The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm the kind of person who avoid sad and depressing books when I'm not in an extremely happy and relaxed mood, which I'm not right now...so I was going to pass on this book when I found out that it's about some teenagers with cancer. I mean, come on...we all have our own real life challenges and problems, who have time to read about some 16-year-olds complaining about life being unfair, unhappy and unfulfilled? However, my daughter was introduced to Green by reading his "An Abundance of Katherines", and really liked him, so I promised her to read along. I was so glad I read this book. It has just become one of my all time favorites.

The story was narrated by Hazel, a 16-year-old girl with progressive thyroid cancer that somehow weakened her lungs so she required an oxygen tank constantly. She met Augustus (Gus) Waters, a previous basketball star that lost a leg to bone cancer, at a support group. Well, of course, they were immediately attracted to each other.

The story is not about cancer, not quite. It's about love, loss, pain, hope, fear, struggle, friends, family...everything that is dear or not so dear to us. Both Hazel and Gus are mature for their age, very wise, humorous and a tad cynical. Reading their exchanges and thoughts was such an enjoyable experience, poetic at times.

"They always list depression among the side effects of cancer. But, in fact, depression is a not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying."

"I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you."

I'm not going to reveal the ending, or the middle here...which I usually don't like to do in my reviews. I will just say that anyone with a heart will definitely get something out of this book, whether if it's joy, pain or a big hole in that heart...



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Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


My teen daughter recommended this book to me, knowing that I do not read every single popular YA book, especially ones that are being portrayed as "just like The Hunger Games" or "If you like Twilight, you would like this..." I find most YA fantasies lack originality and am sick of love triangles among vampires, wolves, witches and humans... The plain looking book cover did not help convincing me, either. I can't help wondering, after reading the book, how the blue on the cover should have been Karou's hair, not her mask. However, daughter said this book is comparable to Delirium, with equally poignant and lyrical writing. She knows I'm a sucker for those beautiful narratives and couldn't resist. I couldn't.

This book is a breath of fresh air among all the other fantasy and paranormal YAs. Yes, there's an angel and a demon, but the story idea is fresh, original and creative. The conversations and writings are thought-provoking and worth pondering long after reading.

The story begins when we encounter Karou, an art student in the midst of breaking up with her worthless boyfriend. We soon realize that she leads a double life, collecting all kinds of teeth for her adoptive Father, Brimstone, in his magical shop in the middle of nowhere. We also realize that Karou speaks many different languages, is trained in martial arts and weapons. The door of Brimstone shop could lead her to anywhere in the world, and that's how she travels for her trade. A bit later, we also learn that teeth are for granting wishes. However, Brimstone made it a point not to tell Karou anything about his trade and what he uses the teeth for.

"Well, what do you use them for?"
"Nothing, I do not wish."
"Never? But you could have anything you wanted--"
"Not anything. There are things bigger than any wish."
"Like what?"
"Most things that matter."

Karou has no idea who she is and always has a feeling that she's not whole. She looks 100% human, while Brimstone and his other helpers have animal parts and they are the only family she has...then, entered Akiva. Akiva is an angel,physically perfect and attractive, who came to destroy all the portals to Brimstone's shop, since Angels and Demons have always been at war...Akiva notices familiarity in Karou and Karou is immediately attracted to him. But why?? This book is about love and hope...and did I mention the story takes place in Prague?

"I hope, child, but I don't wish. There's a difference. Because hope comes from in you, and wishes are just magic. Wishes are false. Hope is true. Hope makes it's own magic."

A 5-star book.



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