The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Greetings, Dear Readers,

I apologize for taking so long to get around to writing/posting this review. Since I finished The Fault in Our Stars last week, life has been a little crazy.

I was absolutely elated when my copy of TFiOS arrived in the mail, because I was lucky enough not only to receive a signed pre-order, but also a cute little Hanklerfish.

John Green’s new book The Fault in Our Stars has already received an avalanche of critical acclaim in the press and all over the online community. Lev Grossman (who’s book I shall be reviewing next) wrote a flattering review for Time that was released the other day. You can find a small taste of that review here: http://tinyurl.com/84g24cu . The book has made Green a #1 New York Times bestselling author. In summary, people are freaking out about this book. And let me tell you, everyone is spazzing out for a good reason.

Just read it.

The Fault in Our Stars is fantastic. It is achingly honest and sublime. The story Green tells is both beautiful and terrible. Without a doubt, it is his best novel to date. Having read all of John Green’s published work, I was blown away by how much his writing has matured. TFiOS is the golden child of his work; it truly outshines every other book he has written.

Just read it.

I actually went into the book not knowing much about the plot line because I just really love surprises in general and I hate how expectations often get in the way. All I knew was that it was written from a young girl’s point of view, and that this girl was terminally ill. But The Fault in Our Stars is so much more than your typical (and predictable) Nicholas Sparks novel. John Green has proven, in this novel, that one can write about love, loss, death and what it feel like to be alive without using a single cliche. The novel is nerdy and quirky, hilarious, heart-breaking, and so many other things. I would have bookmarked every page if I hadn't run out of sticky notes. Every word of this novel is staggeringly quotable and I don't want to forget a single line.

Just read it. 


Bookishly yours,
Vanessa

Anna and the French Kiss & Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

This post is coming from a guest book reviewer, my very own sister Amanda. She is as much of a book nerd as I am and I think you will enjoy her two-part review. (I promise I'm not getting lazy already, a review for The Fault in Our Stars should be up in a few days!)

Bookishly Yours,

Vanessa

Because Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door are companion novels, this review comes to you in two and a quarter parts.

Part One: Anna and the French Kiss

My first thought when I grabbed this book was, “What is going on with this cover?” Let’s face it, the Stephanie Perkins books do not have the most sophisticated book jackets (Fortunately, this is easily remedied by taking off the book jacket). Not so easily remedied is the hideously cliche title. Perkins' writing is smooth and eloquent, with much deeper tones than your typical young adult book. It is a shame that the title gives off the aura of a terrible teen romance book (which it is, only sans the ‘terrible’).

    Anna Oliphant's story is a good old coming-of-age tale with a travel twist as Anna leaves the comforts of Georgia for an American boarding school in Paris. As a up-and-coming author, Perkins is quite skilled in capturing the true spirit of growing up.

    Besides the awful cover, and the terrible title, I absolutely loved the book. I read it twice. The story is told from Anna’s point of view, which is sharp and hilarious, I laughed aloud in the library more than once—much to the annoyance of the other library patrons. I don’t want to give anything away, just trust me, and try to forget about the cover and title. It may seem silly, but just read it, you’ll thank me. 

Part Two: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Alright, Lola and the Boy Next Door suffers the same awful book cover case as Perkins’ previous novel, as well and the equally off-putting title. I made the mistake of reading the inside cover that babbled on and on about Lola and her oh-so-difficult  middle class, first-world problems. But as I stood there in the book store—novel in hand—I took a deep breath and put my faith, and eighteen dollars, into Stephanie Perkins’ capable hands.

    Lola and the Boy Next Door reads similarly to Anna and the French Kiss, but honestly I think Anna and the French Kiss was a little better. Both were lovely, but Lola and the Boy next Door just didn’t ‘wow’ me in the way Anna and the French Kiss did. Still, I would recommend it, as it was just as funny and well-written. 

    What I love most about Perkins’ writing is how humorous it is, yet with characters that are still deeply relatable and dynamic (no static Bella Swans here). Therefore, despite the major qualms I have with the façade of the books, I absolutely love the characters—even the supporting characters have a spark to them—and totally recommend both novels. 

—Amanda