The Fault In Our Stars- John Green

I decided to read The Fault In Our Starts (TFIOS) this six weeks, by John Green. This book was first published by John Green in 2012. TFIOS is about a 16 year old girl named Hazel who developed Thyroid cancer which then spread to her lungs. This book begins with Hazel describing that her mom thought she needed to go a support group because she believed Hazel had depression. Hazel explains that depression is not actually a side affect from cancer but merely a side affect of dying. She does not want to go to support group and explains how boring and unnecessary it is. Even though she would not like to Hazel goes to support group to make her mother happy. At support group there is someone new today named Augustus Waters. He is not there for himself even though he was a cancer patient and lost his leg to osteosarcoma. Throughout the book the two fall in love and go to Amsterdam together (with Hazels mom of course). I feel like overall the message of this book was love triumphs through hardships. Hazel really understands the world unlike most of us do, she understands that things like cancer and depression are really just side effects of dying and that the world itself does everything because it wants attention. She thinks like most of us don't saying things like "That's the things about pain... It demands to be felt."
This story is being told in a third person point of view, the problem though is that because it is told from Hazels point of view we really don't understand what some of the other characters think and feel. The plot revolves around Hazel and Augustus and watching them fall in love slowly. The setting is in Indianapolis, Indiana so because it is not a small town people do stare and look at her with her oxygen tank walking around. Even though everyone could watch and experience Hazel and Agustus' love she would try to deny it because she didn't want to be like a bomb and hurt everyone when she died.
Hazel and Augustus eventually end up spending almost every day with each other and become best friends, when they read each others favorite books he fell in love with her favorite author Van Houten. They both start exchanging emails with him and once he extends an invitation to come visit him in Amsterdam and they can talk Augustus doesn't hesitate to share his wish with Hazel and for them to go to Amsterdam. The trip almost got called off after Hazel had to go to the Hospital again to get fluids drained from her lungs and other procedures. Eventually though they do get to go on the trip, while there Hazel admits that she is in love with Augustus then later finds that his cancer has comeback. He has a small strong fight with his cancer but around a month after they got back he died leaving Hazel with no one to love. When he fought with cancer it was difficult on their relationship but neither of them ever gave up.
This book was extremely captivating and would never bore you or make you say why am i reading this? There was one or two thing in the book I didn't like but overall it was definitely one of the best books i have ever read.

Emma Garza
11/5/13
4.5/5