The Fault in our Stars

Green, J. (2012). The fault in our stars. London: Penguin Books.

Summary: Hazel is a 17 year old girl with cancer that must use a portable oxygen tank to breathe. Her mother makes her attend a cancer patient support group where she meets Augustus Waters, a boy in remission. Augustus and Hazel form a quick bond over a book called An Imperial Affliction. Augustus tracks down the author and uses his Make A Wish Foundation wish to take Hazel to Amsterdam to meet him. In Amsterdam, Augustus reveals that his cancer has returned and spread. Their visit with the author turns out to be a disaster and they return home. Augustus deteriorates quickly and dies. The author, Van Houten, comes to his funeral and reveals that Augustus continued to communicate with him and demanded he come visit Hazel. Van Houten 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.
Commentary: The characters in The Fault In Our Stars are easy to like. They are the stereotypical teenagers placed in a very sad situation. The reader cannot help but become invested in their love story and mourn their loss. The author spends a lot of time giving the reader details of his characters. By the end of their introduction, we get a clear picture of who they are and what they look like. The author uses their speech patterns to help us connect with Augustus and Hazel on a deeper level. We feel like we could actually know them in real life.
Connections: Teacher Resources, Book Trailer, Book Review, Author Interview
Similar Books: Eleanor and Park by Rainbo Rowell; If I Stay by Gayle Forman; Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts
Textbook Connections: The Fault In Our Stars could be used to lead students to look at informational texts on cancer.