My Rating: ★★★★★

Author: John Green

Narrator: Kate Rudd

Length: 7 hours and 14 minutes

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

 

My Review:

When you read the above publisher’s summary and decide to proceed with this book you pretty much know that you are about to go on an emotional roller coaster. However if you have read any of John Green’s previous work then you know that whatever darkness might be lurking in this book it will be upstaged by the humor, humanity, strength and the love for life of the main characters.

The Fault In Our Stars is 336 pages in print or 7 hours and 14 minutes in audio. However, it feels like a much bigger book. Not that I felt like it took a long time to finish because the complete opposite is true. It feels “bigger” because it feels important. TFIOS is the type of book that you read expecting just to be entertained only to finish it and look back realizing that this book is more than what it seamed.

You get the sense that TFIOS could help break down a lot of barriers. Barriers that are sometimes instinctively built between the healthy and the terminally ill. John Green’s experiences working as a chaplain in a children’s hospital seem to be distilled down into the pages of this book. TFIOS reminded me that sick kids are like any other kids. They most likely don’t want to be treated differently.. they probably just want to live what life they are blessed with to the fullest.

After listening to this book I loaded it onto my wife’s iPod. It was interesting to see the range of emotions she was experiencing as she listened to this book. One minute she would be near tears only to start laughing seconds later. At one of the more emotional times in the book she even told me that she almost wishes that I had never given her the book yet she couldn’t wait to finish it.

I think this is what the best books do to us. They make us feel. Then if we are lucky they provide an example of strength, character and an enduring love of life that we can only hope to emulate if we are placed in a similar situation.

Audio Production: I was an instant fan of Kate Rudd’s narration. She put forth an excellent performance in TFIOS. She managed to perfectly capture the spirit of Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters. This is the first book that I have listened to that she has narrated. I will certainly be looking forward to more of her work in the future.

Overall:  John Green has a way of developing characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters are no exception. They will live with you long after you finish this book.

Personally, I believe this is John Green’s best book yet.  TFIOS is bound to exceed expectations of nerdfighters around the world. I know this nerd was blown away!

 

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this audiobook from the publisher