The Fault In Our Stars

If you've been following this blog for some time, you know I don't, as a rule, read sad books. None in which children die or get hurt. It's an emotional journey I consciously choose not to embark on, an emotional experience I hope to live without.

Consequently, my book club has a time and a half trying to convince me to read a book "in which something bad happens". I will ask a lot of questions: is it ultimately uplifting, do you feel enriched for having read the book, are the emotional scenes heart-wrenching, is it so good you'd read it again, does it ultimately have a rewarding ending (not necessarily a happy one, just rewarding).

John Green's The Fault In Our Stars ticks all the boxes (including the "no"-box under "are the emotional scenes heart-wrenching"). It's a beautiful book, totally worthy of reading, and I won't tell you what it's about for fear that you won't want to read it. For it is a grim topic, well handled with just enough humour and irreverence, and with a lot of heart.

10/10.