The Fault In Our Stars is a highly acclaimed novel that falls under the category of young adult realistic fiction. This book, written by John Green, follows the budding love story of sixteen-year-old Hazel Green and seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters. The twist is, that they both suffer from different forms of cancer. Hazel has stage lV thyroid cancer and Augustus is in remission after losing his leg from a bone cancer called osteosarcoma. After they meet in a support group, they quickly charm each other. Beyond their shared cancer stories, they also bond over one of Hazel’s favorite books, An Imperial Affliction.

I don’t want to spoil anything that occurs after their few initial encounters, but I would say that it’s definitely worth the read. It was difficult to put down and I ended up finishing it in two days. Several copies can be found in the school library if you’d like to give it a read yourself. John Green did a beautiful job of capturing puppy love and the complexities that can arise when the horrible disease, that is cancer, comes into play. 

An article by The Washington Post, explains John Green’s motive for writing the best-selling book in the first place. “He was inspired by his early work as a children’s chaplain at a hospital and his friendship with one of his fans – 16-year-old Esther Earl, who died of thyroid cancer almost four years ago.” John Green also shared, “I couldn’t imagine that anyone would want to read it . . . But I just needed to write it.” 

The book was picked up by Josh Boone in 2014 and adapted into a film that turned out to be just as (if not more) popular. The witty and charming main characters were played by Shailene Woodly and Ansel Elgort. John Green made his own cameo, playing a little girl’s father for a brief scene in the movie. 

The movie stayed true to the book in several ways but if I had to choose one, I would say that I definitely preferred the book. I feel as if the movie rushed along some of the important scenes that deserved more screen time. Both were well made, but the book is a clear winner in my mind. However, I might be a tad bit biased because I watched the movie immediately after reading the book.