TFIOS Review

“The Fault in Our Stars” transcends the divide between life and death

Young adult writer John Green launches witty novel

Tiffany Chan '15

Contributing Writer

To write his bestselling books, author John Green usually draws inspiration from his unique community of Internet followers. As one half of the VlogBrothers, a YouTube sensation that debuted in 2007, Green’s novels appeal to a legion of people who affectionately call themselves “Nerdfighters.” Though Green’s newest book “The Fault of Our Stars” explores weighty material such as cancer and death, he still maintains his characteristic style of warmth and wit.  

“The Fault in Our Stars” tells the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster, a sixteen year old terminal thyroid cancer patient. While an experimental treatment has temporarily extended her survival, Hazel’s hold on life remains incredibly tenuous. Hazel has withdrawn from school, only leaving the house to attend classes at a community college and group sessions for cancer patients at a local church. Enter Augustus Waters, an attractive cancer patient in remission. Green describes him as “a tenured professor in the Department of Slightly Crooked Smiles, with a dual appointment in the Department of Having a Voice that Made My Skin Feel More Like Skin.”

As their friendship develops, Hazel shares her favorite novel “An Imperial Affliction,” which is told from the point of view of a girl who, like Hazel herself, is also diagnosed with cancer. Though “An Imperial Affliction” was purposely written by its author to end mid-sentence, Hazel and Augustus are still incredibly curious as to the fate of other characters. The novel focuses on the duo’s 'star-crossed' romance and follows all their obstacles to reach Amsterdam, where they meet the author of “An Imperial Affliction” in order to learn the fates of the characters in what has become Augustus’ favorite novel as well.

His first solo book in four years, Green writes in his characteristically witty and sharp tone and the plot unfolds in a very elegant, thoughtful manner. The novel is inspired by many different aspects in Green’s own life, including his previous experience as a chaplain in a children’s hospital and his friendship with a cancer patient and ardent Nerdfighter named Esther Earl. The realistic and compelling circumstances of the two characters facing the physical and emotional challenges of early mortality creates a depth that other young adult novel books such as those of “The Twilight Saga” could never emulate.

Unlike other books of the target demographic, the burden of cancer isn’t romanticized in this novel. Such aspects of the book may discourage some younger readers but draw in older audiences for its down-to-earth portrayal of difficult subject matter. Hazel’s struggles are true to reality and Green does not attempt to cast her as a character above the limitations of humanity. Rather, she is aware that she is actively engaged in the struggle for her life and what that means for the people that she loves the most.

Neither are Hazel and Augustus are not portrayed as brave saints, they are simply teenagers who are trying to wrestle with the inevitable desire to be remembered after they are gone. Throughout “Stars,” the characters are concerned that they will be like other cancer patients who, as Augustus puts it, have “become their own disease.” They feel like outsiders because of their illness and are somewhat cynical because of it.

While you would be hard pressed to find a teenage boy that talks about “existentially fraught free throws” as Augustus does, he and Hazel are relatable characters who you can find in real life. Both have the same hobbies and interests like anyone in their age group; Hazel watches “America's Next Top Model” almost religiously and Augustus plays violent video games just like many devote Nerdfighters.

In the months before its release, Green promised Nerdfighters that he would sign all 150,000 copies in the first printing of “Stars.” Green also completed a promotional tour with his brother, the other half of VlogBrothers, that spanned 16 cities in three weeks that started at the nearby Wellesley Middle School. The book immediately debuted on The New York Times bestseller list and was already at the top of pre-orders for Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

“The Fault in Our Stars” is a departure not only from Green's previous work but from other titles that address cancer in the genre of young adult fiction. It would have been easy for “Stars” to have simply become another “cancer book” to be forgotten. Green, instead, endows his characters with real voices, albeit incredibly erudite and quick-witted ones. “The Fault in Our Stars” serves to be a book that demands to be remembered and speaks to the universal human condition rather than just to young adults. I think that many a Wellesley woman has felt like an outsider and grappled with if and how she will make a difference in the world. Because of this, I think that this may be the best work from John Green yet.