Tuesday 23 December 2014

2014

Well its nearly Christmas and it's a huge religious celebration. I'm not religious so to speak or at all, but Christmas for me isn't all about the presents or the food (even though they're both nice additions.) To me it's a time to appreciate and embrace my family.
Not soon after Christmas we have new year. 2015 is nearly upon us and I hope you have all had a great 2014 and if you haven't I hope 2015 is better for you. 2014 bought me the end of secondary school and the beginning of sixth form. I finally got to see my childhood favourite band merge with my sisters childhood favourite band to form a super group (McBusted) and preform live. Glad to say I'll be returning to  see them again in 2015. I got to finnish the Hobbit trilogy with the best company I've ever had. Most of my positives this year have been small but they all add up right?
In 2015 I hope that not only I but you guys have a great year. There is a potential idea I have of changing this blog into a daily/weekly life blog with all normal posts. It's hard to find time to read and plan and schedule posts ontop of sixth form work so if I do a post a day of my life it's easier for you guys to keep track of what I'm reading and where I'm at.
Well that's probably all I've got for you guys  for 2014. It's actually slightly emotional to be saying goodbye to a year and saying goodbye to you guys for a while. I'll be back and I hope you guys will be to.
Have a great Christmas and a very happy New Year everyone. Love all of you guys and I appreciate all your support. See you again in 2015.

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Dr Who: Engines Of War - George Mann

I was granted the amazing opportunity to read this book before its official release on  September the 9th of this year.

Consisting of 198 pages I was gripped from the very start. As a fellow Whovian I was excited to read it as soon as I was granted the rights to do so. In this book you follow The Doctor and his companion on a journey throughout the time of the tragic war between two of the most powerful existing beings of the time.
The sarcastic and spontaneous side of The Doctor is a side I've always loved of any person/character.
There wasn't anything i could possibly dislike in the story it was a great written piece and a great read.

When the book is published on the 9th of the coming month I recommend this book to sci-fi lovers and any other Whovian who happens to be reading my blog.

Saturday 16 August 2014

Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi

I have a curse
I have a gift

I am a monster
I'm more than human

My touch is lethal
My touch is power

I am their weapon
I will fight back


Juliette is special, she has a power that is lethal when she touches anything with a heartbeat. The reestablishment lock her up in a institute after she unintentionally kills a young boy. She has not touched anyone in 264 days when the book begins, but then she wakes up in her cell, but shes not alone. There is a boy she knows in the cell with her, she teaches him things she has learned in her time there so far.

The world outside of Juliette's cell is crumbling down, the birds don't fly and the clouds aren't the right colour, no one cares about her as long as she doesn't kill anyone they clearly have other things to think about. Juliette doesn't know it but diseases are destroying the population and food is hard to come by.

The people responsible for Juliette's confinement believe the only way to fix things was to throw Juliette in to the cell. But after the remaining survivors begin whispering about war do the reestablishment change their mind. They believe she is no long just a soul within a body but what they need right now. A weapon.

She goes through hell when she makes friends with her new cell mate but are suddenly split and he is found to be someone she didn't think he could ever be. But all is well when he shows her he is who she believes he is. The book ends where they find a sanctuary, where they truly belong but who was once her cell mate now her lover, he could be just like her.

Shatter me is a part of a trilogy and hopefully I can get my hands upon the other books. It is an interesting read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading. I found it hard to put the book down.













Book Rate:
4.5/5








Saturday 9 August 2014

The Hobbit - J.R.R Tolkien

Admittedly I had already watched the first 2 movies of The Hobbit, but the book is all 3 movies in one. If you haven't seen the movies or the books, it is about a hobbit who travels with a group of dwarves and a wizard to free the king under the mountains gold. Thorin Oakenshield (who is one of the dwarves traveling with the hobbit) is a descendant of the old king under the mountain, the king was killed by the mighty Smaug who took over the mountain and all of the treasure within it.

This book shows what real bravery and friendship is, it is a brilliant story especially if you like fantasy and adventure. Some found that J.R.R Tolkien had written large chapters, I didn't have a problem reading this as I was unable to get my hands upon the book so I had an 11 hour audio version of the book on Youtube playing whenever I was able to listen to it. (over a period of 3 days)

As I like the work of J.R.R Tolkien I will be having the audio versions of the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy playing whenever I have the time.

Book Review /5 :
5







Saturday 2 August 2014

World War Z: An Oral History Of The Zombie War - Max Brooks

This book consists of looking back upon the time of the Zombie war. Throughout the book there are several different stories, this format helps readers save time, if they have a short attention span they can read a story a finish for the day and read another the next day ect.

The author takes on the role of an agent of the United Nations Postwar Commission as he travels the world and holds interviews with men and women who share their survival stories, these stories give us a detailed image of what life was like for the survivors around the world and what life is like now that humanity recovers.
We get to hear a range of survivor stories ranging from everyday people trying to survive another day to the military and the tactics they use to fight against the dead.

Brooks uses real world history as well as culture, and social situations of other countries to create how they would respond in a world crisis of the like. Reading about the government responses in some countries, military actions employed, and the methods of some survivalists show us that zombies are not the only things to fear in a global situation like an outbreak. In some cases, humans can be much deadlier when they kick into survival mode.

It is hard to say that if you liked the movie you will love the book because in this case they are not so closely alike as you  would expect. However, if you like zombies you will love World War Z, and if you love social and political warfare, then you will also love this book. It has a little something for everyone whether you are a keen reader or someone who is simply in love with zombies or war stories.

 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/76/World_War_Z_book_cover.jpg/200px-World_War_Z_book_cover.jpg


Book Rating:
4/5

Tuesday 29 July 2014

An Abundance Of Katherines - John Green

"19 Katherines and counting...
When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is girls names Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.


An Abundance of Katherines is about a former child prodigy, Colin, who has always dated Katherines. He uses a road trip with his best friend as a way to recover from recently being dumped by his 19th Katherine. In honesty I read this book because I like John Green's writing style and the thought and development of his characters.

Throughout the book Colin's best friend Hassan has no problem telling Colin when he talks about things people find utterly uninteresting. Colin likes to try and talk Hassan into enrolling in college but he has not managed to be successful. Beyond both of these characters is an amusing and powerful friendship, it is obvious to see both characters are trying to have the other succeed where the other fails.

Throughout the book it is repeated about mattering to the world, some don't think the point is relevant to the plot, but I do. It is important to know you matter, even if the author has put it into his book where others think it irrelevant. The book does focus primarily on Colin ans his theorem of Dumper's and Dumpee's, this does involve math but it is a choice of yours whether to read the math part, that is what I like, you don't have to read the math part its a choice of the reader and it was enough to keep me interested in something I have not previously given much thought to.

One thing that always intrigued me throughout the book was Colin's revelation about how stories always affect us, regardless of their importance, which was tied in with his thoughts about mattering and oblivion. His belief that we can never be the person we once were because we are only the person we are now was also another thing I thought intriguing.


I love this illustration on the book cover even thought it is different to the one I have, I  like it because if you look, the heart in Colin's chest is broken in 19 pieces representing the 19 times his heart has been  broken by a Katherine.






Book Rating:
4.5/5


Sunday 20 July 2014

Readathon Relay

As most of you know, me and two other bloggers took part in a 24 hour book read where the money raised would be given to beat bullying. The event begun at 12pm on Friday night til 8am then from 8am to 4th then 4 til 12pm.
I had the first shift, and let's just say it was a difficult time. At 4 am I was suppose to have a break and update you all but due to the thunderstorm my Internet had gone down and It was bad timing.
By the end of my 8 hours I had finished
the last 1/3 of World War Z -  Max Brooks
I also read a short horror story called The Second Coming - Griffin Hayes.
Both were very enjoyable to read and there will be a review up for each of them very soon.
I also got round to reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, by 8am I had reached the beginning of chapter 35.
The Readathon relay is officially over and I would like to thank all of those who supported and sponsored us. I had a great time taking part and hopefully with the money raised we can make a difference.
The other two book bloggers who took part with me are:
@booktuation  
@betweenlines309
Go check them out.

Monday 14 July 2014

A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness

"Conor has had the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that dont quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight when he wakes, theres a visitor at his window. Its an ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth." 


Thirteen-year-old Conor has nightmares. He's losing his mother to cancer and he's losing himself, becoming detached from his own life and others. Every night he dreams a truth he does not want to face. One night, he hears a monster calling his name, and sees it walk from its place to his window. But he's not scared. There are worse monsters, and this is not the monster he was expecting.
This monster, an ancient kind of being in the form of a yew tree that has the ability to heal. He has come walking, because Conor had called him. And it wants to scare him. To tell him stories. To make him admit the truth of his fear, that he faces every night when he falls asleep.
The book is based around several concepts, but most of all Family, Illness and the ability to heal. but also the story is about stories, the strength of the stories we tell each other, and how they can affect us. Stories we tell can hurt and heal us if we use them for that purpose. as always this is a story that tells a story, it isn't rare to find a story within a story.The monster tells the stories, but they don't turn out quite as we might expect from our knowledge of childhood fairy tales.
The plot of Conor's story is quite simple. It is a journey of learning to heal, so there isn't a whole lot of anything even though some action, like his encounters with the school bully, and the clock at his grandmother's house. But mostly there is a lot of character development, and simple events that mould the family in the mist of illness.
I would recommend A Monster Calls to nearly any reader. Older teens might be put off by the young lead character or the simple story, but I hope you'll (if you're reading this) try it anyway. Some readers might find the monster frightening, but it is the best kind of frightening. The kind that shows you that maybe there wasn't so much to fear after all.
Even though the cover is quite intimidating and dark it isn't all that much scary, there is some violence but only of the bully kind. it is a deep story that you may interpret differently than to what I did, but I hope if you do indeed read it that you embrace it's many meanings. 



Book Rating:
5/5

Sunday 13 July 2014

Cry Silent Tears - Joe Peters

"Joe was only 5 years old when he watched his beloved daddy burn to death in a garage fire. And five years old when he lost his voice.

Left at the mercy of his abusive, violent family and unable to ask anyone for help, little Joe's life turned into a living hell. Raped by his mothers boyfriend, beaten and locked in the cellar, he was fed only on scraps that he was forced to lick from the floor. To drink water, he first had to gnaw off the glued top of a bottle, a trick played on him by his brothers.

But much, much worse was to come."

Joe  was only 5 years old when he saw an incident that would literally strike him dumb. Joe was not able to speak again until the age 9, but in the past 4 years that had passed Joe was unable to talk his way out of the abuse he received.

His schizophrenic mother and two of his older brothers spent years beating him, raping him and keeping him locked in the basement of the family home, When he wasn't a prisoner in the basement, he was treated like a dog, forced to lick scraps of food from the floor, he was sometimes left in the dark naked for 3 days at a time without human contact.

Unable to read and write Joe could only express through drawings. Most were of his father burning in the flames, His mother was then allowed to convince teachers at his school that he had become mentally unbalanced by the trauma.
The violence and sexual abuse escalated, his step father along with other men, were allowed to use him as they wished, most of them would pay.

The only thing that helped him survive was the kindness of his oldest brother and his only school friend who showed him that love is around even in the darkest of situations.
At 14 Joe finally found the courage to run away,fed by the local kids after the discovered him mile away from his home. His freedom was short lived and he spent the following 2 years being dragged between foster homes and his mothers house until the moment he turned 16. He hitch - hiked his way to the other side of the country. he was finally free and on a journey to a new life.

Joe Peters grew to become and extraordinary man who build up the strength to walk away from the abuse. He now speaks out against abuse and supports the children who's lives have been affected by it.
This is the heart wrenching story of a scared child on his journey to becoming an extraordinary man.



Book Rating:
5/5


Saturday 12 July 2014

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

"Charlie is a freshman.
And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world or first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the worlds of sex, drugs and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor."

I never usually like books that are written in a letter/diary format but i had been recommended to read it so I did.


Charlie is and outsider, he gets bullied and would avoid the school bus to walk 40 minutes to his home instead.
In a series of letters from Charlie to an unknown person we learn of his new friends, his family and himself.There is on more than one occasion a time where he mentions his English teacher, Bill, who gives him extra books for him to write essays on as he wishes to be a writer one day.

Charlie is a mystery for another day, right before he started high school his best friend had shot himself. At school he meets Sam and Patrick, both are outsiders too,cooler ones. Patrick is gay, and before his step sister Sam introduced himself to "good" music, he was a popular kid. Sam and Patrick introduce Charlie to parties, drugs and rock music and for the first time he knows what it feels like to have real friends.

What makes this book so special is that its reality bound, if an adult was to read it, it takes them back to being a teenager/child, and if a child was to read it, it shows what lies ahead and what could inspire them as a teenager. By now we should all know there is no other time to discover who you are and where you belong like when you are a teenager.

Self discovery may deem daunting, but if we never know who we truly are we can not be the best we can be.




Book Rating:
4/5


Wednesday 9 July 2014

Allegiant - Veronica Roth

"The faction- based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's knows, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties and painful memories.

But Tris's new reality is even more alarming that the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths chance the hearts of those she loves. And once again Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature - and of herself- whilst facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance sacrifice and love."


This is the final of the 3.
After all Tris and Four have been through, is there more?
Unable to stay in a place where so much has happened they leave with a few others. The get out of the geat but is what greets them far worse that what they just left behind?

After all Caleb had done I've been able to forgive him, he is still human, therefore at the bottom of my Allegiant favourite character list. Tris, Four and Christina are still high up my list. Then there is Peter. We knows him as the one who attacked Tris and stabbed Edward int he eyes with a butter knife, but he is a favourite of mind because he lives like if somebody does something good for him he will do something good for them. His actions may be irrational and defensive but his hay of repaying favours is a soft side.

After they left, out of the gates I was guessing all the way to the end, My Favourite part of the book has to be the Epilogue, its a new starts and a wonderful ending. Broke my heart. As always the action scenes were written particularly well.

I think it is clear to say that at 12pm I had gotten to chapter 17 on the same night i had finished Insurgent. I then read from 10am til 3pm and then from 5pm til 11pm. I spent the time it took to read from chapter twenty eight to thirty nine crying, then from forty five until the end crying and I didn't even feel like a goon doing it either.

I'm really upset that the trilogy has now come to an end and that i no longer can indulge in reading about Tris and Four, Caleb, Peter. Christina, Zeke or Shauna or Matthew or Cara and Amar or anyone else involved in the Trilogy.If you're a teenager into romance/love and action and occasionally crying, this book is for you, infact the whole trilogy is. I cannot wait for the books to finally have their movies.

For one final time, Allegiant's book cover is beautiful and within its rights to be.



Book Rating:                                       Trilogy Rating:
5/5                                                         9/10


Insurgent - Veronica Roth

"Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.
Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever...because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead."

Still haunted by her actions Tris can not stop reliving them. The group reaches the fence and enter the Amity compound looking for allies. After one battle is over another one begins.

I still favour Four Tris and Christina but after reading this book I don't think I  can favour Caleb. Tori becomes stronger and more influential and those are great traits. Uriah is a wonder because even in the worst of times he can always crack a joke and smile.

In this book I saw none of it coming, I was always guessing and trying to figure out what was to comes but the only way it would happen was if i were to carry on reading. I can remember welling up reading this book but never full on crying. I did laugh when I can, Probably just to stop me from crying.
 
I can remember opening this book whilst lying on my bed at 10am, I  lay there till 8pm reading it, Maybe my curiosity got the best of me but the book sure as hell kept me turning pages.

Just like Divergent I dislike it having a last page with a last word and a last full stop, but knowing I was now going to be on the final book made it even more heart breaking. This book has even less traits with The Hunger Games, It is more independent and original now. I can no longer compare any of Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant with The Hunger Games.

If you are a teenager who likes romance and action this book is for you.

The book has a cover that is truly glorious, Magnificent in its own right.


Book Rating:
5/5

Divergent - Veronica Roth

"Sixteen-year-old Tris is forced to makes a terrible choice. In a divided society where everyone must conform, Tris does not fit.
So she ventures out alone, determined to discover where she truly belongs. Shocked by her brutal new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her.
The hardest choice lies ahead."

Young Beatrice Prior lives in a community divided into 5 factions;
Dauntless
Abnegation
Candor
Amity
Erudite
The factions have different values but none the same.

Beatrice is 16 and lives in a house with her family in Abnegation.The Selfless. She now has a choice to change that, she doesn't think she truly belongs and decides to change, so she does. To Dauntless. The Brave

When it comes to picking a favourite character in a trilogy it can differ or I just keep adding more to the list. As this is the first instalment of the trilogy, I am currently in favour of Beatrice 'Tris' Prior, Tobias 'Four' Eaton, Tori, Caleb and Christina. Tris is on a voyage of self discovery and I believe you have to be strong and brave to want to discover yourself. Four is strong and stern, he has a soft side but he's independent when it comes to thinking but he finds it difficult to find trust within people. Caleb is brave and intelligent and strong willed, that is why I like him, he is the perfect combination of bravery and intelligence. Christina is truthful and doesn't care for the repercussions of being so. She is also a supportive and caring friend.

I always get asked 'do the characters feel real to you?' and it is always the same answer. Yes. In a trilogy or just any book they are real. Like if I call their names they would run up the stairs and join me, That is how real they can be to me. To have a character feel real, you must allow yourself to believe. The material is in front of you, you just have to believe.

The book to me had a few predictable moments but besides those moments I was forced to keep guessing as everything else was unpredictable. I cant say I have a favourite part of the book without spoiling it 100% so it be open for discussion.

The action scenes are written particularly well. I always feel myself being drawn further and further in during the action scenes. I had cried at this books and well I cry at most books, but I cred at the emotionally tense parts.
This book draws you in and keeps you turning pages. I finished Divergent a while back but I was eager to read the following book, Insurgent. But during exams I didn't have enough time to do so, but eventually after my exams I had the time.

I think the only thing I dislikes about the book was that it had a last pages,a last word,a last full stop. But what softened the blow was the fact I had two more books to read after it.
If you like action and romance and you are a teenager this books is for you, I can remember saying this book has small traits of The Hunger Games, it does but only tiny ones.

The books front cover is amazing and uses a blend of really gorgeous colours.




Book Rating:
4/5

Sunday 6 July 2014

Up and coming

Today is Sunday 6th July.

In 13 days I will be taking part in a 24 hour readathon relay.
This fundraising event does not go without cause. All money raised will be going to beat bullying. Not only is this a chance to do what I love but it is also going to be a personal achievement and I can not wait to make a difference.
 
So far including me there are 3 people participating so that means 8 hour reading each. Of course you are all welcome either to take part and read or just for moral support both are much appreciated.
Follow my personal twitter @bleep98 and this blogs own account @booksglory to stay up to date.




Monday 12 May 2014

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins



Image result for the hunger games bookTitle: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: September 14, 2008
Available Editions: Hardback, Paperback, EBook



Book Synopsis:
In a dark vision of the near future, twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear on live TV show called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: Kill or be Killed.
When sixteen- year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sisters place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

Review

Young Katniss Everdeen a 16 year old from district 12 gets to experience the entertainment of the arena, from within. The rules of the Hunger Games are simple, in punishment for the uprising, each of the 12 districts put forward one boy and one girl, called tributes to participate. The twenty four tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena that could hold any situation burning desert to frozen wastelands. Over a period of a few weeks the competitors must fight to the death, the last tribute standing, wins. Taking the children from the districts allows them all to be reminded how much they are all at the Capitols mercy.

I remember when my parents bought me the trilogy, the price had been reduced recently so they bought them home for me and I could barely get them out the cardboard pack without being rough, thankfully I didn't damage them in the process of taking them in and out of the packaging. I can remember the new book smell even though it was a while ago.

I love how the future portrayed in the book isn't the weird technology advanced future that most of us want it to be, for me this future seems and feels more realistic. Not only that but I love the way the characters portray their emotions through their actions, volunteering to go into the games to replace your sister for instant, beautiful.

Katniss is a tough girl, she has skills no one else can possess and it's not only that that makes me love her, it's her determination throughout. She takes the mother role in her family ever since her father died and her mother simply couldn't function, she would hunt in the forest that was off bounds just so her sister and mother could eat a decent meal. She is also a character perfectly portrayed, by Jennifer Lawrence. Peeta can impress anyone and everyone and in the capitol it takes a lot to get them on side, he's young and good looking, he's kind in heart and he's a wonderful character perfectly portrayed in the movies by Josh Hutcherson. Haymitch isn't just a district drunk once the games begin, he is a life line for the young district 12 tributes, he knows what it's like to be in the arena and he knows how bad it can become, between the harsh words and periods of being drunk, he's a man who does what's right not what is easy. Effie, coming from the capitol is judged and labelled for that, she may have a very large obsession with Mahogany and large hair and eccentric outfits, but she's a kind woman, she isn't like the capitol people are anymore, the games changed her. All of the characters in the book/s felt real to me and I cringe most of the time where I read about them being in any danger.

With this book being the first of a series your expectations are high and with the films now being something the books are up against you definitely need to read the books and see the films to take a side. When I first got the books, the first film had already been released but I hadn't seen it, only once I had finished the 3 books completely did I allow myself to buy the DVD. Lets say the movies are a great representation of the books. Once I had begun reading the book I was simply unable to stop, quite literally, until I had finished, I managed it within 5 hours. No headache either. The next day I was straight into the 2nd book of the series.

Even though I like the book as a whole there was only one thing I disliked heavily. It had to end. As we know all good things must come to an end, and like that saying, it did.

I have no trouble awarding the book a 5 out of 5 as a rating and I  recommend this book to anyone who likes heavy suspense and has enough free time to read it because I guarantee you wont be able to put it down, of course anyone from the age 13 upwards are a good audience for the book and if you have seen the 2 movies so far and haven't read the books then, I do recommend them to you too. I can see I've haven't read any books like this before and I hope I never will.

Wednesday 30 April 2014

The Fault In Our Stars - John Green

Title: The Fault In Our Stars
Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Books
Publication Date: January 10, 2012
Available Editions: Hardback, Paperback, EBook.

Book Synopsis:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
Review:

This Novel; A now largely popular motion picture, has to be one of the most moving books I have ever set my eyes upon, I'm sure all of you can agree to some degree right? The humour with the harsh reality of cancer victims provides us, an in no way blunt image of a teen love, and the battle with cancer.
 

Through out the novel there are references to things being side effects of dying, I don't know why I like those references so much, I mean Hazel says that her depression is a side effect of dying and that her cancer is also a side effect of dying, Everything in fact is a side effect of dying. Also what I like about this novel is that its relatable, and I don't mean in the aspect of us all knowing what it feels like to be them but the aspect of the things she does like how she loves reading one book over and over again because she loves it so much, how at first she denies the love between her and Augustus I mean which teenage girl/ boy hasn't denied the obvious love between themselves and another but end up admitting to it later on? And lastly I love the humour in the book, how it's sarcastically funny even though its in a book about one of the most serious things we know of.

The characters are quite beautiful in their own right, Hazel loves An Imperial Affliction and in not being in a normal school, she has very few friends and where's best to make new ones? in a support group where she meets Augustus Waters who falls for her the moment he looks at her across the room. He's full of metaphors and huge cute smiles and together they cant help but make a perfect match friendship and relationship wise. Isaac much like Augustus and Hazel, has cancer and they both support him when he has to lose his eyes and ultimately his girlfriend. They become kind of a close knitted 3 person family full of beautiful raw emotion where they feel kind of dependant on each other, therefore adding a moving and powerful aspect to the novel.
 
I see this novel in many ways but the way I see it more than just being a novel about a terminally ill teenager who finds love, I see it as a way of learning to accept who you are, that bad things may happen to us but we must learn from them and that some of those things are unchangeable, we must find the good in the bad. It's hard to find long lasting happiness.

I give the novel a 5/5 no doubt about it, well written gut wrenching novel about love and dealing with illness. I recommend it to anyone who loves John Green or has seen the film and not read the book because they are different.