The Fault in Our Stars

Bibliography

Green, John. 2012. The Fault in Our Stars. NY: Dutton Books. ISBN 978-0525478812.

Plot Summary

This story is a tale about a 16 year old witty teenager named Hazel Grace Lancaster. Hazel was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 13, and is battling Stage IV cancer. An experimental drug was given to Hazel as Hazel is scared she doesn’t have much longer to live. With her mom being concerned with about her mental health, Hazel attends a cancer support group where a friendship with Augustus Waters begins. Augustus Waters, who is a cancer survivor in remission, attends the group in support for a friend Isaac who lost his eyesight from his battle. The two characters allow us to see a tale of creating a friendship and romance with the race against time.

Critical Analysis

The novel follows Hazel Grace which evokes emotions in many readers as Hazel battles cancer along with being an average teenager. We see the metamorphosis of the characters that develops the plot and strikes a chord in many. Hazel Grace displays her raw emotions with her battle with cancer, demonstrates how a young adult lives with an illness, and creating a romance with Augustus. The novel allows readers to see the development of the young teenagers as they reach adulthood and creating their own identity as cancer patients. Hazel and Augustus go through difficulties and triumphs as they learn and discover about themselves, society, and their families.

Both characters describe their battle with cancer and suffering which creates a theme throughout the novel as they share their diagnoses and how it impacts their life. Their diagnoses changes their perception of what it feels like to be a healthy teenager, and not being able to experience the same lifestyle as those around them. Though their diagnoses could potentially hinder them, Hazel and Augustus seek independence, deal with their illnesses, and even begin to develop their own identity.

The Fault in Our Stars is a novel that takes young readers into the life of the terminally ill and shows the reality of living with cancer through a fictional story. Green utilizes the characters, Hazel and Augustus, to develop and evoke emotions in young readers while providing romance and creating an overall heart-wrenching novel.

Review Excerpts and Awards 

#1 New York Best Times Seller

CBC Awards, Teen Book of the Year 2013

From New York Times- “A blend of melancholy, sweet, philosophical, and funny. Green shows us true love…and it is far more romantic than any sunset on the beach.”

From Booklist- “Beautifully conceived and executed, this story artfully examines the largest possible considerations—life, love, and death—with sensitivity, intelligence, honesty, and integrity. In the process, Green shows his readers what it is like to live with cancer, sometimes no more than a breath or a heartbeat away from death. But it is life that Green spiritedly celebrates here, even while acknowledging its pain. In its every aspect, this novel is a triumph.”

Connections

Other books by John Green

Looking for Alaska

Papertowns

Turtles All the Way Down

Connections in the classroom

Introduce the Faults in Our Stars Google Earth and take a tour of the geography in the novel’s word.

Compare/Contrast the two main characters: Hazel and Augustus. Students can find ways the characters share a similar journey, analyze various quotes, details, and situations.