Sixteen year old Hazel Grace Lancaster was definitely not
in the mood to get up and go to her cancer support group.
Life sucked enough without having to go to the church
basement and hear Patrick drone on again and announce the
names of more support group kids they knew who had
recently died. But, her mom was keen on her going, so
Hazel went. As an only child, Hazel felt a need to keep
her parents happy. What would happen to them when she was
gone?
Dragging her oxygen cart behind her into the church
basement room, Hazel suddenly realizes some new boy there
is staring at her. He is so hot looking, too! Now, why
hadn't she changed out of her old saggy jeans and brushed
her hair? But, as the meeting drones on, magnetic threads
of attraction find their mark and almost before she knows
it, she has a date with the so cool and handsome Augustus
(Gus) Waters, a seventeen year old hunk with the most
charming of smiles.
As much as Hazel is fighting her own battle with Thyroid
cancer with mets in her lungs, the lanky Augustus, a former
up and coming high school basketball star (and always the
one to minimize his own issues) had already lost a leg to
osteosarcoma. Along with their mutual friend Isaac, they
would all too soon encounter much more serious situations.
Even after exchanging their favourite books and finding
vastly different tastes, the attraction only grows between
then and Gus is even willing to give up his most valuable
gift for her. Hazel is attracted, but yet feels the need
to draw back. The pain and effort she put into worrying
about her parents and what would happen to them when she
was gone had her worried about what would happen to Gus if
she was not there for him. What would happen to them?
Will how they feel about each other affect how they feel
about themselves? Is love to be their destiny or will other
fates intervene?
New York Times bestselling author John Green had a
magnificent muse when he decided to pen this very poignant,
yet pointedly realistic young adult novel about these two
wonderful teens faced with the realities of day to day
lives while still rising to the challenge of helping others
cope with the inevitable consequences of the futures they
face.
While THE FAULT IS IN OUR STARS can be read quickly and
easily, it is the kind of novel where one wants to read
through it almost without stopping just to find out what
happens; then to go through it again, to reflect on the
almost unanswerable questions asked and to find again that
perfect turn of phrase that just embodies the truth of the
situation. I found it very intriguing how Green uses
Hazel's fixation on what happens to the characters in her
favourite book, "The Imperial Affliction" and the
responses of its author, Peter Van Houten, to bring
certain thoughts and considerations into play in the book.
Gentle readers, do be warned this is the kind of book that
you just want to keep on your bookshelf; yet, at the same
time want to share with all your friends. As the author of
other bestselling books, Green continues to show a deft
hand at plot development while artfully weaving in the
philosophical questions within the minutiae of life and the
unavoidable outcomes of certain diagnoses. Yes, you may
cry, but you will laugh much harder at the hilarious
interplay and repartee between the smart and sassy Hazel
and utterly charming Gus. Film rights were quickly
snapped up for THE FAULT IS IN OUR STARS and it was
recently announced that Shailene Woodley will star as Hazel
in the upcoming film adaption. So, don't delay, enjoy the
story now! A treat to be relished by anyone over the age
of 14!
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought
her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal,
her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a
gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears
at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be
completely rewritten.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our
Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious
and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny,
thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.