The Fault in our Stars, John Green (teenage novel)
This book is about older teens who meet through a (wacky) cancer support group. It’s a love story which encompasses life with cancer, philosphies to live by, empowerment of young people, the agony of parents. It’s about living life to the full despite or because of the difficulties cancer (or any other life-threatening or debilitating illness) forces on you.
I laughed and cried in equal measure and I really cared about all the characters but was completely bowled over by Hazel and Augustus and their amazing minds and how they had developed philosophies to live and die by and ways to deal with the obstacles to living a full life. Any adult who thinks teen books are inane should read John Green.
My 18 year old daughter saw the book and said “why have you got that?” I explained I was reviewing it for Cancer Voices, and she said everyone was raving about it, and she’d read loads of John Green, and he was excellent, and could she read it next. If mainstream top teen authors like him are writing about cancer and life and death issues, then we must be very thankful. Hopefully future generations with cancer who’ll live longer than us will deal with the fear and negativity around the condition much better than many of us have
Encourage your school library to get copies and any teen book clubs to read it, buy it for teen friends – but read it yourself too BEFORE you see the film!
ISBN-10: 014242417X
ISBN-13: 978-0142424179
