May 03, 2013 02:07
It is 2am. I'm sitting up in bed reading and weeping so hard that it startles Z into consciousness.
Z: What's wrong? Why are you crying?
Me: Because this book rips my heart to pieces.
Z: You are a lunatic.
Me: Well I challenge you to read about kids with cancer and not cry.
Z: I challenge you not to read about kids with cancer at 2am.
But I still would. Because the book is funny and wrenching and amazing, and manages to do it all without cliche or self pity.
It is an interesting book to read as a teenager, and a devastating book to read as a parent. However, Green's portrayal of the parent characters is also one of the things I liked best in the story and I admire Green's ability to create characters that are both highly memorable and ordinary.
I loved the story so much that I literally couldn't put it down until I stopped and as soon as I finished I wanted to read it again from the beginning.
Highly recommended.