There will likely be spoilers below, so unless you get a mad rush from ruining things for yourself, it would be advisable to not read any further. 
 After all of the hype I knew I had to put this book on my reading list. All I ever heard about this book was, "Oh, you will cry. You'll probably ugly cry. Your eyes will turn into actual waterfalls. It's true. It happened to me. There are grizzly bears fishing for salmon in my eyeball waterfalls right now." So, I expected to weep upon reading the first word. I was a little hesitant to read it because, unfortunately like many others out there, I have watched loved ones die of cancer first hand. I have experienced the things that happen at 2 AM when you're all alone and the world is asleep and it's just you, your loved one, and this terrible beast eating away at time and the person you once knew. The only part of the book where I broke down and cried was at Augustus's prefuneral. Reflecting on a life unjustly cut too short and imagining what could've and should've been is just plain sad. I assumed going into it that someone was going to die, but for whatever reason I had imagined it to be Hazel. It was easy to figure out along the way that I was mistaken (although it is implied that her time will eventually come), and at the time of realization it's a little crushing. Augustus had become this beacon of hope and light in a dark world for Hazel. She really handles all of it well. Perhaps that's because at the end of the day she has the security of her parents to guide her through it. 
 The things that I felt this book captured well were the feelings of unfairness and hopelessness that come along after a terminal illness strikes. It is easy for outsiders to materialize at times convenient for them and reflect on bravery and strength in the face of adversity. Hazel touches on this by reading the walls of the deceased. Behind closed doors, there is fear. Real, unabashed fear that has perhaps has never been felt until the loss of your life or the life of a loved one becomes a very possible thing. Brave is not really the correct word entirely; if the option to hide in a cave until the magical cave faeries healed you with cave dust was an option, I guarantee that road would be chosen a million times over bravery. What has to be done is done. This was really captured when Augustus drove to the gas station to purchase cigarettes in a desperate attempt for normalcy. Humorous quips and musings about the universe aside, he was a kid who was afraid. And that's okay. There's nothing wrong or unnatural about being afraid. We must try to own our fear, don't let it own us. 
 There was little I particularly disliked about this book, but the one thing that did slightly put me off was that most every character, especially Hazel and Augustus, had moments of philosophical wisdom that had me re-reading sentences to make sure I processed everything correctly. It is certainly not unimaginable for a teenager to speak or act the way that they do, and I appreciate that the author didn't pander to what's expected or typical. I just caught myself thinking, "Am I reading a discussion between two wise and ancient wizards, or a couple of kids with cancer?" The thing that made it seem a bit off was that at times Hazel and Augustus nearly seemed like the same character in the ways that they spoke. Sure, Hazel enjoyed reading and was already in college, but how had Augustus acquired such a vocabulary and the ability to spout off metaphorical wisdoms off the top of his head so easily? All we know about his hobbies was that he enjoyed basketball, war stories, and video games. The other part of me says, "Well, yeah, come on, it's a book! Without that dialogue it would lose some of its charm. They were different." So, I go back and forth. It really didn't detract from the book, it just felt a little unnatural at times. 
 But let's all remember this line.. "I fell in love the way you fall asleep. Slowly, and then all at once." Good, right?! 
 I might bump this up to 5 stars eventually. It was a very good book, I enjoyed reading it, and I looked forward to reading it at the end of the day which is always a good sign. It did not shake up my universe or leave me in shambles like I had expected it to. This could possibly be attributed to personal experience, and that I've felt been through similar moments so horrible and sad that conjuring up the memories gives me more emotion than the entire book did all together. Perhaps I am jaded, knowing that not everyone has a metaphorical one-legged, blue-eyed boy that will show up and rewrite your story in the face of adversity. Maybe that's what that one missing star is about. I don't think I know just yet. 
 I walked away from this book with a sense of appreciation for things in life we sometimes take for granted. We are all met with challenges from time to time, but it's nice to be reminded to stop what you're doing and think about how remarkably grand it is to be alive, here and now.