The fault in our stars is a book by John Green which throws light on a different type of star-crossed lovers. The novel traces the journey of two teenagers – Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-yr old thyroid cancer survivor who breathes with the help of an oxygen cylinder. She has been battling the disease since she was 13 and Augustus Waters (also called Gus), a 17-yr old who has lost a leg to osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and is currently in remission.
They meet at a cancer support group meeting where Augustus goes to help his friend, Issac, who is going blind. Hazel and Gus bond over films and books. Hazel shares her love of a book about a girl with cancer which the author has left incomplete. Gus communicates with the author, on Hazel’s behalf, and also arranges for them to meet him through the Make a Wish foundation. The meeting turns out to be a failure, but interacting with one another outside their comfort zone helps the couple realise that they love each other deeply.
The book is a standard boy-meets-girl and falls in love romance. Though the leads are cancer survivors, the novel is not morbid. Cancer forces these characters to become adults before their time but does not take away the joy offered by love and friendship. Both the leads are aware that their love is doomed due to the proverbial Damocles sword hanging over their heads, but they deal with their situation bravely, with humour and sensitivity.
Hazel starts off as a lonely teenager and ends up being a mature girl who deals stoically with loss. Gus comes across as a generous boy who has come to terms with his condition and is willing to extract every bit of fun from life while he can.
The writing is very natural and reflects the thoughts of young adults accurately. We can easily sympathise with the characters without feeling depressed about their situation. Finally, it remains a story of hope with love being found in most unlikely of places!
So what happens to Hazel and Gus? Does cancer win or do the characters?
Grab a copy of the book and find out!
Summary
Age: 16+(Sensitive themes and mature content. User discretion is advised)
The fault in our stars is a book by John Green which throws light on a different type of star-crossed lovers. The novel traces the journey of two teenagers – Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-yr old thyroid cancer survivor who breathes with the help of an oxygen cylinder and Augustus Waters (also called Gus), a 17-yr old who has lost a leg to osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and is currently in remission. So what happens to Hazel and Gus? Does cancer win or do the characters?
Pros
- The smooth and natural writing style
- Likeable characters
- Generates sympathy for the leads without being depressing
- Shows that love can be found anywhere
Cons
- The unique viewpoints of cancer caregivers are not included
Power Words :
- Battling
- Remission
- Doomed
- Proverbial
- Damocles
- Stoically
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