Finally Getting Around to Reading TFiOS

To preface, I'm going into the book objectively and trying to keep an open mind. With my last attempt at "teen fiction that's not like everything else" (Divergent), it turned out to be like everything else. I also have a prejudice with how it seems like it portrays people growing up with terminal illness (mostly from looking at the movie trailer) because I went through that.

First, there was sexy vampires. Then came sexy zombies! Now, we have sexy terminally ill people (which I may be all for).

The author's note really rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. Just something about it seemed odd.

Five pages into the first chapter, I wanted the narrator to just die on the spot. Yet again, we get an insufferable "angsty" narrator who has given me no reason to care about her (this may be the first time I ever started rooting for cancer). Yes, she's sick, but she doesn't have to seem so high and mighty about it when she's discussing what's wrong with everyone else.

Please tell me that this chick goes through some sort of character change! Please tell me she evolves and actually learns a lesson. Or she dies. Either one works.

And my friends were right: the writing is pretentious as ****. Forget teenagers; I can't imagine any human being actually saying these things in any kind of real situation. Yes, it's good to have witty dialogue with zinger punchlines, but if that's all you're doing, it becomes old hat really fast.

And I know that this is just from the first chapter, but this doesn't feel anywhere near accurate from what it means to grow up terminally ill. It seems that the author had a very vague idea of what it meant and decided to run with that. Granted, I didn't have cancer, but I was knocking on death's door.

Still optomistic about chapter two though.

 

What is TFiOS? Not everybody knows every acronym ever.

 

Oh; I thought I put the actual title in my post.

The Fault in Our Stars.

 

Ah, okay. I've never heard of it.

 

I see, I see; that's odd seeing that it's freaking everywhere. There's tables at bookstores dedicated to it (as well as the author) and I keep hearing from people "ZOMG! DIS BOOK IS DA BEST EVER!!" And there's a film adaption coming out too, which is why I've decided to read it. Teen lit isn't too dificult or deep and they're quick reads, so I figured I'd be good to read just to say I did.

Got through chapter four.

Spoiler

Hazel is still annoying, but not as much. And that Isaac kid's break up; I've definitely gone through that kind of situation. That being said; I don't really care about what happened to him because we haven't seen anything with him or his (ex) girlfriend. We just got one scene, but that still didn't say much.
And that's a terrible summary of V for Vendetta. That's not what the movie was about.

 

The book is far too popular and teen angst as you've said.
I don't think I could ever read it.
Mostly because I'm just not into those types of stories.
I'd rather read stories about adult situations/real world situations.

 

I read the book last summer and was kinda meh about it. The dialogue felt unrealistic at times, quirky and enjoyable as it can be. I don't really wanna say much more since you're still reading & a lot of my thoughts on it are scattered across the whole of the book, so I'll just wait it out. There were parts I did get a little emotional at and it was a nice read by the poolside, but I don't feel strongly one way or another.

I'm excited for the movie though, just to see if I'd feel more towards it in a different medium.

 

I would have to agree with your statement with as much as I have read. My biggest problem is that it just doesn't feel genuine, the whole "living with a terminal illness" thing. It feels very much like a plot device. And after reading this last chapter, it's fueled that fire.

Chapter Five spoiler

Spoiler

Okay, I tried not to let this bug me when it first came up, but they did something that the end that just got me pissed off. It's when they bring up the whole Genie Foundation stuff; Hazel is embarrassed because she used her wish to go to Disney World. It kind of upset me (you're embarrassed over a wish of going to an amusement park for free; oh poor you), but I tried to look past it. Then Gus's big speech at the end made me go "you know what, screw them".

Yes, I had a Make-A-Wish. I was thirteen. And I had a weeks stay at Disney World (and other Orlando, Florida attractions). Sometimes I think "Oh, that would've been nice to use my wish for instead", but I don't regret my decision one bit. I'm grateful for the time that I had, and they are memories that will last forever.

Now, this pretentious prick acts high and mighty because he's saved his wish. He goes off, practically insulting those who use up their wish at a young age for something as "artificial" as going to one of the most well known amusement parks in the world.

Well, guess what; people who use their wishes through Make-A-Wish or other Foundations usually have this happen when they're young because they don't know how long they do have to live. The key word here is "terminal". It's a big process of background checks, checking with your doctors, as well as other matters. The whole idea behind the wish is to make sure that these kids have something special in the litany of **** that they have to face day in and day out.

And sometimes kids don't go to Disney World or amusement parks. Some meet celebrities, some get treehouses, and there's a kid that wanted to make a game about fighting cancer. I would never disrespect another person's wish because that's deeply what they want, and so much more goes into planning it than many people would think.

 

Wow, this took a sharp nose dive from somewhat stupid teenage stuff to actually genuinely insulting in no time flat

 

Yeah; it randomly came out of nowhere.

Chapter seven

Spoiler

I have to give this chapter some credit. The whole grenade thing felt very real (although you don't need to be sick to go through that, but whatever). I've recently had to deal with that in wanting to start a new relationship, and why I've shied away a lot. It's also why I've distanced a lot of friends, because I don't want to hurt them when I eventually do die. I felt that it was handled well, so I do offer the book some small applause.

 

Do I strike you as a person who gets out ever?

 

My problem with John Green books is pretty much what you stated, the pretentiousness. Far be it from me to criticize that, my own writing has been called pretentious (by me) as well as my general character but there's something so painfully unreal and kinda skeezy at times about his characters. IMO Gus was completely unlikeable all through TFiOS. I did feel he romanticized their illnesses as well, I have never been seriously I'll so I could not speak from experience & my opinion should be taken with that in mind. Their illnesses do get more serious as the novel goes on but it still felt like the unfortunate occasional pitfall of John Green's books, romanticizing ****** things. I don't think there's a lot to differentiate John Green novels from the rest of YA lit besides maybe the cult that has formed around them, but then, a lot of people have an unjustly low opinion of YA lit. They're not the worst books ever but I don't really understand the following they have either.

 

I'm not sure if you wanted him to make a thread or...?

 

You've hit so many things on the head thus far for me. Because tumblr is tumblr, I've already been spoiled of one of the character's fates at the end. I'm trying to force myself to care about this person, but I can't. This character has done nothing worth giving a damn (now 125 pages in). I don't feel much for the two leads; yes they have some depth, but they have nothing worth rooting for. Give me a reason why these people should not be taken by cancer besides the fact that they have cancer.

I feel the best way to describe the two characters is one word: hipster. They have all the signs of the annoying hispter stereotype. For example, when Hazel says she's a vegetarian she says something along the lines of "because I don't want to cause any deaths". There are many good reasons to become a vegetarian (her health is the easiest answer), and even for her reasoning, there was a better way of saying it. The two main characters are not likable characters at all in the way they act and don't seem to treat other people that good either.

Being so far in, I can say that the book is well written, but its the pretentious writing and unlikable characters that really blows it for the story. I'm still hoping that it turns around though and I like it (however, being a third of the way done, it doesn't seem too likely). And I can go on for days about how unrealistic this is when it comes to terminal illness, but I think I've done it enough in this thread. All I will add is that there are numerous stories out there written by perfectly healthy people who have written or been apart of stories that have to deal with subject matter such as this. 50/50 (my favorite movie), Dallas Buyers Club. RENT. Hell, I'm even willing to give A Walk to Remember a mention. So, writing from a different perspective isn't impossible. It just has to be genuine. Make them more than their illness.

 

Just trying to inform him that a better forum than the Spam Zone exists for this sort of discussion.

 

Oh. Ok.

 

I'm glad we got that sorted out.

 

This makes me pretty discouraged to try reading any popular novels now since my girlfriend is an avid John Green fan :\

 

I would say read it for yourself, or at least the first few chapters. I definitely look at things from a different perspective. While people usually watch movies or read for the entertainment value alone, I watch/read stuff with an analytic and critical eye. My friends who say that the writing is great but the story is "eh" are the same way, and we know that we are a very niche group of people. And I have a bit of prejudice about this particular story because I've gone through what he is "attempting" to tell a story on. Also looking up his writing/storytelling philosophy, it doesn't look like I'm really going to be a fan of his.

 

Well, shit.