Green, J. (2012). The fault in
our stars. NY: Dutton Books.
Hazel is a 17
year-old girl with stage IV thyroid cancer that must use a portable oxygen tank
to breathe.. Her mother convinces her to join a Support Group. There is where
she meets Augustus Waters, a boy in remission. They start liking each other and
soon develop a very close relationship, spending a lot of time together talking
about everything. Hazel shares with him her favorite book An Imperial
Affliction. Together they begin to obsess about the ending of the
book. Augustus tracks
down the author and uses his Make A Wish Foundation wish to take her to meet
Peter Van Houten in Amsterdam. After many obstacles they manage to take the
trip. However, when it's time to meet the author he turns out to be a grumpy,
old drunk. They end up leaving and Hazel is very upset. The assistant feels bad
and takes them both to explore the city. They even get to visit Ann Frank's
house where they finally kiss. Later, Augustus tells Hazel that his cancer is
back. Soon after his health begins to deteriorate, and he doesn't have a lot of
time left. Hazel stays with him through it all. When he died, Hazel gives the
eulogy. The author, Van Houten, comes to his funeral and reveals that Augustus
continued to communicate with him and demanded he come visit Hazel. He also
reveals that Augustus had sent him pages he had written about Hazel. He reads
them to her and she concludes that she is happy with the choices she made.
This is absolutely one of my
favorite novels that makes me cry every time I read it. The characters are two
young kids that fall in love with each other but as the readers, we sadly know
it won’t finish in a happily ever after. It deals with the fear of loosing a
loved one and the fact that one day we will all die. This novel is also
a cruel reminder of just how devastating cancer is and that it affects many
young people as well. Additionally, it may lead students to look at
informational texts on cancer.
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Website
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