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Pick Up A Book: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TCNJ chapter.

The Fault in Our Stars, the fifth novel by YA author and nerdfighting vlogbrother, John Green, is an endearing and unforgettable love story. It’s one of those books that leaves you feeling different, changed for the better, simply because you know about the story within its pages. Recently published and released on Jan. 10, The Fault in Our Stars author, John Green, once worked at a children’s hospital and spent years writing this novel, which could be seen as one of his masterpieces.

Hazel Lancaster is a 16-year-old girl living with Stage IV thyroid cancer, which she was diagnosed with three years before the story begins. She is living on borrowed time, thanks to an unfortunately fictional drug that has frozen the growth of her tumors. When she meets a “gorgeous plot twist” named Augustus Waters, who is in remission after losing part of his leg to osteosarcoma, the two develop a fast friendship that grows into something life changing.

Despite how little I could relate to her situation, I often found myself relating to the character of Hazel. I’m a sucker for relatable, quotable characters, and this novel is chock full of ‘em. Hazel’s first-person narration is honest, and she is a character who is both easy to empathize with for her attitudes and fears, and easy to admire for her bravery and selflessness. It isn’t very hard to fall in love with Augustus Waters, either.

These kids have cancer, but they are not dying of cancer—they’re living with cancer. You know it’s going to involve some sadness when multiple main characters have cancer, but you don’t quite know when or how, and you’re on this journey with them. It’s a wonderful journey, The Fault in Our Stars. It’s hard to put down and you will most likely find meaning in the novel, or at least I did. Rights to the movie were bought recently, so you should definitely read this soon!

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Rachel Chlebowski is an alumna of The College of New Jersey, where she sang with I-Tunes A Cappella, created props for TCNJ Musical Theater, spread literary cheer through Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society, and wrote for Her Campus TCNJ. She enjoys reading novels and watching Netflix when she isn't editing manuscripts and media.
Jessica is one half of the fantastic duo founding Her Campus on the leafy suburban campus that is The College of New Jersey. A Journalism major and Communications minor in the Class of 2012, she is a native of Pennsylvania and an adoptive resident of New Jersey. That's why she can't fist pump, but can pump gas. Before Her Campus, Jessica was a newspaper reporter, communications assistant and world traveler, having studied and interned abroad in London. When she's not writing or talking up a storm, Jessica can be found bargain shopping, catching up on a good book, fiddling with her camera or attempting to stay in shape. Other passions include hummus, tickling those ivories on the piano, meeting new people and all things Her Campus.