The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So many people have been talking about this book that I was interested to read it. This is a perfect book club pick as it begs for discussion.

Why is death such a difficult subject in our society? Disability, death, and any situation that puts us out of our comfort zone seems to produce such banal conversations. I cannot imagine what it's like to have cancer, nor have I known any teens with cancer, so it's difficult to judge how realistic the conversations in this book are, particularly between two young people who are dealing with the disease.

I did like the conversations that Hazel and Augustus have with each other and with their families, as well as how the author depicted the thoughts these kids had about their families, themselves, and their non-cancer friends. I think those parts of the book should be taken seriously, and use them to change how we think, feel, and talk with people that walk with a life-threatening illness.

I have never been to Amsterdam, and would be interested to know if the lovely descriptions of that city are accurate. I loved the cabdriver's statement:

"Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin."

This would be a great discussion point, particularly with teens.

There is a point where the teens have a sexual relationship, which appears to be approved by their parents. I think that yes, teens are definitely pulled toward all things sexual,but having sex before you die is really not going to improve the quality of your life. Our society places so much emphasis on our sexual natures, and really Augustus and Hazel are so much more than that. Their conversations were way more intimate than that actual encounter.

Overall, a good book that would benefit from post-reading discussion.


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