The Fault in Our Stars
Posted by Book Mavens on June 14th, 2012
Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Publisher: Penguin, 2012
Summary: With patrons of all ages catching on to The Hunger Games, more and more ‘grown-ups’ are realizing that the world of young adult fiction is full of engaging stories, even for those who prefer to read ‘serious literature.’ Whether you are a long-time fan of teen books or just now discovering them, here is a tip: John Green just might be the best author writing for young people today. All of his previous books (including Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns) have been breathtaking achievements and his latest is no exception. Hazel was diagnosed with terminal cancer as a preteen but thanks to the intervention of an experimental drug regimen, she has survived against steep odds. But she has no illusions that her luck will last: She will never be cancer-free. Smart but listless, Hazel’s favorite thing to do is to reread An Imperial Affliction, an esoteric (and seemingly unfinished) book by an author who has dropped off the face of the Earth. At her cancer-kid support group, she meets Augustus Wheeler. And everything changes.
It sounds like the recipe for a sappy movie-of-the-week, but this story gets right to the heart of the matter: What kind of life should you build for yourself if you are on borrowed time? Like all of Green’s characters, these teens are not shallow caricatures of moody adolescence. They are clear-eyed, funny, soulful and above all, real. The Fault in Our Stars features young people forced to confront the big questions long before they should have had to and like the very best teen literature, it allows the characters to find the answers for themselves. Romantic and brutally honest at the same time, this book is not to be missed.
Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian
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