people said to me you have to read The Fault in Our Stars... they said that it would change you ... soo i have to read now .. jijij ... but also said that you would cried like a baby jijiji hope not but who know
ReplyDeleteemail: almeqp@hotmail.com /almevk@gmail.com
twitter: @A013
I have been wanting to read this and can't seem to get a hold of a copy! This is a very good opportunity. Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThis was my first John Greene, and I was a bit underwhelmed, but everyone assures me his others are better.
ReplyDeleteI was completely underwhelmed, obviously. I would suggest Looking for Alaska as his best, but if that doesn't work for you it may just be he isn't an author that clicks with you...it happens. (And then I feel guilty if everyone else loves them...go figure.)
ReplyDeleteMe me me me! I'd love to write it. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDelete