The Fault in Our Stars

So, I know I'm not the only writer who has read a book, closed it up, and then said, "I can't write like that."  It happens to me all the time and it sends a wave of mixed emotions flowing through my body.  On one hand, I just read a wonderfully written book.  That's always a great experience.  But on the other hand, it is quite humbling to know that the bar for my writing could be set so much higher.  

Today I finished John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.  It's a very popular book these days, at the top of just about every best seller list.  I assumed it was good based on the reviews it had received, but I was quite frankly, skeptical.  Rarely do books or movies live up to that kind of hype.  However, I w  Green's use of creative detail is extraordinary.  The characters have truly unique voices, which convey virtually every possible emotion throughout the 200 page novel.  So many times I asked myself while reading, "How did he think of that?"  It's one thing to tell a good story, but an entirely different thing to convey the story with that kind of original detail and character.  It absolutely lives up to the hype.  And in a time of zombies, vampires, and wizards, it was very refreshing to read such a well-written book about real things.  Not to say there isn't a place for the supernatural and fantasy (I am writing the sequel to a book that contains them both), but it is nice to know that there are real, true stories still being told in a profound way.  Next up for me is Looking For Alaska.  John Green has hooked me.