In John Green's A Fault in Our Stars, Hazel is a sixteen year old girl with terminal cancer. She was diagnosed with stage IV thyroid cancer at age twelve and now lives her life tethered to an oxygen tank.
At her mother's insistence, Hazel attends a support group at a local church (in the "literal heart of Jesus"). It is during one of these meetings that Hazel meets Augustus Waters.
Augustus is an osteosarcoma survivor. He lost a leg to the disease and now wears a prosthesis. He is gorgeous and happy. Hazel is smitten. They are introduced through a mutual friend, Isaac who has ocular cancer. Isaac is slated to have surgery for removal of the cancer, which will leave him blind. Augustus has come with his friend to the meeting as a support system.
Hazel is addicted to a book titled An Imperial Affliction, a book about a girl with cancer that speaks to her. She has read it many times and has attempted to contact its author through multiple letters, with no avail. She wants to tell him how she identified with the book and wishes to know the outcome after the book ends, as it concludes mid-sentence, implicating that the narrator (the young girl with cancer) has died.
Through the sharing of their favorite books, Hazel and Augustus connect immediately. Hazel is stunned at how easily Augustus helps her to see that life can be enjoyable. But neither of them can predict the events that will take place to both bring them together and drive them apart.
Erin has redeemed herself fully from the disaster of One Day. This book was fantastic. As with Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, I couldn't put it down. This book made me swing the full gamut of emotions. Don't read it unless you have a box of Kleenex handy. I bawled in some parts, but - thankfully - was also able to laugh in others.
I loved the character of Augustus Waters. He is amazing. I could totally go for knowing someone like Augustus. He is cute and quirky, fun and caring. He is a pretty amazing kid at only seventeen.
I can very easily see this becoming a favorite. As with Hazel and her An Imperial Affliction, I can predict that A Fault in Our Stars will be a book read by me many times. It's a good story without the complete depressing nature that can come with some books about cancer, yet it still manages to be realistic (to a point...read it and you'll see what I mean) and not a corny book about teenage love.
As you no doubt already realize, The Fault in Our Stars receives a 5 out of 5 star rating. Go read it!
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