Am I the only one who hates this book with burning passion? Showing 1,001-1,050 of 1,640

[Mochaspresso]

Sara wrote: "@Mocha I don't think the fact they let him go on the trip is unrealistic. You're acting as if the boy did not have cancer and was not facing death, Mocha. You must understand this situation is diff..."

Yes, he's facing death. So? Not taking the trip would not have magically and miraculously stopped him facing from death anymore. He was already doing that and his treatment was deemed to not be working. He would continue to do that no matter where he physically was.

I am actually responding directly to things that you and others stated that you thought were unrealistic. Amsterdam is a major city...not a deserted uninhabited island in the Bermuda Triangle. People who require oxygen like Hazel can and do fly. Many of the major airlines have provisions in place for people like Hazel. They have to do a lot more advance planning than the average healthy person, but it most certainly can be done. Some said that a nurse would have been necessary. I disagree. A nurse would have been NICE...however, not necessary. Huge difference to me. Some said that the parents wouldn't have agreed to something like that and that many teens might not be able to relate. I disagree. Some parents cut the cord and allow their kids some freedom. You say that the Van Houten was unrealistic. However, the idea of an alcoholic embittered bat shit crazy writer is not unrealistic to me. History has never seen any of those? JD Salinger? Ernest Hemingway? Jack Kerouac? Sylvia Plath? Hunter S. Thompson? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Stephen King?

TFIOS is a work of fiction but I don't agree that certain aspects of the story are as completely unrealistic as you and others seem to be claiming.

[Mochaspresso]

Sara wrote: "Mochaspresso wrote: "Sorry, but you are uninformed if you believe that going on vacation for a few days was unrealistic for Hazel and Gus because of their illness. People sicker than they were ar..."

My apologies if certain responses to you should have been actually directed at other posters. I'm talking to more than one person in this thread. No one should take anything that personally. It's just a discussion. If it doesn't apply to you specifically or in particular, again, I am sorry.

[Sara]

Mochaspresso wrote: "Sara wrote: "@Mocha I don't think the fact they let him go on the trip is unrealistic. You're acting as if the boy did not have cancer and was not facing death, Mocha. You must understand this situ..."

I'm not saying that it was impossible or not right for him to go on the trip, and I'm honestly laughing at your replies right now. You are completely dodging my questions and condemning me for things I never said lol. All I'm saying about the trip is that it unrealistic that his parents let him go without them going along. Yes, he was terminally. Death was inevitable. Exactly. If he could die at any minute, wouldn't his parents want to go? After all, he could die while in Amsterdam. Wouldn't his parents want to be there? They could have been going to just New York, I don't give a damn. Their son's life was ending. He could die at any given moment, they would surely want to share his last moments with him.

Also, I never even used the word "nurse" in this entire discussion so don't come at me with that claim.

I said absolutely nothing about the author being alcoholic, you're delusion. I just said what are the chances they meet the author then after Gus dies, that author comes to visit his grave and have a chummy conversation with Hazel. I'm sorry, but if you think that sort of stuff happens daily, you're living in another world.

[Sara]

Mochaspresso wrote: "Sara wrote: "Mochaspresso wrote: "Sorry, but you are uninformed if you believe that going on vacation for a few days was unrealistic for Hazel and Gus because of their illness. People sicker than..."

It's whatever, honestly.

[Emma]

Ok, I'm going to add my two cents. I do agree with the others that the trip pushed a lot of bounds but at the same time I don't think it's entirely unrealistic. Whether they had a nurse would depend on the level of care they needed. Not all cancer patients need the same level of care. My grandma needed someone with her 24/7, but my uncle was working a hard physical job just 5 days before he died of cancer. A lot of people live with cancer with few or no symptoms even in the last stages, it's the treatment that makes them sick. In the Netherlands most people speak at least a little English. There would be plenty of hospital staff who spoke English. If Hazel's mom has Gus's medical record with her and was fully aware of his situation, honestly that may have been enough. She was experienced in dealing with medical emergencies. She didn't leave them alone, they were together, they had cell phones, and knew what to do in an emergency.

I can understand why Gus' parents let him go. Think about it from this angle: your son fought cancer for a long time, he's just relapsed and it doesn't look good. The only thing he really wants is to take his girlfriend on this meaningful trip, to get one last time to be "normal" and do something for someone he loves. You know he won't be able to go once he starts treatment and may not survive treatment. This is his only chance. In less than a year he will be old enough to smoke, vote, get married, and fight in a war. Is it really fair to force this man to give up his one wish in life because you are scared? If they hadn't let him go he would have spent the rest of his life filled with regret. What parent would want that for their kid? At some point parents have to step back and let their kids decide for themselves. I think for Gus' parents this was one of those times. I'm pretty sure that if I were in Gus' situation my mom would have let me go. The one caveat: I do not think she would have let me go without her coming along. That I do find hard to believe, but not impossible.

[Mochaspresso]

Aly wrote: "I don't mind that you disagree, I definitely mind that you're telling us we're wrong and uninformed. I, for one, am not uninformed. I'm saying that letting them go on the trip without medical supervision was unrealistic. You may not see the doctors looking after the people climbing mountains but they are most likely there. Someone who is on the verge of death cannot go away, even for a few days, without a nurse. It's ridiculous and unrealistic.

And yes, I do think it was uncalled for because I know that if you were in Siobhan's position and you were going through what she went through, you probably wouldn't have thought about it that way. When your life is at risk, you want to preserve it. It's easy for you to say, "I would've done this, this and that" but the fact of the matter is, you can't snub someone for not doing that because you will never (hopefully) go through what they're going through.

No, I don't see how TFIOS was life inspiring at all. There have been quite a few people on this thread with illnesses that saw the book as an insult and I agree. Hazel wasn't living life to the fullest before because she didn't want to, not because she wasn't inspire to. She was a selfish brat in the beginning and carried it on throughout the book. The only reason she did go to Amsterdam is because Augustus used his only wish on her. Nothing about the book was inspiring at all. Hazel wasn't inspiring and Augustus wasn't either. It's a cheap cop-out of a novel that could've been a lot better if Green had actually put a little bit of thought into it.


Professional climbers have sponsors who pay for the doctors. I'm not just talking about professionals. I'm talking about average joe/jane hobby guys and gals, too. I jog and work out at the gym along side with people who are terminally ill all the time. They don't all carry around doctors and nurses with them everywhere they go. Not all of them actually need to. If the trip had taken place toward the end of the novel, Gus would definitely have needed medical supervision. He wasn't at that point yet when they took the trip, though. It wasn't necessary at that point. Him not having a nurse at that point was not unrealistic to me. Perhaps you should define what you mean by "on the verge of death". I didn't consider Gus to be on the verge of death during his trip to Amsterdam. He was sick, but he wasn't on his deathbed yet.

Having had a very risky pregnancy, I think I do actually know what it is like to value something more than my own life. I know exactly what it is like to have people tell you that you can't do something and I know what it is like to set your mind to doing something that no one actually thought that you would be able to do.

You are right about Hazel being a selfish brat in many way. I thought she was a typical angsty teen as well. I actually kind of liked that about her character. I liked that she wasn't perfect and had character flaws. I also think that she does go through a significant change at the end. She values the concept of living life in the moments that you do have and creating lasting memories.

[Sara]

@Emma Yeah, I totally agree, but I just think that his parents would've wanted to go along since he only has so long before he dies.

[Siobhan]

Mochaspresso wrote: "Having had a very risky pregnancy, I think I do actually know what it is like to value something more than my own life. I know exactly what it is like to have people tell you that you can't do something and I know what it is like to set your mind to doing something that no one actually thought that you would be able to do."

I've been pregnant too. There's a very big difference with a scary pregnancy and a terminal illness. Being told you shouldn't have a glass of wine because it *might* harm your baby's development is in no way comparable to being told that without following medical instructions perfectly, you risk your own life.

I'd love to touch on a lot of other things you've said, but I don't think you'd fully understand. Please just leave it at you, being as able-bodied as John Green, have no real and true understanding of what it's like to be in the situation he tried to create for Hazel and Augustus, and the ignorance your spouting is actually really hurtful to a lot of people on this thread.

[Siobhan]

@Aly, thanks for all the things you've said, I can see where you're coming from completely :)

@Sara agreed. It's not even the case that they couldn't go because they need to take care of his sisters, because both his sisters are much older and married. There was no real restraints for them not going, except that John Green didn't want to burden himself by having a larger gathering of people on the trip than necessary. How else would they have had sex (the first time they ever kissed no less) if his parents weren't there?

[Mochaspresso]

Siobhan wrote: "I've been pregnant too. There's a very big difference with a scary pregnancy and a terminal illness. Being told you shouldn't have a glass of wine because it *might* harm your baby's development is in no way comparable to being told that without following medical instructions perfectly, you risk your own life.

I'd love to touch on a lot of other things you've said, but I don't think you'd fully understand. Please just leave it at you, being as able-bodied as John Green, have no real and true understanding of what it's like to be in the situation he tried to create for Hazel and Augustus, and the ignorance your spouting is actually really hurtful to a lot of people on this thread.


Actually, my difficulties were far far worse than being warned "to not drink wine"--a generic warning that is given to all pregnant women-- but whatever. s'all good now. John Green worked as a chaplain in a children's hospital and Hazel's character was inspired by a real patient that he was acquainted with. It is true that I've only experienced cancer through the lens of observing others. My father survived prostrate cancer and my aunt survived breast cancer. I've watched a close friend die of lymphoma, had a co-worker die of pancreatic cancer and I've watched others who were terminally ill climb waterfalls and pump iron and train for marathons and do countless other "normal" things. I know that there is isn't any one single or definitive "cancer story". I honestly do believe that if people think that TFIOS was completely unrealistic or offensive, it might be simply because they lack the ability to see anything else beyond their own personal experiences and impressions.

[Emma]

Sara wrote: "@Emma Yeah, I totally agree, but I just think that his parents would've wanted to go along since he only has so long before he dies."

Was he diagnosed as terminal before the trip? I thought that wasn't until after the trip. Even if he wasn't terminal, I do find it odd that his mother wouldn't insist on going, since something could have happened on the trip. I think Hazel's mom was competent to take care of it, but I know my mom wouldn't want me to potentially have some kind of medical emergency with her 5,000 miles and an ocean away. If he was diagnosed terminal before the trip I find it incomprehensible that both his parents and probably his sisters wouldn't have gone with him.

[Emma]

Siobhan wrote: "@Aly, thanks for all the things you've said, I can see where you're coming from completely :)

@Sara agreed. It's not even the case that they couldn't go because they need to take care of his siste..."

I agree, it was convenient for him to leave Gus' mom at home. I thought it was weird that the parents in the entire book were treated like an afterthought. They weren't abusive, neglectful, or absent parents so the lack of involvement in their kids' lives was really unrealistic.

[Mochaspresso]

Emma wrote: "Sara wrote: "@Emma Yeah, I totally agree, but I just think that his parents would've wanted to go along since he only has so long before he dies."

Was he diagnosed as terminal before the trip? I t..."

I'm pretty sure that his relapse was diagnosed before he left and that was what he and his mom argued about. I do agree with you about his Mom not going....but then again, when my aunt had her surgery, her husband didn't take off work even though he wanted to because his medical was covering her and he wanted to save his days in case he'd need them later on. I know all about saving days myself. My mom and grandma was with her at the hospital, though. She wasn't all alone. I don't remember that the book addressed why his parents didn't go....but I didn't think that them not going was completely unrealistic for that very reason. It could have been possible that they wanted to go but couldn't for some reason but didn't want to deny him the experience just because they couldn't accompany him.

[Emma]

Siobhan wrote: "I've been pregnant too. There's a very big difference with a scary pregnancy and a terminal illness. Being told you shouldn't have a glass of wine because it *might* harm your baby's development is in no way comparable to being told that without following medical instructions perfectly, you risk your own life."

I know what you are trying to say, but you should be aware that you sound very hurtful and naive yourself. Many pregnant women have to follow medical instructions perfectly or risk death. A friend of mine had severe pre-eclampsia and was placed on bedrest with a strict diet and medication for the last trimester and was in the hospital under close observation for the last couple of weeks. If she had failed to follow those guideline she could have had a stroke and risked not just her own life but her baby's.

Is it the same as having cancer? Maybe not, but Mocha didn't elaborate on her condition, so it may have been a lot more similar than you think.

[Emma]

Mochaspresso wrote: "Emma wrote: "Sara wrote: "@Emma Yeah, I totally agree, but I just think that his parents would've wanted to go along since he only has so long before he dies."

Was he diagnosed as terminal before ..."

I know his relapse was known before the trip, I was asking whether they had given his prognosis as terminal yet. When you are diagnosed with cancer you don't always know the prognosis immediately. It takes awhile for the doctors to evaluate all of your records and tests.

Most cancer patients undergo a lot of tests and procedures so understandably not every family member can attend all of them, but this trip was a bit different. I find it hard to believe a mother or father wouldn't want to share that with her/his son and be there in case something happens, but as I mentioned before, it's not entirely unrealistic. If he's terminal though? It depends on long the prognosis is, but if it's less than four months I find it nearly incomprehensible that at least one of his parents or siblings wouldn't be there.

[Emma]

Aly wrote: "@Mochaspresso: You're obviously not going to see where I'm coming from or even try. Just because you work alongside those people doesn't mean you have an insight into their lives. It could quite ea..."

In the States by the time you need a nurse/nurse's aid round the clock you are going to be in a hospital or hospice center. If you need care 24/7 and your family won't or can't provide it you will be placed in a nursing home. Private nurses are very expensive and most people cannot afford them, even for one special trip. If Gus was bad enough to need a nurse the Wish foundation would have provided one. The fact that they didn't shows that he didn't need one. I, unfortunately, have lost a lot of friends and family to cancer in the last few years (more than 10) and some to other life-threatening illnesses and none of them had a nurse by their side 24/7. A few of them even took trips on their own and it wasn't an issue. Since this book was set in the States I don't think it's unrealistic that he wasn't provided a private nurse to go with him. Though I agree it's surprising that no family members went with him. Even if his parents couldn't, he had older sisters and brothers-in-law. And what about his aunts, uncles, and grandparents? Even older cousins. It's just weird.

[Siobhan]

Emma wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "I've been pregnant too. There's a very big difference with a scary pregnancy and a terminal illness. Being told you shouldn't have a glass of wine because it *might* harm your baby'..."

My own pregnancy was difficult, and my sister has pre-eclampsia, but maybe I wanted Mocha to know just how hurtful she's been in this thread.

[Mochaspresso]

Emma wrote: "Mochaspresso wrote: "Emma wrote: "Sara wrote: "@Emma Yeah, I totally agree, but I just think that his parents would've wanted to go along since he only has so long before he dies."

Was he diagnos..."

Oh, I see what you mean. I don't remember that the book specifically said that his diagnosis was terminal at that point. Only that he "lit up like a christmas tree"--his pet scan revealed that the cancer had returned and had spread. I inferred that he may have been because he said they were doing palliative chemo and it didn't seem to be working.

I totally get what you're saying about the fact that his parents didn't go. The book never says why. I guess I'm deliberately choosing not to vilify them without fully knowing their situation and reasons first. I don't want to go so far as to call their not going "incomprehensible" or "unrealistic" when I don't know all the facts. Especially if those reasons turned out to be financial or work related. Hazel's mom doesn't work. (Hazel's Dad didn't go either and he cried when they returned.) It's much easier for her to take a last minute trip to Amsterdam. Speaking from the pov of a working parent, not having the luxury to fly off to Amsterdam on a moments notice is completely realistic to me. I can imagine just how tough and agonizing it might have been to make that judgment call to allow him to go even though I couldn't go with him.

[Mochaspresso]

Siobhan wrote: "Emma wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "I've been pregnant too. There's a very big difference with a scary pregnancy and a terminal illness. Being told you shouldn't have a glass of wine because it *might* ha..."

Perhaps this is one of those occasions where it's just better to speak your mind and be direct because I don't see how I've been hurtful. Before I say any more.....I'll just flat out ask you to spell it out. What exactly did I say that you found hurtful?

[Katrina]

Brooke wrote: "I've read some bad books, but never have I read such utter pretentious nonsense as this."

Agreed. This is always the word I use to describe it, but I have the hardest time explaining why for some reason... The only way I can put it is that I felt like the book was trying too hard to be deep, when all it did was present nothing new, except for a few weird quotes ("My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations"?? Who talks like that??).

Aside from that, I can only recall 2 chapters of the book I genuinely enjoyed: the very beginning, when Hazel is discussing her depression, and the "funeral" they hold for Augustus before he dies. I thought Hazel's speech was nice. Corny, but sweet.

The rest? No. I will never read this book again. The characters are not believable as teenagers (especially Augustus, what with the over-the-top dialog he has), I didn't buy into the love story (especially not from Hazel's pov), and the whole subplot with the author in Amsterdam was just really weird. I also feel like it took the reader out of the gravity of the situation they're both in and became too great the focus. I was more interested in the medical aspects of the story, and would've rather have seen more discussions with doctors, more group therapy sessions, &c. I almost feel like the heart of the issue, their cancer, took a backseat to the story, because of how much focus was put on their ill-contrived romance and the trip they take.

Idk... I mean, I can see why so many teens enjoy it and why it means so much to them, but it didn't feel real to me. I just couldn't buy into the world or the seriousness of their conditions.

[Sarah]

Reading this thread is like reading A Fault in Our Stars - a bunch of dribble.

[Sammy]

Sarah wrote: "Reading this thread is like reading A Fault in Our Stars - a bunch of dribble."

Amazing :')

[~♡Nujaba♡~]

LOL!

[NL]

THE BOOK IS RUBBISH

[[deleted user]]

Nimotalai wrote: "THE BOOK IS RUBBISH"
HORRID, UNREALISTIC, PRETENTIOUS RUBBISH!
It has no plot! At least, not much of one, and nothing that I care about.

[[deleted user]]

Neats wrote: "I wasn't blown away by this book either. It was my first John Green novel and I'm not sure that I would choose to read another one in hurry."

Same here,like I didn't even finish the book. It was good in the beginning but I just kind of fell off near the end.

[Cate]

These people who call tfios "okay" are killing me.
"Okay?"
"Okay."
And I loved it, personally, but you have your opinions.

[A]

Cate wrote: "These people who call tfios "okay" are killing me.
"Okay?"
"Okay."
And I loved it, personally, but you have your opinions."


Goody for you.

[Mrinal]

Ayesha wrote: "I happily bought the hardcover of The Fault in our stars back in December 2012 after seeing the high average GR ratings and raving reviews saying how beautiful, life-changing, thought-provoking and..."It all depends on the opinion. I found the book slow, not boring. maybe the movie version will do better. and look, no one's interested to call you with all those things..People have different opinions and we all know that

[Mj]

TFIOS is not 'pretentious'... And I DON'T think it's overrated but I'm not saying that It's "life changing".
It's not John Green's fault that readers call it "overrated", BLAME the reviewers and social media.

[Mj]

Is it a crime to be Proud of your work? haha
Clearly he didn't PM or chat all his fans just to read his novels...
But I respect your Opinion :D

[Nick]

Everyone has their own opinions and feelings about things and that's fine http://findbestsellers.org

[[deleted user]]

Charlotte wrote: "This thread has been dying lately. ):"
I know. Sad, isn't it?

[Nick]

@Aly: you're very welcome.

[Bianca]

I know I'm new, but I agree 100% that TFiOS is pretentious and ridiculously overrated, because John Green is pretentious and ridiculously overrated. The 5-6 (how-ever-many-he's-written-now) books all have the same plot and are all meant to be deep and emotional. Come on now. I think Green just likes to hear himself write. Where did I get that from? Oh wait, he said it! In the interview at the end of his audiobook. *cough*killmenow*cough*

[A]

Aly wrote: "I'm starting to think TFIOS might be one of those film..."

It may not be right to judge the movie before watching it but the trailer did show that the movie is cheesy just like the book (what else can you expect from tfios) . I'll watch it just for the sake of watching it and I'll make sure that I won't spend even a coin from my pocket for it. I'm pretty sure that if the movie becomes a blockbuster, it will be due to the support of rabid fans and not because it's a good one.

[Kaya]

The book is definitely overrated. I liked both Hazel and Gus, but they were very poorly written. It's like, their characters were scrached only by surface. The whole book is kind of platonic and lacks of depth. I also don't see any real plot and their love story isn't really epic. I would be fine with it if only the whole book wasn't about how they are star-crossed. Gus' death was emotional and the best part of the book and basically that was the only part that actually got me. The story could've been great if only it was written by some other author.

[Tuesday]

My fangirl feelings are really hurt you people are hurting me i loved this book.

[Mochaspresso]

I actually thought that TFIOS was pretentious too, but not everyone saw the pretentiousness as a bad thing. Ferris Bueller was pretentious too, but people enjoyed that about his character. Same with Holden Caulfield.

Conversely, I don't ALWAYS enjoy pretentiousness because I found "Eat, Pray, Love" to be extremely pretentious and it completely rubbed me the wrong way. I wasn't overly impressed by that book and felt it was extremely overrated. That happens. Not everyone responds to a book in the same way.

[[deleted user]]

Lizzey wrote: "My fangirl feelings are really hurt you people are hurting me i loved this book."
Then why on Earth are you reading this thread? The title clearly states that it's for people who hate the book.
You know what? Go somewhere else. We've had enough of you trolls on here already. But before you do that, would you mind taking the time to explain why you loved the book?

[[deleted user]]

Charlotte wrote: "Lizzey wrote: "My fangirl feelings are really hurt you people are hurting me i loved this book."

Lmao. No.
Is this a troll? Seriously."
Looks like it.
And I'm still upset about the title!

[Natasha]

I thought I was the only one. my friend's are all giving she shit because I didn't enjoy the book. I didn't hate it nor did I like it.

we are all entitled to our own opinions why don't people understand it. I hate when a book has so much hype you read it and are like I just don't get what it was all about.

[Siobhan]

When the bad points outweigh the good as much as they do for some of us in TFIOS, and then you see the hype? Yes, hate can be justified. We dedicated our time and attention to the book too, but had little pay-off. And books are meant to cut deep into your emotions, so if we can't hate a book because that's too extreme, can you love books too? There are books I revere in much the same way that I loathe this one, because of the way they resonate or the flow of the words and the depth of research and time taken on characterisations and world-building. TFIOS falls flat in so many areas, all of which you would notice when you look back through the thread and read the comments you missed,

[Emma]

Also when you dislike a book and people are constantly in your face telling you how wonderful it is and how wrong you are for not liking it, it's hard not to start hating it. Especially if one of those people is the extremely smug, condescending, and narcissistic author of said book.

[Maria Luisa]

haha even though i disagree good job writing the review in a way that wasn't totally offensive, but stated your point

[judy]

okay. i feel ya. im a huge fan of tfios but every has their own feelings right? like im not a huge pjo fan but a lot of people are. so i feel you. but at the same time you dont need to declare to the world that you hate it since it can hurt other ppl's feelings.

[Deema AlFaris]

you're not the only one, believe me. I didn't like it either, it's overrated!

[Aileen]

I thought the book was good but not "amazing" and "life-changing" as what a lot of people claimed it to be. Plus, a lot of scenes and dialogues exchanged between characters were unrealistic. I would say that I prefer the book One Day by David Nicholls than this. That book felt much more real and compelling to me than TFIOS.

[Mochaspresso]

I saw this in the news today....

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?sec...

It's about a girl with terminal brain cancer whose classmates get together to grant her dying wishes. A prom, a graduation, a chance to meet her favorite sports team mascot and her favorite artist, Drake. They accomplished the first three and took to twitter for the Drake wish and Drake found out and made it come true.

http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2014/04/yo...

http://globalgrind.com/2014/04/13/dra...

I thought it was a nice story. It makes me think about the criticisms that TFIOS gets about what is or isn't realistic and how teens do or don't sound in real life. I'm still not entirely sure that those criticisms are necessarily valid.

[Sara]

@Mochasspresso

Okay but she didn't go all the way across the country with her girlfriend minus her parents. These are two separate situations. I don't understand why you're not able to grasp that...