stars the fault in our stars

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS: Existential wisdom from fiction author John Green

Last updated: January 26th, 2019

the fault in our starsThe Fault in our Stars

John Green

[Dutton Juvenile, 336 pages]

Hazel Grace Lancaster is a sixteen-year-old girl who has suffered from terminal cancer all of her teenage years. Her parents took her out of school at the age of thirteen in order for her to focus on her health. Now, noticing her depression from her physical limitations and looming death, her parents encourage her to attend a cancer support group at a local church. There she meets Augustus Waters, a seventeen-year-old boy in remission. Augustus takes a liking to Hazel, and they begin a friendship. Hazel shares with him her favorite book, An Imperial Infliction by author Peter Van Houten, a story about a teenage girl with cancer that unfortunately ends mid-sentence. Hazel explains that she has tried many times to contact Van Houten in hopes that he would disclose further information about the characters’ lives after the book, yet she has never received word from him. Augustus takes on the challenge of making Hazel’s dream come true by contacting Van Houten and using his “wish” from when he was ill to take her to his home in Amsterdam. All the while, Hazel has reservations about beginning a romantic relationship with Augustus, worrying that she will only cause him pain and grief by giving into her feelings.

Although this novel is based on teenage characters, the emotions that shine through are highly mature. Hazel, Augustus and their friends experience many trials that their fellow peers do not, and their contemplations follow accordingly. For example, what meaning does life have when you expect to die so young? Will you ever experience true love? Is love a selfish choice when you are threatened by death? Is it better to die alone and spare your loved ones, or to keep them close and see them hurt at your hand? These existential questions can be universally related to, part of the reason why this book has become so popular recently.

Another reason is definitely Green’s fabulous writing. The characters in this book are raw and real, making it feel like they could be true people. Hazel’s pessimistic sarcasm and Augustus’ courageous optimism complement each other very well, and their chemistry is one of the reasons why I loved this book.

The Fault in our Stars was an easy read; in fact, I couldn’t put it down. There’s a subtle combination of romance, drama, comedy and thrill that keep you on the edge of your seat. What I most appreciated from this novel was the insight into facing death and the existential dilemmas we must all face.

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