At first I wasn't sure I was liking this. I thought that the romantic aspect of the story was ridiculous and unbelievable. Then there was a Q&A at the end where John Green said something along the lines of, the feelings we have as teenagers are just as real as the ones we have now. I realized that I was letting whatever cynicism I possess to cloud my judgement of the novel.

Upon further reflection, I found that the story of Hazel and Augustus (primarily) was one that wasn't extraordinary overtly. It's extra-ordinariness came from the way it got into your mind and your heart stealthily, much as Hazel discovered she was in love with Augustus: slowly at first, then all at once.

While tragic in some respects and definitely a book that made me cry in public, I think the story reaches a part of the reader that centers on compassion and empathy. The novel reminds you that it is okay to not be perfect. You don't have to reach for the stars everyday in the hopes that they will become your legacy and that you'll do something worth remembering. What is important is the life you live now, in your present, not the life you want to live for the future that occurs after you're gone.