This book isn’t new, and many people have read and reviewed it before me. For that reason alone I have been avoiding it. I hate going along with the ‘popular current’ whether in books or movies.

Yesterday I broke down and finally opened the book. I was sad, hurt, happy, angry, any and all of these emotions poured through me within the hours I spent in Hazel Grace’s life.

I was struck by how much of her life, and to a lesser extent, Augustus’ life centred not around their own diagnosis but rather around making other people feel better about their diagnosis.

It broke me to see how much guilt and anger Hazel felt because she was making her parents unhappy. Something I’m going to have to think about in how I deal with my own children and parents.

The writing is raw and painful with amazing stars of brightness and clarity shining through the story. Highly Recommended.