Sixteen year old Hazel Lancaster has been living with the tumors in her lungs for years. However, they never stopped her from living life. Now, when she meets Augustus Waters at her cancer support group she learns to live life
to the fullest. As they grow closer, they share each other's fears (oblivion) and the things they love (books.) They bond over Hazel's favorite novel,
An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten. Despite Hazel's many letters addressed to Van Houten, he never replies to fan mail. Until one day, Augustus reaches the reclusive author and an invitation to Amsterdam comes in return. Hazel knows that if she goes to Amsterdam with Augustus she will have added another causality to be affected by her grenade-like terminal disease. However, she can't help but fall for Augustus and his plan when he uses his Genie Wish (a "cancer perk") not on a trip to Disney World, but one to Amsterdam, with her. What happens during and after Amsterdam will change Hazel and Augustus forever.
This is not just your typical book about cancer. I fully expected to go into this book and read about sappy stories and tragic deaths but, instead I was left with the sweetest memories and almost a happy kind of sadness. John Green has a way of stringing his words together so eloquently that you can't help but feel like you
are Hazel. The relationship between Hazel and Augustus is a truly brilliant one, their dry humor and impeccable understanding of one another shows you what it's actually like to be a "cancer kid." Even with a love story, it feels much more than that. It's a story about true friendship and how short life can really be.
If you're interested in reading this fantastic book, check out the MMU Book Club! This is their first book of the year!
If You Liked This One Check Out: Paper Towns by John Green,
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini,
Looking for Alaska by John Green,
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
