Review of "The Fault in our Stars"

I had heard so much about The Fault in our Stars by John Green; and I never go much for pop lit, but I finally decided to read it. I didn't like it. Opinion of pop lit confirmed. And since I haven't heard a single negative thing about it I felt it necessary to write this review.

Maybe it's because the main character is the total opposite of me. Usually I empathize with just about anybody but this girl just made me furrow my brow and roll my eyes at her unrelenting pessimism. Why would you live your life that way? Stupid, moody teenager (Juliet much?). I was so emotionally detached from the characters that when (Spoiler Alert!) the love interest got sick my reaction was: "Good, kill him. It'll redeem your trite plot. Excellent, this is good writing. I approve." I should not have to be thinking about the crafting of the story as I read! I have rarely read anything so unable to engage me. (Oh, and wait, who was it that died first in Romeo & Juliet? Hmmm...maybe it wasn't that original of a plot twist after all...)

The few quotes that resonated with me, I began to realize after I was several chapters in, were those that the characters quoted from other authors. Sad, Mr. Green, just sad. There was one quote that the author had actually penned that I liked but it had lost all of its poignance because I had seen it plastered all over pinterest:

So when I got there I just had to force a 'that's-nice-dear'-smile at the page.

But the thing that bothered me most about the book was that I had the answers to all of its unanswered questions. Jesus! Now maybe I'm being trite, but it's the absolute truth! The biggest emotion I felt while reading was the desperate need to crawl inside the book and tell the characters:  "No! This isn't all there is! And this is not all you were meant for! The one who created the stars created you and he's waiting for you! Can't you hear him calling? Oh, please, please listen before it's too late!"

Since I couldn't tell the characters these things, the book left me very depressed. But perhaps, it served a purpose in my life to give me a glimpse into the hearts of those who don't know. It did serve to remind me that I should have that desperate need to tell everyone that there is hope and there is meaning. We are all created for a purpose, and unless we are fulfilling our most basic need to love and serve our creator-savior then we will have neither.

Q:  So why does everyone love it so much? A:  Why does everyone love Romeo & Juliet??? I'll never understand that... But I think the real reason for this book's success is its title. In my opinion: Brilliant title, poopy book.