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The Bittersweet Realities of Love and Loss; John Green's The Fault in Our Stars

    I remember when John Green's YAL novel, The Fault in Our Stars (2013, 313 pages), was made into a movie. I didn't watch it but had contemplated reading the book. I didn't read the book then though either. Fast-forward to now and I'm taking a graduate course focused on adolescent literature. The Fault in Our Stars immediately came to mind when I had to propose twenty books to read over the course of the next few months. It doesn't fit the diversity of characters or diverse author requirements that so many other proposed texts do but I read Green's Looking for Alaska a few months back and really enjoyed it. I thought I'd use this opportunity to finally read the novel that drew so much attention ten years ago--a time before I was married, before I was a mom; before I became "old."  ☺   

    Agustus (Gus) does reference Shakespeare's Julius Caesar to explain the story's title. Cassius: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/But in ourselves." He wants to show Hazel that they can have choice over how they live their lives and not blame destiny on their terminal cancer/illnesses. 

    The Fault in Our Stars tells the story of Hazel, a 16-year-old with terminal cancer who befriends Augustus, a charming cancer surviver himself, while at a kids' support group meeting. The two connect immediately and build a friendship that turns into deep love as they deal with the challenges and realities of their illnesses, life, and love. They eventually embark on a trip to Amsterdam to meet a reclusive author of Hazel's favorite book. 




Notable Awards and Recognition

  • Best Teen Book of the Year (2013); Children's Choice Book Award
  • Goodreads Choice Award for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2012)
  • WAYBRA Children's Choice Awards for Older Readers (2013)
  • Silver Inky Award for International Book; Inky Awards (2012)
  • Time Magazines #1 Fiction Book of 2012
  • Several weeks spent on the bestseller lists including that of New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Indiebound
Teaching Considerations
  • Character Analysis and Development. The character development is pretty rich in this text and could provide lots of opportunities for students to delve deep to develop greater understanding of human conditions. Augustus was my favorite character due to his personality and view on life. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from him.
They don't kill you unless you light them...And I've never lit one. It's a metaphor, see: You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing.

        ~ pg. 20 in regards to the cigarettes he doesn't smoke but puts in his mouth...see suggestions for exploring figurative language throughout the text below.

That's the thing about pain...It demands to be felt.

~ pg. 63...Gus says this--so many of his lines are profound! A guiding question, related to one his quotes (like the one above) such as, "Is experiencing emotional pain necessary for personal growth?" could be used for a Socratic Seminar (see more below), "chalk-talk" or personal essay to explore the novel's themes.  

  • Figurative language, such as metaphors (e.g. Augustus "smoking" an unlit cigarette to symbolize a level of control over his life and mortality--see first quote above)
  • I think the text has themes that are universal enough to explore in a whole-class setting. Students could debate--or discuss in a Socratic Seminar structure--topics like loss, coping mechanisms versus escapism (Hazel binge-watching America's Next Top Model episodes or her love/obsession with her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction)
  • Age, maturity, and ensuring a safe space for all students are all extremely important if/when using this text in school. The themes include mortality and coping mechanisms; there is also a scene of intimacy between the two main characters that parents should be aware of. 
    The connection and love that Hazel and Gus build throughout most of the novel is pretty infectious, I must admit. I don't often get wrapped up in characters; however, I admit that I shed a few tears towards the end because reality can really just stink as was evident in many of the story's themes. 

    Now I have to watch the movie! Will it enhance the emotion I felt for the main characters and their love or will I wish for those two hours of my life back?! 

Green, J. (2013). The Fault in Our Stars. Penguin Books.

Comments

  1. SamFebruary 20, 2025 at 8:32 PM

    I read this book as a teenager, and it had me bawling. It was really cool for me to read your "teacher considerations" and see the book from a different lens. I never would have thought when reading about Gus and Hazel, "ah, yes, great character development," but now that you say that, I agree! These two, especially Gus, would be great character to analyze how they change and grow over the course of the novel (especially with how they cope with the suffering of life).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AmyFebruary 22, 2025 at 12:53 PM

      Hi Sam! Right?! It's so interesting to read novels that we read earlier in life through a "teacher lens" now. It's definitely a different perspective.

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