LFA vs. TFIOS

John Green. We all know and love him. The first book I read of his, Looking for Alaska, proved to be the greatest book I had ever read. Some time went by, and I had eventually read all of his published books. AND THEN- TFIOS. The Holy Grail of Holy Grails. The book of all books. The only book I have ever tracked and anticipated for MONTHS. And I cried. Well, I sobbed. It was beautiful: the way it was written, its message, the characters, the love- all of it.

In Frankum's class we have Reading Mondays. When we first started, someone had stolen LFA before I could, so I settled for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian- a classic. Once Looking For Alaska was free, I jumped on the opportunity to grab the book. I finished the book in three Reading Mondays because it had been such a favorite of mine. But, once I thought about it, I decided it was no longer my favorite book ever. It was no longer my favorite John Green book anyone, too. Actually, it is now almost at the bottom of my John Green Book list. Let's figure out why, shall we?

The characters: developed, thoughtful, funny, but surprisingly vulgar. I'm a teenage girl. Vulgarity is what I rely on to keep my sanity. However, the entire Thanksgiving chapter dedicated to porn with surprisingly detailed descriptions of..well... all of it, bothers me. I guess I found it funny the first time I read it, but not anymore. Now it just seems immature. And, while on the topic of immaturity, the language Green decided to use also bothers me now. It didn't when I first read the book because it seemed fitting to the characters which were my age at the time. This time around, the language seemed very drastic, and, while fitting to the characters, seemed over-the-top inappropriate. I understand teenagers throw the F-word around, as well as synonyms to the words poop, pee, and butt. That being said, Green overused his ability to give his characters the freedom to curse aloud. Finally, the book didn't flow. I am honestly upset saying it, but it's true. The transitions were poor, the dialogue was choppy, and the thought processes seemed to have been written by someone who desperately wants to become a writer. So, that being said about LFA, let's discuss TFIOS.

The characters: beautiful, inspired, witty, confused, funny, the list can go on and on. The language: crude when necessary, beautiful always, funny constantly, and thoughtful consistently. The story: captivating. Inspiring. Tear-jerking. Let's be honest, this is the only book that has ever made me cry. I cried for CHAPTERS. The twists and turns of the characters emotions made me question everything I stand for. I'm not a hero. Neither are they. And yet they seem POWERFUL. Hazel is my best friend and August is the boy I know I will one day meet and fall in love with. It's inevitable. They collectively stir up emotions we didn't even know we had.

 All of this is true. It is all wonderful. John Green wouldn't be a renowned author if he didn't improve. He wouldn't have received all of the awards he has and all of the publicity that he has if he wasn't WONDERFUL. So, no, I am not completely trashing LFA. I am discussing the wonders of improvement and my love for a man who is never allowed to stop writing and publishing his art.