Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Green, J. (2014). The fault in our stars. Penguin Random House Australia. ISBN: 014242417X

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

This novel is written from the perspective of a 16-year-old girl, Hazel, who is diagnosed with cancer. At the beginning of the story we learn that Hazel suffers from depression because of her cancer and her parents force her to join a support group.  This is where she meets Augustus, a 17-year-old boy who is in remission and attends the meeting in support of his friend Isaac, who also has cancer. Hazel and Augustus begin to develop a strong bond and during a trip to Amsterdam both teenagers confess their love for one and other. Shortly after the trip, Augustus tells Hazel that his cancer has returned and as his health worsens. He is then admitted to the hospital where he later dies.

3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Well, where to start…to be honest this was not one of my top choices when deciding on which novel to read. I obviously knew what the story was about to some extent. After reading this novel I have to admit I am so glad I read the book! Although the story was predictable in the sense that it was tragic and I knew someone was going to die at the end, it was so good. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions for me. On one side, I couldn’t story crying because these two young characters were facing such difficult challenges and they way they accepted the idea of death was so sad. I was also reminded of how unfair life can be and to not take anything for granted. Reading the eulogy that Augustus wrote for Hazel was also extremely heartbreaking. Reading through each page, also reminded me of the relationship and bond I share with my husband.  Then, as I also found myself having hope that maybe the end would be different than I excepted and no one would die at the end of the story. With all these emotions I experienced, I must say John Green did such an amazing job at developing each character. I will say though, that this novel was more than just a love story. Other themes were present like facing difficult challenges, understanding death, making choices, and being ok with those choices. This story was also about living life and not letting the obstacles life throws at you take over. As I reflect on my favorite parts of the book, I loved the ending when Augustus eulogy for Hazel is shared.  He wrote “getting hurt in this world is unavoidable, but we do get to choose whom we allow to hurt us, and that he is happy with his choice, and hopes she likes hers too.”  This book is definitely a must read!

*This book may be a little difficult if you have a hard time discussing death.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

#1 New York Times Bestseller 

#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller 

 #1 USA Today Bestseller 

#1 International Bestseller

Starred review in Booklist: “In its every aspect, this novel is a triumph.”

Starred review in Kirkus: “Green seamlessly bridges the gap between the present and the existential, and readers will need more than one box of tissues...”

Starred review in New York Times Book Review: “[Green] shows us true love—two teenagers helping and accepting each other through the most humiliating physical and emotional ordeals—and it is far more romantic than any sunset on the beach.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Lead students to think about the book vs. movie. What are some similarities between the novel and the movie? What were some differences? What was the biggest difference between both? Ask students to vote on their favorite.  

*Engage students to reflect on the ending of the story. If they were John Green, would they have ended the story the way he did or would they re-write the ending?

*Lead students on a character analysis of Hazel and Augustus. What are some traits that describe each character? How are the characters similar and how are they different? Encourage them to use evidence from the text to support their responses.

*Other books similar to The Fault in Our Stars

Cashman, C. (2023). The truth about horses: A novel. Spark Press. ISBN: 1684632129

Lippincott, R. (2022). Five feet apart. Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers.

ISBN: 1665904968

Nowlin, L. (2019). If he had been with me. Sourcebooks Fire. ISBN: 1728205484

Book review was written for SHSU MLA course.