Review: The Fault in Our Stars

SPOILER ALERT:  This is a review of the book (and a small one on the movie) "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green.  I may or may not give away important details of the story, but I won't spoil the ending, so if you don't want to know anything, you've been warned! :)

So this is getting MAJOR hype lately, because of the movie release.  I'm very into medical drama/angsty/heart-wrenching stuff (I read Lurlene McDaniels as a teenager and have a longtime love of Lifetime movies), so it seemed right up my alley, but I know there had to be something more for it to be so mainstream.  Twin saw the movie last week and we're planning on seeing it together asap, but on a whim, I decided to snag a copy of the book yesterday on the way back to work from Physical Therapy.

Obviously, since I've barely had the book for 24 hours, I liked it.  In fact I loved it.  It's beautiful, sad, and really well written.  These kids (they are like 16) are not your average kids.  Not only are they living with cancer, but they speak in a way that is both mature for their age and almost of another time, which is very charming.  The banter between Hazel and Augustus is funny and sweet.  She's considered terminal and he has been in remission for awhile when they meet at a cancer support group he's attending with a friend.  She resists his attention at first, because she considers herself a "grenade", that when she dies, all it will do is hurt anyone around her that cares for her, so she tries to push him away, but he won't let her.  He says:

"You realize that trying to keep your distance from me will not lessen my affection for you."

She finally accepts that this is the truth and begins to let herself feel something for him:

"As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once"

In his words:

"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."

Later, she admits she doesn't regret letting herself love him:

"and only now that I loved a grenade did I understand the foolishness of trying to save others from my own impending fragmentation: I couldn't unlove Augustus Waters. And I didn't want to. "

And finally, she gives herself up to it.

"But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful."

Intense, right?  And just unbearably sweet.  It's a really really beautiful book and I won't spoil the ending here. 

Bottom line, I definitely recommend reading this! 

Twin and I went to see the movie and it was also excellent.  Unlike so many movies that were books first, very little is changed and cut from the story.  Minor things were cut, slightly rearranged to mesh two scenes together and things like that (hey, it's a 313 page novel condensed into a 2 hour and 6 minute movie), but overall very little was changed.  I was pleased that just about every one of my favorite quotes from the book were used verbatim in the movie.  The actors were charming and witty and of course it was heartbreaking.  There were even a few parts that were changed (lines embellished and the like) that I was thinking 'It wasn't like that in the book but I like it!'  The egg scene (“You see, we may not look like much but between the three of us we have five legs, four eyes and two and a half working pairs of lungs but we also have two dozen eggs so if I were you, I would go back inside.” Embellished from the book and ingeniously so!) and even the last spoken words in the movie were changed from the book, but it was true to the story and enhanced it in a lot of ways.  SO!  Movie--Also highly recommended!


Quick update on me:  Not noticing any real effect from the meds I'm on or the physical therapy, but I'm being good and doing both.  1 week until my rhemotologist appointment.  Thanks for your lovely comments from last entry!  I'm hoping for answers and yes, not scary ones! :)

Make Lemonade

22 weeks pregnant!  Baby boy is the size of a papaya.  I need to check one out at the store, since I'm not familiar with them.

Today, I had a pregnancy craving.  I wanted lemonade.  I went out to get some lunch at a local deli.  I ordered my sandwich and grabbed a cookie to go with it.  I paid for my lunch and realize I'd forgotten to tell the cashier I wanted a cookie.  Oh well, I figured I'd just put it back.  But then the very nice lady behind me insisted on buying it for me--did she spy my baby bump?  So nice, right?  So I got my food and a nice big glass of lemonade and left feeling pleased.

That feeling was short-lived.  I pulled into my parking space at work and my lemonade tipped over and the Styrofoam cup was impaled by an unknown object.  A horizontal geyser of lemonade poured out of the hole and spayed around the interior of my car, filling the cup and change holders and soaking the carpet beneath the radio.

I stopped and threw my door open, holding the cup outside.  After a moment I realize it was a lost cause, so I opened the lid and poured out the contents.  Then I pulled the rest of the way into the space and cleaned up the sticky mess as much as I could.

*sigh*

I went into work and ate my lunch, sans lemonade.  About 2 pm I realized I still really wanted some, so I made the long walk to the back of building to the vending machines.  We almost always have lemonade.  Not today.  Orangeade yes, lemonade, of course not.

*sigh*

But now you'll excuse me because my husband has just returned with dinner and a big glass of lemonade.

*happy sigh*

ETA:  I'm very sad to report that Bob Evans has the most horrible lemonade I've ever tasted.  Even sugar did not help.  They also forgot my cole slaw and prepared a completely inedible BLT.  I lose today.

Year in review

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Got Knocked Up!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't think I made any. I probably wanted to lose weight. Which I did. Then I gained some back. Then I got preggers and lost a bunch. Now I've gained some. So all in all I'm around where I started.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Lots! My s-i-l and a bunch of friends and friends of friend. And I will pretty soon.

4. Did anyone close to you die? My grandma.

5. What countries did you visit? the great land of nowheresville

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? A new career path and a baby.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? The day in May when I found out I was pregnant.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? the baby.

9. What was your biggest failure? work I guess

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I've been sick to death from pregnancy, but other than that...

11. What was the best thing you bought? nothing springs to mind. I guess the Explorer, cause now we have two cars.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My family for putting up with pregnant me.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? many many people

14. Where did most of your money go? living expenses

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? baby

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Fall for You by Secondhand Serenade

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer? Probably happier, a lot fatter but that's cause of baby, and about the same

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? dunno

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? dunno

20. How did you spend Christmas? at home, then f-i-l and s-i-l

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? I am

22. What was your favorite TV program? Project Runway, ANTM

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? nah

24. What was the best book you read? i read to many to remember

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Taylor Swift

26. What did you want and get? baby

27. What did you want and not get? a new job

28. What was your favorite film of this year? was juno this year

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I don't think I did anything exciting. I turned 26

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? money and not having to work

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? comfy? fits? good to go

32. What kept you sane? family and friends

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? fancy? Lol

34. What political issue stirred you the most? I'm not into politics

35. Who did you miss? my grandma, grandpa and Aunt Ruth.

36. Who was the best new person you met? I haven't met anyone really significant

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. letitgo

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “I been spending way too much time checking my tongue in the mirror/and bending over backwards just to try and see clearer.” (Can't top that)

Harry Potter and the Obsession of My Life

SPOILER ALERT!! IF YOU HAVE NOT YET FINISHED THE NEWEST HP BOOK OR SEEN THE NEW MOVIE AND PLAN TO, DON'T READ ON!


Now that both the 5th movie and the 7th book have been released, I am somewhat obsessed with Harry Potter. Truthfully, I am nerd about the series, having read all the books, seen all of the movies and spent a good deal of time reading websites, blogs, and companions dedicated to the series. I also kick ass at the HP Scene It game.

The Movie
I saw the movie the day it opened. I was very excited, as Order of the Phoenix is one of my favorites. I had seen a few clips and trailers, including enough to make me look forward to seeing the cast again, joined by several amazingly well cast others. Imelda Staunton was a wonderfully evil and her "hem hem"s were spot on. Evanna Lynch was indescribable! Exactly as I had pictured Luna! I just loved her performance--everything from her slightly breathy voice to her physical mannerisms. I was also quite happy with Helena Carter's maniac portrayal of Bellatrix Lestrange and Natalia Tena as Tonks, though I would have liked to see a lot more of Tonks because she's one of my favorite characters.

I felt pretty happy with the choices made on what to cut and what to change. The whole movie felt a little rushed, but OOTP is the longest of the series and as much as I would have loved a 7 hour movie, it wasn't to be. I was disappointed that the hospital scene was cut--actually the whole snake attack was very abbreviated, glossing over the topic of Harry seeing into Voldemort's mind. I was also thrown by the immediate Occlumency lesson.

I loved the scene in the Ministry. The interactions between the DA and the Death Eaters was good and the sets were pretty remarkable, though I missed seeing other rooms in the ministry. Sirius' death was appropriately heart wrenching. The fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort was also slightly disappointing, but still thrilling. All in all, the movie was very good. I also was happier with Michael Gambon's portrayal of Dumbledore this time around. I've never been his fan, I loved Richard Harris--he was exactly what I pictured Dumbledore to be. But he wasn't so high strung this time around and I hope he continues on this path.

The book
LOVED. LOVED THE BOOK. I waited in line at midnight at a local grocery store (I'm hardcore, I don't want to party, I want to get home and read) and stayed up until 5 am reading, at which point I made myself go to bed because I knew I wasn't really grasping what I was reading. I got up around 8:30 and read until I finished. I have to say, I was worried as I started, because the first several chapters were so intense and emotional that I found myself sheepishly wondering if I could handle what was to come. I know, I'm a nerd. But it's only a tribute to JK Rowling's work--she has truly made people fall in love with these characters. I truly cared what happened to them.

The concepts continued to impress me--the twists of the remaining horcruxes and the discovery of the deathly hallows. Rowlings plot twists and teasers intrigued me and each death was like a punch in the stomach. I was particularly moved when Dobby died--Partly because I named my cat Dobby (the house cat, instead of house elf) and partly because of the sweetness and poinency (real word? Whatever) of the moment. It was a joke in book 2 about Harry asking Dobby to stop saving his life and here he was again, making the ultimate sacrifice to save Harry and the others.

The other moment that choked me up was when Harry was entering the forest, preparing to sacrifice himself and he used the resurrection stone to bring back his parents, Lupin, and Sirius. His words to Lupin, expressing his sorrow that he'd been taken from his newborn son far to early were so sad. After all, Harry knows exactly what it will be like to be Teddy Lupin, having lost his parents as a baby as well. such an interesting parallel.

Was the book perfect? No. I felt some deaths were not needed and wasn't wholly satisfied with the epilogue, although hearing that Rowling plans to write a companion encylopedia makes me feel better about not hear what other characters ended up doing. All in all, I got the gooshy fairy tale ending I wanted. I'm sad to see the end of the series but I enjoyed it.


***End of geek post for the day***