It is my first time reading a John Green novel. I really wanted to love it, especially after hearing such rave and heartrending reviews. I was eager and ready. After a disappointing experience, I am not likely to read more books by this author.

 The book had many problems for me. I found it to be very insincere and constantly distracted by the obvious intention to tug on the reader’s heartstrings rather than just allowing things to unfold that were beautiful despite the sadness.

The biggest problem I had was that I simply didn’t believe the character of Augustus or his connection to the main character Hazel. The plot completely disregards everything else, centering only on these concepts.

Augustus came across as completely pretentious and obnoxious. His entire character felt contrived, and I never felt connected to him. But it wasn’t just Augustus. Hazel’s character was likable, but her relationship with Augustus felt forced and unnatural. It never made sense for them to fall in love with one another, and that’s dangerously close to Twilight. Hazel found him so convenient and effortless. I wondered, was it him or because he was there to help? They failed to explore many facets of their characters and storylines.

All I felt reading this book was being manipulated. I find it pretentious and gimmicky. The author’s attempt to force a connection between the two characters was unconvincing and artificial. The characters and their motivations felt contrived and one-dimensional. Overall, this book was a disappointment.