John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars is a story of a teen’s journey through the understanding of both life’s blessings and woes.

Hazel Grace Lancaster is a sixteen year old girl who fights a terminal stage IV thyroid cancer that also affects her lungs and realizes that there is no magical ending in life. She tries to continue to live her life normally, but understands that the clock is ticking for her. Hazel struggles to recognize that she is affecting the lives of everyone around her, all in a good way.

During a Cancer Kid Support Group meeting, Hazel meets the young and handsome seventeen year old Augustus Waters, who helps her understand that life doesn’t always turn out the way you expect it to. With his witty and charming personality, he also shows her that not everything is set in stone and that things are liable to change. Augustus, a former basketball star, was affected by osteosarcoma and has lost one of his legs.

Hazel finds that her attraction towards Augustus is mutual and they start to date. She is cautious about their relationship because she knows that something bad could happen any day and she doesn’t want Augustus to be heartbroken like in his past relationship.

Armed with her favorite book and her one-legged boyfriend, Hazel travels to Amsterdam to seek out her favorite book’s author in the hopes of learning about its ending. There, she receives heartbreaking news and has to find it in herself to understand that life isn’t always fair.

This book has a lot of humor in it despite the tragic moments that occur. The story plot is well written and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat the whole time. Green also excellently portrays the difficulties in life and the need for an individual to jump those obstacles.

The movie, by the same name, is due to come out to theaters in June.

I highly recommend this book to those who love a roller coaster of a book with its ups and downs and crazy loops.

16nvuong@usd489.com