It’s been a while since a book made me laugh and cry to such an extent as John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. Usually, I find books dealing with illness a bit off-putting and frankly a little depressing. However, The Fault in Our Stars managed to tackle the topic in a way that was fresh, funny and yes, incredibly touching.

Narrated by 16-year-old terminal cancer patient Hazel, the novel is a classic boy meets girl structure with a twist. The reader experiences falling in love for the first time through the narrator’s eyes. Hazel’s story is a very real account of living with a terminal illness and the author certainly doesn’t shy away from controversial or potentially upsetting topics.

I literally couldn’t put this book down. I finished it in two sittings, and it’s worth mentioning that the only reason it wasn’t just the one is because I had to go to work. For me, the most emotional part of this book wasn’t the love story between the two star crossed lovers embodied by Hazel and Augustus, it was the way that Hazel and her parents deal with her terminal diagnosis.

I cried, I laughed out loud and I was so engrossed that by the end, the characters felt real to me. The Fault in Our Stars has already attracted great reviews from critics and I’m 100% there with them. I’d definitely recommend it.