The Fault in Our Stars

Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Year: 2012

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age: 9th grade up

Summary: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.


Review: You’re going to cry while reading this book. Let’s get that out of the way. I cried. I cried a bunch. It’s about high school kids dying of cancer, for Pete's sake. But, oh the journey to get to those tears. Green’s main character Hazel Grace Lancaster is dying and she’s bitter and pissed about it. She’s also smart, funny, and a keen observer of the outside world. Her romance with Augustus, another Cancer Kid, is the main focus here, with side steps into Hazel’s family life. There could be great heaps of sap in this book (Kids! Dying! Of cancer!!), but Green avoids them. One of the plot twists at the end takes a deus ex machina turn that almost took me out of the story, but I loved the characters enough that I didn’t care.

I recommend this book to those who like realistic fiction, want a good cry.