Book review: 'The Fault in Our Stars'

I would consider myself someone who doesn't cry or get upset easily, and this is why I like 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green so much; it manages to touch my emotions in such a way that no other book has done before. I bought this book last year to read on holiday, and I started reading it on the way there- trying to muffle sobs whilst my friend is driving on the motorway is never a good mix! Since then, I have read it countless times as I have fallen in love with the characters and the way the book is written.
The book was published in January 2012, topping the book charts and receiving highly positive reviews worldwide. It was the reviews that sparked my interest in the book, and I completely agree with those reviews. After reading just the first few pages, I was completely immersed in the character's lives and feelings, and I started to sympathise with 'Hazel's' life and thoughts, and also her angst against going to the support group suggested by her parents. 
As the book progresses, the emotional level of the book increases- what with the loss of 'Hazel' and 'Augustus' friend 'Isaac's' eyes and 'Augustus' death- which made me hooked to the story and I couldn't put it down. As cliche as that sounds, it's true, and as the story develops and changes happen to all of the characters, I felt a need to find out their reactions.
John Green has written this fantastic novel in such a way that you can picture what is happening so clearly- it feels like you are living alongside the characters and witnessing their gains and losses in real life. For a long time after reading it, I felt different and my outlook on many things had changed; it was just as if my troubles seemed inferior to those of people struggling with the traumas found in the story, even though I had never met them.
I have had first hand experience with having someone close to me suffer and unfortunately lose their battle with cancer, and I think that that is another reason why I was so affected by this book. In a way, it helped me deal with my experience as I could relate to the characters in the story dealing with theirs.
After the immense success of 'The Fault in Our Stars', a feature film adaptation was released on June 6th 2014. I am yet to see it, and it will be very interesting to see if the film version captures the same emotions as the book did.