I cry easily especially at TV shows or films, usually during death scenes. Anything involving Nicholas Sparks gets me every time. But I don’t tend to read books that lead to tears. It’s been a while since I was heartbroken or moved enough by an ending in a book – I remember Black Beauty, Little Women and Anne of Green Gables sending me there when I was younger. And the ending of The Help was emotional for me but tears still didn’t spill.

That all changed yesterday when I finished reading John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. I actually had to put the book down as it was making me too emotional and the tears spilled several times during the last few pages. It’s a young adult story about a girl called Hazel who has terminal cancer and meets a boy at her support group. She falls in love for the first time with one foot in the grave. To tell you more of the story would ruin you discovering it for yourself. But I will tell you that it’s funny, sad, witty and tragic all at once. It makes you think about the Big things – love, mortality, family, the afterlife, illness and death. And it doesn’t provide easy answers about any of it.

The story is moving, the writing sharp and beautiful and the characters settle themselves in your heart. It’s a really special book and one that I both can’t wait and dread to read again. It will be a while before I can as it affected me so strongly. I might have closed the book when I finished but it’s wrapped itself around my brain and won’t leave me yet. It’s left me heartbroken in the best possible way.

Another side effect of reading the book is I have writer’s envy. John Green has a bag load of talent. Damn it

What was the last book that made you cry?

Victoria

xoxo