Monday 3 February 2014

Not-really review: This Star Won't Go Out






Blurb: Diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of twelve, Esther (Persian for "Star") Earl was an exceptionally bright and talented- but very normal- teenager. She lived a hope-filled and generous, outwardly focused life as she navigated her physical decline with grace. A cheerful, positive and encouraging daughter, Esther died in 2010, shortly after turning sixteen, but not before inspiring thousands with her growing online presence.
This unique memoir collects Esther's journals, fiction, letters and sketches. Photographs and essays by family and friends help to tell Esther's story, along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green, who dedicated his international bestseller The Fault In Our Stars to her.

What I thought: This is not a review. It is not possible (at least for me) to review, or criticize, or try to find fault in this book. This is a collection of thoughts, and a plea for everyone everywhere to please, please read it.
I never knew Esther Grace Earl. I never met her. I'd never even heard of her when she was alive (I was kinda late to the whole nerdfighter thing, unfortunately). So I feel a bit of a fraud, like I'm not worthy or not good enough to read her book, because when she was here I didn't know. However. I wish so much that I had met her. And I wish she was still alive because cancer sucks. And dying when you're still a teenager sucks. And from this book, it is so obvious that she was such an amazing person.
This Star Won't Go Out should be compulsory reading, especially for people my age. For people of any age, but especially for teenagers. People should know, and I hope that with everything surrounding the TFIOS movie, even more people will read this book, and watch her videos, and donate to the TSWGO foundation. Gah, I doubt I'm even making sense, and I know this non-review is awful and totally not worthy of the book. I just wanted to write about it.

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