It was two years ago when I last listened to this book. It was my first John Green. It was the Fourth Of July. I was on the back of a motorcycle with my ear-buds in and tears streaming down my face… ~Sheila
16-year-old Hazel Grace has stage three cancer. She is depressed and has little to do with anyone besides her parents and a couple of friends. When encouraged to go to a support group for other kids with cancer, Hazel meets Augustus Waters, the once adorable basketball hero who has lost a leg to cancer and is now in remission. The two quickly form a friendship, drawn to each others quick wit and the way they look at the hand they have been dealt in life.
As the two teens get to know each other Hazel shares that her favorite novel of all time is a book called Imperial Afflictions, a book that has left her with questions she has always wished she knew. She has written the author who lives in Amsterdam several times but has never heard back from him. When Augustus asks Hazel is she has used her make-a-wish yet, Hazel says she has.
“Please, please tell me it wasn’t on Disney World.” Augustus groans.
Hazel remains silent,
“Oh no! You didn’t!!!! Disney World? Really? It is so cliché!”
Hazel shrugs… “I was 13”
Turns out though, Augustus has not used his wish.
Why did I choose to listen to this book again? If you have to ask…. clearly you have never read or listened to this book. 🙂 John Green writes a powerful story of two young people with cancer brought together by circumstance but soon it gowns into something more.
This story is written so beautifully you just fall into it and I listened to the 7 hour audio in one day during the recent on-line read-a-thon. It is beautifully narrated by Kate Rudd. And while yes it is a book about two kids with cancer, it is also very witty, very funny, very passionate…. as a reader you do not drown in sorrow, instead you embrace the lives of these two amazing people.
A quote from the book:
“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”
That’s the way I feel about this book. If you have not read it… READ IT. If you have read it…. READ IT AGAIN. The movie is coming out this year… I can not wait!
Fun fact about author John Green: After announcing he would sign all 150,000 copies of this title’s first print run, it shot to the top of Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s best-seller lists six months before publication.
Book Journey 
I so agree! I’ve listened twice now. I just may try to experience it in print, but Kate does such a fantastic job, it will be hard.
I have it in print… maybe that’s the way I go next time around 😉
I have yet to read a book by John Green but I really want to read this one. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it.
This is a great one to start with!
Oh my word, this must surely have a sad ending. I don’t think I could listen or read it, I’m too much of a baby when it comes to sadness
Its a good read Ruth and the whole book isn’t sad, in fact there is quite a bit of funny in it. It is written really well so it does not become overpoweringly sad.
Phew, that’ good then 🙂
Great review Sheila. I think I should read this book again now.
YAY!!!! 😀
How do you pick from an audio book vs. hardcover/paperback? Do you think your experience would be different from reading it on your own compared to listening to a stranger’s voice read it?
I have heard if this author but haven’t given him a go yet. Maybe the next time I request books.
John Green is fantastic!!! I have listened to all of his books on audio! I tend to pick a lot of audio because I can get to it faster than I can books (audio books can read to me while I do other things – cook, clean drive…) As far as choosing which way to go – that is an excellent discussion! Sometimes when I hear an audio version is excellent, I will choose that because reading the book and listening to it can give you two different experiences 🙂
Ok, ok… I’ll read it! I have it, I just keep forgetting about it.
LESLIE (I wish I knew your middle name!) You have never read this????? I am shocked! Get on that! Then tell me about it 😀
I listened to it last year. Good audio.
My daughter just read this one and loved it, and it was the first book to make her cry. She doesn’t cry at anything, so I figured it must be good. She wants to see the movie with me when it comes out, so I better make time to read it before then.
Very interestingly I cried a lot too. My 13 year old daughter cried once and kept telling me “of course it’s sad, they are dying”. My son’s 15 year old female friends thought it was totally overedged and not how teenagers would react. No tears at all!!!
Wow about the teenage girls! I didnt see that coming 😯
Thanks for a convincing review!
Some books are just easy to talk up 😀
Ahhhh…. you MUST read this!
My favorite favorite book read in 2012. I too listened to the audio, amazing! Now I own the print book so I can reread at any time. I’m wondering if the movie will live up to my expectations. I just saw the trailer this weekend.
Sounds so good…I HAVE to read it.
THANKS for your great post.
Elizabeth
I read it last year and enjoyed it – can’t wait for the movie!
Sue
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There were too many feels for me in this book. I couldn’t possibly read it more than once. Unless it was the only book left on the shelf…
It’s a great book !