It was one of the worst and best movies I have ever seen.

The Fault in Our Stars.

Previously, I had read the book. A heartbreaking tale of love, and how it can change any life, even the life of a girl with a death sentence; the adapted script and screenplay did not disappoint. It was as if John Green’s novel came to life.

Shailene Woodley, though I had some doubts about her performance, was perfect for the role. She seemed to embody Hazel Grace and bring the complex character to life. She didn’t simply imitate the character, she was Hazel Grace Lancaster. Woodley’s co-star, Ansel Elgort, portrayed Augustus Waters, another perfect fit.

Woodley’s and Elgort’s on screen chemistry was electric. They played off of each other and at some points I was forced to remind myself I was in a movie theatre and not actually witnessing two cancer patients fall in love with each other.

The underlying message of the teenaged love story is living life to the fullest and taking chances even when you believe there are no more chances to take, seeing Woodley and Elgort bring the story to life made for a breathtaking movie (and a puddle of tears).

There were, like all books to movie adaptations, some discrepancies and omissions in the minor details, but these did not detract from the overall meaning of either the movie or the novel.

Looking at the big picture, the movie was borderline life changing. It forces those who brave the “roller coaster that only goes up” to examine their lives and maybe take chances where they haven’t ever before.

If two dying kids could find love in this world, who’s to say you can’t?