Award-winning author John Green’s gentle romance novel, The Fault in Our Stars, is funny, touching, tragic and, along the way, educational. The sarcastic and witty story is written in first-person.
Hazel, 17, in the regressive stage of lung cancer, wheels around an oxygen tank wherever she goes. Her mother realizes Hazel is depressed and insists her daughter attend a support group.The group, all teens except their leader, features a “rotating cast of characters in various states of tumor-driven unwellness. Why did the cast rotate? It’s a side effect of dying.”
At the support group she meets Augustus, 17, who has a slightly gaited walk due to a prosthetic leg, also the result of cancer. Augustus is handsome, quick, clever, and eager to know Hazel. Together they banter, make fun of their conditions, and find joy in their common interests. Their teenage wit and snarky comments are a delight, especially when the humor is directed at their afflictions. But they have their serious moments, too. Each wants to be there for the other when the end comes.
Hazel shares her favorite book with Augustus, a story by the reclusive author Peter Van Houten. Together they mourn that the ending of the beloved book leaves unanswered questions. They eventually learn that the author lives in Amsterdam and it is their goal to find out from him what happened to the various characters in the book.
Although the subject of children afflicted by cancer is serious, The Fault in Our Stars is nevertheless delightful. Hazel’s cynicism is refreshing and honest. In many respects she’s a typical teenager, embarrassed by her parents, resentful of her restrictions. At the same time she recognizes that her condition is a tragedy her parents have had to deal with. Their lives center around Hazel, and she worries about her parents when she no longer is with them.
I highly recommend The Fault in Our Stars. It’s a compassionate, well-written story, but more than that, it gives us insight as to how people deal with this insidious disease, especially when it affects children.
Mary: This sounds like an intriguing story that is reading-time well spent, preparing each reader for each unknown future. This is especially timely as the daily surprises in our world can overwhelm. Definitely on my to read list.
Judith, I learned a lot about the effects of cancer, especially in children.
Thank you, Mary, for the book review of this book. It is difficult to read or write about cancer and be positive. Still this novel deals with it in a realistic way. It is a good novel.
I agree, Hema. I thought cancer from a teenage point of view was interesting. I appreciated their braveness.