School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-Through letters, journal entries, blog posts, stories, poems, and drawings, readers get to know the life and times of Esther Grace Earl, the young woman to whom John Green dedicated The Fault in Our Stars (Penguin, 2012). Although she died from cancer in 2010 at only 16, Esther (known affectionately as "Star" by her family) was a prolific writer, a "nerdfighter," a "Harry Potter" enthusiast, and a deeply spiritual person. She inspired-and continues to inspire-several online communities and a dedicated Internet fan base. This unique title will be appreciated by fans of John Green and those looking for an uplifting and emotional tear-jerker.-Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
John Green dedicated The Fault in Our Stars to Esther Earl, who, in her own words, "went through a life changing experience known as Thyroid Cancer." This posthumous collection (with a moving introduction by Green) gathers her musings and drawings, which span her illness. Reflections by family and friends both before and after her death at sixteen are also included. An ultimately hopeful offering. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Esther was 16 when she died from complications of thyroid cancer in 2010. By that time, she'd become a fixture among the Nerdfighters, a community dedicated to intellectualism and creativity, created by YA author John Green and his brother, composer Hank Green, via their popular YouTube channel, the Vlogbrothers. She loved Harry Potter-themed wizard rock music and Doctor Who, and she was part of Catitude, a group that ran the Project for Awesome, a Nerdfighter charity campaign. John Green dedicated The Fault in Our Stars (2012) to Esther, and in his introduction to this memoir, he notes that while he's proud of Fault's success, the one person I most want to read it never will. Featuring essays from friends, family, and doctors and curated by her parents, this collection part autobiography, portfolio of her fiction and drawings, and photo album is a touching eulogy, and it fulfills her dream to be an author. An intimate portrait of a vibrant, deeply engaged teen, this title reveals the power of the internet as a mode for connection, which comes through with each reproduced chat session and blog post. As the Nerdfighters say, rest in awesome, Esther.--Jones, Courtney Copyright 2014 Booklist