Talk about a hook, right? Sorry. I couldn't resist this post's title when I did in fact find myself crying throughout the entire book I finished this Saturday night. They weren't all sad tears either- sure, there were plenty of them, but a lot of those tears were happy too. And at the end, when I put down my Kindle and lay there in bed, contemplating what I had just finished, I felt such a mix of emotions. I was happy, sad, nostalgic, depressed, enlightened- but the best part about all of it was that this book had managed to evoke such emotion from me.
I'm talking about The Fault in Our Stars, a novel by John Green, and the first of his books I've ever read. I don't want to give too much away, but the story centers around a young girl named Hazel who is battling cancer. The storyline goes into her day to day life, finding love, and tells the tale of that love. It's beautiful. It's heartbreaking. And even amidst all of the sadness of the situation's reality, I found myself smiling and laughing, tearing up over the little bits of joy Green infuses into even the saddest situations.
I fell in love with all of the characters in one way or another, and saw pieces of my own growing-up years in each of them. I felt the little strings in my heart tug as Hazel felt her own do the same, as she fell in love for the first time. I felt SO MUCH with this book- that's really the only way to put it.
The writing is beautiful, the storyline is engaging and all-encompassing, and the characters are deep and beautiful and moving. I could go on and on.
I can't recommend this book enough, and I sincerely hope all of you read it, too. And please, let me know if you do!