I work at a hospital with children and I see these types of kids first hand. Its so sad and unfair. Cancer should not strike children. Its just not RIGHT! So, of course I didn't want to read this book. It just hits too close to home. I put it off for the longest time. Then, a coworker convinced me it was too good to pass up, begrudgingly I picked it up and started reading. Guess what, I was engulfed in the story just from the first couple of pages. Hazel, the narrator and main character of the story is so real. I love her voice, its raw and powerful. It was important for me to see the disease through the eyes of someone living with it. It gave me insight and perceptionI never would have gained had I not picked up this book. What really impressed me about this story is its plot lines do not surround the cancer, having the disease is not the main focus of the story. Instead, its a sweet romance, more of a coming of age story. The characters were rich and had great depth. Hazel, the narrator is amazing. She's ultra intelligent and her take on life is amazing. Her conception and thought process was deep. Reading happened to be one of her favorite past times. It certainly helped develop her mind. Her perspective on life, legacy, and human existence aligned with my beliefs. I really felt connected to her throughout the story. Augustus Waters was the perfect love interest, a real knight in shining armor. They way Hazel and Gus's relationship blossomed was with perfection. It was slow and meaningful, each one having their own reservations because of his/her disease. Gus also held a large amount of knowledge. He was caring, thoughtful and selfless. I adored how he gave himself to Hazel in every way he could, trying to make her life more livable. Just witnessing that he could even have feelings for someone with a fatal disease was commendable. Throughout this story there are some pretty decent twists and turns. I was able to guess the biggest one, but some of the smaller ones I clearly had no idea about. Writing style was beautiful, with easy to read flowing words that just went right to your gut. This was written with robust feelings and has the ability to rip out your heart right from your chest. The main reason I put off reading this one is I knew it was going to be a tear jerker. Sometimes I just don't want to read something sad, more so because I'm afraid of the feelings it will pull out of me. Well, I would recommend this to all readers. Don't be afraid to pick this one up. Its a great story and gives important insight to how those with a terminal illness feel. The plot was fast moving. Its a difficult book to put down. Once you start you will not want to stop until you find out what happens to these two star crossed lovers. There are even villianous characters in this book, which was totally unexpected. It also has a healthy dose of philosophy between these pages. Its great that this is not part of a series. Its a stand alone novel and the ending is exactly perfect and very fitting for the story.