BIBLIOGRAPHY
John Green, 2012 New York : Dutton Books. ISBN-13: 9780525478812
PLOT SUMMARY
This contemporary realistic fiction for young adults is a beautiful yet sad novel Green has written. It is about a young girl named Hazel who is in stage IV thyroid cancer. She is sixteen years old and has obviously accepted her cancer and attends a support group for children living with cancer at the behest of her parents. Phalanxifor, the drug that has kept her alive is only an experimental drug that will have consequences for her later on. At her support group she meets Augustus, another boy who has lost a leg to cancer. They become friends and eventually romantic with each other. After sharing a book and writing to the author of “An Imperial Affliction” they decide to go to Amsterdam to meet the author. While in Amsterdam their relationship blossoms. They finally meet Peter Van Houten the author of the book they read. As it turns out Van Houten is rude to both Hazel and Augustus. It is not until towards the end of the story that it is revealed why Van Houten is so mean. Their lives are changed and the author gives an insight that because Hazel is terminal she will be the first to die, however the plot gives a twist at the end of the story and leaves even the most hardened reader crying, especially if the reader can relate to it.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Green does a good job with symbolism's in this novel. For example: Augustus putting cigarettes in his mouth but doesn’t light up was quite clever. Here we have Augustus finally having power over his body and what can kill him. The essence of this is of being a love story however, Green sweetens it by bringing in “True” friendship between friends.
A theme of this story is one of mortality in that everyone no matter who they are will eventually pass on. No one is immune to diseases, not even the most innocent. When the focus of mortality is upon us we begin to find our identity. Hazel seeks her identity and finds that at the end she is happy. Green displays his writing talents and helps find a way to make things meaningful from something in life the is frightening. The characters are believable as his tone is quirky, something kids can relate to.
AWARDS and REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
* 2006 Michael L. Printz Award
* 2009 Edgar Award
* TIME Magazine’s #1 Fiction Book of 2012!
“The Fault in Our Stars is a love story, one of the most genuine and moving ones in recent American fiction, but it’s also an existential tragedy of tremendous intelligence and courage and sadness.” —Lev Grossman, TIME Magazine
*“Green’s best and most ambitious novel to date. In its every aspect, The Fault in Our Stars is a triumph.” -Booklist, starred review
*A blend of melancholy, sweet, philosophical, and funny. Green shows us true love…and it is far more romantic than any sunset on the beach.” -New York Times Book Review
*“A pitch-perfect, elegiac comedy…it will linger long and hard in the minds of teens and former teens.” -USA Today
*“Green writes books for young adults, but his voice is so compulsively readable that it defies categorization. The Fault in Our Stars proves that the hype surrounding Green is not overblown.” -NPR
CONNECTIONS
*Write letters to children with cancer at the same time teach literary elements that go into “How to write letters”.
*Healthy choices for the prevention of cancer.
*Students can encourage parents to donate to Candlelighter's.
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