I just finished reading the book. And I am now waiting for the train on my way to work. I decided to right the review right away, so am using my handheld (that's what they call it in the novel, right?). This is because I am such a shitty writer that once I let an idea pass, it gets lost forever.
So where are we? Oh yeah, the review..
It was somehow like "A Walk To Remember" in some ways (I consider the two 'alike but different'). On the first chapter, I was like, "Yeah, protagonists with cancer, a love story on the edge of death. So mainstream. So Nicholas Sparks." But I read it anyway, because I love 'teenager-y' stories. I finished reading it without shedding a single tear, something unusual because I am such a cry-baby over fictional characters dying, that's when I realized that this is not just your typical 'cancer-love-story'.
As readers we have this tendency to think that the emotional "effect" of a novel or work of art depends on how 'emotional' we get, or on how much we cried. I used to think so too, until my dear friend Nhil shared to me his book. I didn't cry while reading it, but it doesn't mean it didn't affect me as much.
Despite the story centered in a tragedy over the lives of two young people, there is an extraordinary humor in this John Green masterpiece. It is sad, yet fun. It is heart-breaking, yet amazing. The reason why I didn't cry is because the story has a positive aura. It focuses on happiness rather than helplessness and fear. The story is very inspiring. For me, it is not just an ordinary love story - it is a story of someone who chose to survive against all odds. A story of surviving against cancer and surviving against the pain of losing your first love.
Moral of the story: Fighting for life, pursuing a dream, loving selflessly, accepting people's flaws. What more can you ask for in a novel?
Two thumbs up!
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