The Fault in Our Stars

February 10, 2012

I confess to being an "in-bed" reader for the most part. I'll usually wake up long before I stretch my legs, pour my first cup of coffee, reach for my book, and spend an hour or two delaying the official start of my day. Likewise, sleep comes only after I've given myself the opportunity to escape into my lit. That being said, the routine was upset a few days ago when I received a copy of John Green's new book in the mail.

I wasn't just reading this one in bed. I was reading it whenever I thought I could get away with it. There were other things that needed to be done but went undone. The dishes and laundry piled up, and minimal effort was put into making dinner.

I sort of feared my reaction to the book. I mean, it is about two teens with cancer falling in love despite their feeling that they're on borrowed time. It was only months ago that I lost my mother to cancer. I've done pretty well with it, all things considered. But would this book prove to be unreadable?

I won't lie. There's quite a bit of sorrow, loss, rejection, and anger in The Fault in Our Stars. But you know what? There's also laughter, love, discovery, and acceptance. Hazel starts out needing answers and ends up recognizing that sometimes there aren't any. Sometimes, you just have to make the most of today. Sometimes, you just have to take a chance. You can't go through life fearing you'll let down the people you love. The memory of love is preferable to the avoidance of it, even avoidance for noble reasons.

The Fault in our Stars is the most real thing I've read in a really long time. Too often we think of cancer patients as only being concerned with finding a cure for their disease. John Green shows a different picture,one where the disease doesn't define the person. We see two teens skipping support group in the "Literal heart of Jesus." We see them watching movies, playing video games, and being sarcastic at every opportunity. They're people first. They have cancer second. A whole list of things in the book are referred to as "side effects of dying." Perhaps the truest side effect of dying is letting the walls come down, being honest,  and being real. Who has time to pretend to be something they're not? Hazel and Augustus don't, but the truth is, neither do we, because tomorrow is an assumption, not a promise. I needed to read this book, and I think you do too. Our reasons are probably different, and that's the beauty of it.

I'll end as John Green began, with a reminder of his that will serve you well as you read: "Neither novels or their readers benefit from attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea that made-up stories can matter, which is sort of the foundational assumption of our species."

Put your copy of The Fault in Our Stars on hold today! Believe me when I say that it's a "put off the chores-read at every opportunity-gonna be thinking about this for a long time" reading.

Amanda W.
North Independence Branch