I have been reading a lot lately. Escapism. It’s a disease. Which brings us to the book I want to discuss:

This month, for book club (a group of my girlfriends who meet monthly), we are reading THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green. I had dreaded reading it. It is about a sixteen year old girl dying of cancer. I was told it was sad, but also funny. I try to avoid sad. My heart can’t take it.

I started the book and had to set it down every chapter. It was very hard to read. I have a teenage daughter. I did not know if I could go on after the first chapter.

Page twenty five. Closed book. Cried. Told myself I could read this.

Page forty. Closed book. Cried. Told my husband I could not read this.

Page seventy. I didn’t see it coming. It hit me unexpectedly. More tears. But I was committed.

Let’s consolidate the tears to pages, shall we: 99, 103, and oh, 117, you hurt, 121, 208 (I don’t know why), 259-the end of the book. But 296-297 crushed my soul.

I read the book in one day. I am going to be honest. To get it over with. It was a beautiful, well written tragedy. And I could not find the humor. I just found it so incredibly sad. Yes, the main character is perfect. He wrote a fantastic, sarcastic sixteen year old girl who is dying.

John Green is a wonderful writer. His words flow. You can picture every nuance in this girl’s life. You want her to live, even as he tells you again and again that she won’t.

If you can handle the real world and you love beautifully written words, you will love this book. I am not one of those people in the first half of that sentence.

It is very reminiscent of a Jodi Piccoult book, which I had quit reading years ago, because everything was so damned tragic.

Here are some highlights from the book:

The mother: This character was amazing. She was the character who broke my heart. She was the mother you would hope you would be in this situation.

Love story: the book is a love story. I do not want to give anything away, except to say, it obviously cannot end well.

What I got from the book:

I want to go to Amsterdam. It sounds so lovely.

Champagne sounds more delightful than it truly is.

And, why haven’t they found a darn cure for cancer all ready?

I did hug my daughter all day today. She thinks I am a total freak. Then I started sobbing. Yep, she is very pleased I read this book.

Would this be a book I recommend? I do not know…

My friends (aka adults) loved this book. Most people who have read it do.

I did not.

My eyes are still puffy as I write this. The book was very sad. Did I all ready mention that?

Yep, sad.

It is a book that sticks with you. I admire his writing. The words were beautiful. However…

I am going back to my teenage fantasy romance. Will the werewolf get the girl? Who knows. But at least it won’t break my heart.

What is a good book you are reading right now? Do you have any recommendations for me? I love to talk fiction.

P.S. Am I the only one hyperventilating with excitement over the mystery creature that washed up on Spain’s shores this week? And, that is not an oar fish! ; )