The Fault in Our Stars (2012) takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster through the ups and downs of young adults in love under difficult circumstances. New York Times bestselling-author John Green draws a beautiful, heartfelt picture of two teenagers with cancer falling in love. This captures the struggles, and pockets of happiness that come with having cancer.
Green, who graduated from Kenyon College in 2000, initially planned on becoming a priest, but his aspirations shifted after working as a student chaplain in a children’s hospital for five months. Green was inspired to later write a book about teenagers with cancer. “I found myself really unfulfilled by the answers that are traditionally offered to questions of why some people suffer and why others suffer so little,” Green told the Sydney Morning Herald.
This concept of suffering is carried through The Fault in Our Stars, and is brought to life when such genuine, charming characters suffer. Hazel Grace Lancaster is one of these characters.
Hazel Grace is diagnosed with terminal thyroid cancer at age 13. For her whole life, she keeps people at a distance so that they do not get attached and then have to deal with the pain of losing her. Everything changes when she meets a fellow cancer patient at a support group, Augustus Waters. Augustus has an aggressive bone cancer and a fake leg. These two characters take readers on a journey from country to country, showing grief, frustration, and a unique perspective shared through the eyes of teenagers with cancer and in love.
What sets this heartbreaking novel apart from other romance novels? The main characters are relatable and are unafraid to express raw emotion. The struggles and reality of growing up with cancer are highlighted through humor but at the same time will leave you crying and yet still wanting more.
“Hazel Grace’s sarcastic humor makes this book more realistic than other books,” says Cece Miller (‘26). “It’s like the perfect little love story, but it’s not what you would expect it to be.”
Unpredictable twists and turns will glue your eyes to this book. Your feelings and suspicions of what will happen next shift as the book continues, all leading up to a shocking and devastating finale.
The Fault in Our Stars is still circulating through teenagers’ and young adults’ reading lists and MediaFeed, even though it was published in 2012. This book impacts readers as if they know the characters and feels relevant and personable. The Fault in Our Stars does an excellent job of spotlighting the important aspects in life, and that life is short so you must live it to its fullest. If you like romance novels and don’t mind spilling your tears onto the pages, then this book is a must-read!
